Jim Peters, urban planner and academic is named the President of Landmark Illinois, a Chicago-based non-profit with a mission to preserve state historical heritage.
With a staff of 12 and an annual budget of about $2 million the group has been fighting for the preservation of such historic buildings as Soldier Field, Cook County Hospital and Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House.
Peters will assume his responsibilities on July 15Th.
Peters has a rich input the preservation of the historic buildings.
He has been Landmarks Illinois' director of preservation planning since 2001 and has taught historic preservation as an adjunct instructor at both the School of the Art institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He will leave both academic positions because of the responsibilities of his new job. He will also be Landmarks Illinois' chief executive officer.
Peters plans to give renewed attention to the group's statewide efforts. Among the scope of his attention will be the saving of mid-20Th Century modern buildings and the move toward "facade-echtomies," in which developers save only the facades of historic buildings--often with government approval.
Peters prefers "behind-the-scenes persuasion" to fight for property rights movement that has stymied efforts to create suburban landmark districts.
From 1990 to 2001 Peters worked in the city's planning department and a Deputy Commissioner for the Landmarks Division.It will be interesting to follow Peters' initiatives in regards to Chicago Athletic Association and Chicago Tribune Towers fate now that developers and real estate agents are targeting these two historic buildings as their next victims in the race for more profit.
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