Chicago Preservation Expo
Tickets now available for the Chicago Preservation Expo!
Don't miss out on this special event from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, May 19 at the Chicago Cultural Center.
2025 Preservation Expo — Monday, May 19 at the Chicago Cultural Center — Tickets Available Now!
In celebration of National Historic Preservation Month, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) invites all Chicagoans to the 2025 Chicago Preservation Expo from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, May 19 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
Through this free event, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with City staff, community and nonprofit organizations, professional service providers and trades experts at the forefront of historic preservation in Chicago.
DPD will also present the 25th edition of the Preservation Excellence Awards on behalf of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks from 6-7 p.m. in the Claudia Cassidy Theater at the Cultural Center. Selected by the commission’s Permit Review Committee, the awardees include a variety of individual landmarks and landmark district projects showcasing the best in preservation work across the city. WGN's Ana Belaval will serve as emcee of the awards ceremony.
What is Preservation Month? Every May, preservation organizations and government agencies celebrate Preservation Month to promote the benefits of historic places. In 1973, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the U.S. Congress designated May 6-12 as National Preservation Week. In 2005, Preservation Week was extended to the entire month of May. Learn more about DPD’s Historic Preservation Division.
Ana Belaval | Bio
Ana Belaval is of one the most beloved members of the number one morning show in Chicago, WGN Morning News. She is an award-winning journalist with almost thirty years of experience reporting in English and Spanish.
In addition to her daily reporting duties, Ana has been doing stand-up comedy in English, Spanish, and “Spanglish” for more than a decade. Most recently, Ana’s English-language show at Zanies Rosemont sold out, and her show performed in Spanish, “Te Sientas o te Siento,” sold out in Chicago, New York, and Puerto Rico.
Ana lives in Chicago with her husband and two children. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ana takes every opportunity to honor her heritage both in her professional and personal life.
A Brief History of Preservation in Chicago
Like all social and cultural movements, historic preservation in Chicago has a unique evolution, one that preceded by decades the national preservation movement that coalesced in the mid-20th century.
One of the city’s earliest preservation questions involved the demolition of the Green Tree Tavern in 1905. Built in 1833 near Canal and Lake streets and later moved to Milwaukee Avenue around 1880, the wood-frame tavern was one of the city’s earliest buildings. By 1905, it was in poor condition, and some Chicagoans spoke in favor of preserving its legacy as one of the city’s founding structures. At the time, no legislation existed to protect the building, and it ultimately collapsed.