Families Of E2 Nightclub Victims Speak Out As Owner Fights To Raze Building

MOTOR ROW — The fate of the former E2 nightclub remains uncertain as families of the people who died in a stampede there in 2003 shared emotional testimony during a special landmarks commission meeting Thursday.

Building owner Randy Shifrin is seeking permission to demolish the 124-year-old, two-story brick and terracotta structure at 2347 S. Michigan Ave. and replace it with a 21-story senior housing development. The development would include a memorial for the 21 people who died in the 2003 tragedy.

Shifrin filed an application for demolition with the landmarks commission in mid-July. In August, the commission voted to halt plans to raze the building, saying “demolition of the subject property will adversely affect and destroy significant historical and architectural features of the property and the district.” The issue was discussed at Thursday’s hearing, with former Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. serving as Shifrin’s counsel.

Relatives of E2 victims who spoke before the commission said they remain “neutral” on the project until they learn more. Other parties in favor of or against the demolition have until Oct. 29 to submit their findings and conclusions for consideration to CCL@cityofchicago.org ahead of a Nov. 9 public hearing.

The grief is still fresh for Shaeara Hicks, whose mother was among those lost. Hicks thanked those who have supported the families through the years, telling the commission that at times it felt like “no one had our backs.”

“No one really cares, if you ask me. It’s old to other people, but to us, we actually want to do something about it,” Hicks said.

Howard Ray recalled receiving the heartbreaking call informing him his little brother, 24-year-old DaShand Ray, had been inside the nightclub and had not come out after the stampede. They waited an “agonizing” five hours before learning DaShand was among those who had been killed, he said.

Ray told the commission that many of the E2 families never received help from the city to process their grief. The group is asking they be able to give input on plans regarding the building, a benefits agreement that would see a portion of the revenue go toward “creating a lasting impact” for families and the establishment of an E2 financial center honoring victims by providing grants and loans to residents in under-resourced communities.

“It will help future generations thrive and bring a higher quality of life to underserved communities. We are not simply here to reflect on the past. We are here to honor 21 lives lost by making sure that legacy creates a brighter future for others,” Ray said.

Among those opposed to demolishing the structure were representatives from Preservation Chicago, members of the Near South Planning Board and Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), who reaffirmed her commitment to establish an on-site memorial while asking the commission to uphold the Department of Planning’s previous findings.

“You’ve had this building since 2021, and I haven’t heard from you until you called me this year about this incident and invited me to a party,” Dowell said to Shifrin as she pointed out that the building isn’t zoned for residential development.

“There’s no residential after the landmark designation was given in 2000, so my commitment is to work with the families on whatever you decide to develop there, in accordance with the current zoning. I’m more than willing to work with you and the families to make sure that your goal as a developer, or as an investor in our neighborhood, is met, and that the memory of the 21 people who died that night can also be acknowledged.”

George Blakemore, a frequent speaker at city meetings, defended Shifrin during his brief time at the podium, saying city officials were being “incompetent, unprofessional and un-American.”

Brookins echoed Blakemore in his closing statement, adding that the city “gaslit” Shifrin as he sought permission for a zoning change that would allow him to raze the Holabird & Roche-designed building.

“He’s told to jump through this hoop by this department and jump through that loop by another department, knowing that you can’t jump through both of their hoops at the same time,” Brookins told the commission. “He then began to jump through the booths that the city said they wanted him to jump through.”

Brookins accused the city of unfair treatment and retaliating against Shifrin for “speaking out” against officials, noting that zoning had been changed to accommodate a DLA Piper-related project across the street.

“I ask you to do the right thing. You have the evidence there, and we’d ask that the petition go forward. If not, we’ll just keep dealing with it across the street,” Brookins said.

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