Meeting Will Discuss the Future of Saint Boniface Church

After standing vacant for 26 years, could the resurrection of Saint Boniface Church be on the horizon? A new flyer being circulated around the East Village neighborhood suggests that the city is growing impatient with the lack of action taken to repurpose the structure and has asked area residents to come together to discuss the future of the church.

Most recently, a developer proposed building a ten-story, 105-unit residential project for the site. The developer indicated that it would seek the demolition of Saint Boniface Church to make room for the development. However, the Neighbors of Saint Boniface organization rejected the plan for being too dense and for not incorporating the church into the project.

Saint Boniface was closed in 1990, but numerous proposals to redevelop and repurpose the church have been presented since then. In 2014, the city placed red x signs on the exterior of the church, indicating that it was structurally unsound and unsafe for emergency responders to enter.

The next meeting to discuss Saint Boniface's future will be held this Thursday, March 31 at the Northwestern Settlement House (1012 N. Noble Street) starting at 7:00 p.m.

• Neighbors of Saint Boniface [Website]
• The Challenge in Adapting Chicago's Historic Churches [Curbed Chicago
• Chicago's Historic Churches are Worth Saving, Part 1: Preservationists Prepare for a Crisis [Curbed Chicago]
• Archdiocese May Close Nearly 100 Churches in Next 15 Years [Curbed Chicago]