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Can zoning changes save Avondale’s Milwaukee Avenue and Pilsen’s St. Adalbert church?
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Obviously no. Sigcho thinks he can force the Archdiocese to keep St Adalbert open by taking away the resale value of the land. It's utterly, utterly boneheaded, he's in denial. There's no viable path to keep the church open. If he wanted to preserve the
building, there are much better tools available - he could simply push to repeal the ban on landmarking churches, or at least to make an exception, and extend historic protection to the building.
The problem is, the Archdiocese can't afford to keep the lights on for a tiny handful of people who actually bother to show up for services on Sunday, many of whom don't even live in Sigcho's ward. And if they can't afford the basic operation of the church, they certainly can't afford a supremely costly historic restoration project for a dying congregation. Heck, they're selling the family jewels (like the Holy Name parking lot) to pay for almost a billion dollars in sexual-abuse settlements.
Mark my words, this is going to result in the destruction of that beautiful church, not by a developer's wrecking ball but by sheer neglect, and it will be entirely Sigcho's fault.