It might not be a 19th century church or a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, but a preservation battle is currently underway to save the South Chicago Velodrome in the South Chicago neighborhood. The velodrome, an oval shaped track with banked sides, was built in 2011 to spark a renewed interest in track racing and to provide a safe haven and hobby for at-risk youth in the area. However, the organization that previously operated the velodrome has walked away from it, endangering the future of the center of Chicago's track cycling scene. The South Chicago Velodrome is the only one of its kind in the city and just one of 27 in the United States, but a new organization is trying to raise $100,000 to relocate the velodrome.
Chicago has had a long history of bicycle making and bicycle racing, and anyone who grew up in the area has probably ridden a Chicago-built Schwinn at some point in their life. Headed up by Marcus Moore of Yojimbo's Garage, the newly formed South Chicago Velodrome Association has started an online fundraiser to raise the $100,000 needed to save the velodrome. According to Moore, the Chicago Velo Campus, the organization that previously operated the velodrome, left the facility while still owing $150,000 to the company that built the facility. The velodrome was slated to be removed last November, however, after negotiations with the creditor, the South Chicago Velodrome Association was given the winter months to raise the money to save the facility.
Save the Velodrome - Marcus Moore from BigROBOTmedia on Vimeo.
·South Chicago Velodrome [Official Website]
·Save the South Chicago Velodrome [Go Fund Me]
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