It is hereby declared necessary for the general welfare of the citizens of the City of Chicago as an exercise of the home rule authority of the City of Chicago under Article VII, Section 6, of the Illinois Constitution, to protect and encourage the continued utilization of areas, districts, places, buildings, structures, works of art, and other similar objects within the City of Chicago eligible for designation by ordinance as "Chicago Landmarks". The purpose of these sections is the following:
1. To identify, preserve, protect, enhance, and encourage the continued utilization and the rehabilitation of such areas, districts, places, buildings, structures, works of art, and other objects having a special historical, community, architectural, or aesthetic interest or value to the City of Chicago and its citizens;
2. To safeguard the City of Chicago's historic and cultural heritage, as embodied and reflected in such areas, districts, places, buildings, structures, works of art, and other objects determined eligible for designation by ordinance as "Chicago Landmarks";
3. To preserve the character and vitality of the neighborhoods and central area, to promote economic development through rehabilitation, and to conserve and improve the property tax base of the City of Chicago;
4. To foster civic pride in the beauty and noble accomplishments of the past as presented in such "Chicago Landmarks";
5. To protect and enhance the attractiveness of the City of Chicago to homeowners, home buyers, tourists, visitors, businesses and shoppers, and thereby to support and promote business, commerce, industry, and tourism and to provide economic benefit to the City of Chicago;
6. To foster and encourage preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of areas, districts, places, buildings, structures, works of art, and other objects, including entire districts and neighborhoods, and thereby prevent future urban blight and in some cases reverse current urban deterioration;
7. To foster the education, pleasure, and welfare of the people of the City of Chicago through the designation of "Chicago Landmarks";
8. To encourage orderly and efficient development that recognizes the special value to the City of Chicago of the protection of areas, districts, places, buildings, structures, works of art, and other objects designated as "Chicago Landmarks";
9. To encourage the continuation of surveys and studies of Chicago's historical and architectural resources and the maintenance and updating of a register of areas, districts, places, buildings, structures, works of art, and other objects which may be worthy of landmark designation; and
10. To encourage public participation in identifying and preserving historical and architectural resources through public hearings on proposed designations, building permits, and economic hardship variations.
(Prior code § 21-62; Added Coun. J. 3-11-87, p. 40272)