Following emotional pleas by relatives of one of the deadliest tragedies in Black Chicago history, the owner of the building that housed the E2 nightclub at 23rd and Michigan was denied a permit to demolish the structure.
At a November 7 meeting, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks ruled the 110-year-old building had value because of its historical importance to the Motor Row District in the South Loop.
The commission said the E2 nightclub tragedy had nothing to do with its decision to deny a demolition permit for the site. The commission instead focused on the fact the building originally was a Fiat dealership when first built in 1910, making it a key part of the historic Motor Row District.
Before a final vote on demolition of the building Howard Ray, whose relative was killed in the stampede that resulted when club guests tried to exit the building, asked the commission to consider proposals from him and others who lost loved ones in the tragedy.
“The current E2 family proposals include a community benefit agreement, a memorial, and historical landmark designation. We believe these proposals align with the Chicago broader commitment to acknowledging its complex history, and honoring its diverse community,” he said.
The ruling came more than 20 years after 21 people died and dozens were injured during a stampede at the popular E2 nightclub in 2003. All the victims were young Black men and women. Survivors for decades have been lobbying the city to turn the site into a memorial for the victims who perished during the stampede.
Since the tragic event the building has been vacant. Today, the building remains gutted with no traces of the former nightclub, whose owners faced little punishment after the tragedy.
Photos of the victims and a petition with signatures are taped on the front windows and doors of the building at 2347 S. Michigan Ave.
In June, owner Randy Shifrin was reportedly asked to either demolish the building or make it safe. There were plans to turn the building into a 21-story high rise for seniors. At a hearing last month Shifrin said the plans include a memorial to the 21 victims of the E2 nightclub tragedy.
During that hearing, Laneisha Crawford cried as she spoke about her mother, Demetricta Cardwell, who died in the tragedy.
“If you don’t demolish it, try to put something else good there, because we deserve something that will remember our families,” she said.
On February 17, 2003, over 1,000 people were enjoying an evening at E2 nightclub, where Chicago radio station WGCI was hosting a special event. Chaos erupted when a security guard reportedly used pepper spray to break up a fight.
Over 1,000 patrons jammed the club’s only stairwell exit that was designed to hold 240 people. Police said the pile of bodies on the stairwell was as high as six feet in some areas. Twenty-one people between the ages of 19 and 43 died; over 50 people were injured.
Reverend Jesse Jackson was among Black leaders who called for an investigation as funerals for the victims were held throughout Chicago’s South and West Sides.
E2 nightclub owners Calvin Hollins Jr. and Dwain Kyles were charged with 21 counts of involuntary manslaughter. In 2009, the men were acquitted but found guilty of criminal contempt for violating a court order to close the second-floor nightclub for building violations months before the tragedy.
After an appeals court overturned that conviction, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the original decision. In the end, Hollins and Kyles ended up serving just two years of probation and 500 hours of community service.
In 2018, an Illinois appeals panel upheld a Cook County judge’s ruling, which cleared Chicago police who were accused of preventing patrons from leaving the E2 nightclub as they feared for their lives.
At least 89 wrongful death and injury lawsuits were filed in the E2 nightclub case.
In 2014, Clear Channel Communications, whose radio station WGCI held the event at the nightclub, agreed to an out of court settlement for many of the victims’ families. The settlement amounts reportedly ranged from $1.2 million to $2 million.
The Ray family was among those who received a settlement. But last August, the Rays rejected a separate undisclosed settlement offer from the city, according to court transcripts.