A secluded slice of religious history along the Des Plaines River is about to be carved up, and the families who have spent generations there say they are being pushed out with little say in the matter. A settlement will transfer about 22 of the site’s roughly 27 acres to the City of Des Plaines, leaving a 5-acre parcel for the camp ground and setting a closing date of Oct. 31, 2026. Roughly 80 remaining structures, some dating back to the 1860s, are slated for removal, while about a dozen residents still live on the flood-prone property. Longtime cottagers and preservation advocates say the tabernacles and cottages are a religious and cultural landmark that could now vanish.
Deal terms and timeline
Under the settlement, the city will acquire approximately 22 acres and subdivide the land, leaving about 5 acres for the Chicago District Camp Ground, with a closing date of Oct. 31, 2026, according to the City of Des Plaines. The agreement requires the city to relocate the Waldorf Tabernacle at city expense and sets up a restricted $4 million settlement payment, payable only at closing and only after specific preconditions are met. City planners say the land the city acquires will be cleared of unsafe structures to bring the floodway into compliance and to create open space that links nearby forest preserves.
Residents say they had no voice
People still living in the camp ground’s cottages say the deal dropped on them with little warning, and they are now scrambling for new places to live. “It’s not just a house. It’s not just a cottage,” Holly Davidova told NBC Chicago, explaining that she owns her structure but not the land beneath it and does not know whether she will receive any of the settlement money. NBC Chicago reports that about a dozen residents remain on the grounds and that roughly 80 structures across the site will be affected, with many of the buildings tracing their origins to the 1860s.
Why the city moved
City officials say the purchase ends a five-year legal battle and tackles chronic flooding that has repeatedly damaged cottages on the site. City Attorney Peter Friedman told NBC Chicago that bringing the campground up to current standards would cost “an extraordinary amount of money” and that some buildings could not realistically be elevated. Officials also argue that the sale will help keep flood insurance premiums from spiking for hundreds of nearby homeowners and will position the city to seek state and federal grants to help cover the cost of buying and demolishing the structures.
What the settlement allows — and takes
Under the agreement, the Camp Ground Association may relocate selected buildings to the remaining 5-acre parcel within 90 days after closing, at the association’s expense, according to the City of Des Plaines. The settlement also requires the association to keep that parcel in full compliance with city code. The Camp Ground is limited to using the settlement funds for matters related to its retained parcel and must provide twice-yearly accounting of how the money is spent. After closing, the city plans to demolish the remaining structures on the land it acquires and convert the area into open space tied into nearby forest preserves.
Legal implications…