Demolition began Tuesday on the nearly 115-year-old building at 2347 S. Michigan Ave., the former site of the E2 nightclub where 21 people died in a 2003 stampede. City officials issued an emergency demolition order last month after inspections deemed the vacant building unsafe. This decision contradicts the Commission on Chicago Landmarks’ August denial of the property owner’s demolition request, a denial based on a recommendation from city planning officials.
Property owner Randy Shifrin stated his intention to build a 21-story affordable housing building called “Tower 21” as a memorial to the victims. He explained his support for the demolition, saying, “I’m happy the building is coming down only because it saves the poor families from every day looking at the place where their loved ones perished.” The building, originally a 1910 Fiat showroom in the historic Motor Row District, later gained notoriety as the location of the E2 nightclub tragedy. On February 17, 2003, a fight on the crowded second floor prompted a security guard to use pepper spray, triggering a stampede down a narrow stairwell that resulted in 21 deaths and 50 injuries.
While the Landmarks Commission had unanimously recognized the building’s historical significance to the Motor Row District in August, citing its intact façade and Holabird & Roche design, Shifrin argued that significant damage, including a partially collapsed roof, rendered much of the structure beyond repair. He believes a new project would better serve the site. He further stated that building affordable housing is “the best way” to honor the victims, providing housing opportunities on Michigan Avenue to those who might otherwise never have the chance.
During an October Commission on Chicago Landmarks meeting, some victims’ family members testified in support of demolition, sharing their enduring grief. Howard Ray, whose brother DaShand Ray died in the tragedy, proposed the creation of an “E2 financial center” to provide low-interest loans and business grants to families in underserved neighborhoods. Ray emphasized that this center would serve as a memorial and a catalyst for positive change, transforming sorrow into opportunity and ensuring the tragedy is never forgotten. He concluded, “We are not simply here to reflect on the past. We are here to honor 21 lives lost by making sure their legacy creates a brighter future for us.”