Community Members, City Officials Gather to Celebrate Restoration of Little Village Arch

Community members and city officials gathered underneath the Little Village Arch on Sept. 11, 2024 to celebrate its restoration. (WTTW News)Community members and city officials gathered underneath the Little Village Arch on Sept. 11, 2024 to celebrate its restoration. (WTTW News)

The Little Village Arch, serving as a gateway for the neighborhood dubbed the “Mexican capital of the Midwest,” has been newly restored.

Community members and city officials gathered underneath the city landmark in Little Village for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the restoration, which included fixing the archway’s clock that was infamous for not having the correct time.

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“This is just the beginning,” said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward). “I think of many better days to come for support and investment to our community, to recognize the valuable and important contributions of our Mexican and Mexican American communities here in the city of Chicago.”

The Chicago Department of Transportation undertook a $1.25 million, TIF-funded project to restore the archway following its designation as an official city landmark in 2022.

The project included replacing missing or damaged stone with materials of similar quality, installing a new iron grille, repairing existing tiles on the roof, replacing all stucco, installing new light fixtures and more, according to CDOT spokesperson Erica Schroeder.

Standing above the 26th Street business corridor, the Little Village Arch was built in 1990 by Mexican American Vietnam War veterans Ronald Baltierra and David Ramirez and was designed by Mexican architect Adrián Lozan.

The iconic archway clock was gifted to Chicago by the Mexican government in 1991.

The tiled archway features two dome towers and a metal banner reading, “Bienvenidos a Little Village,” or “Welcome to Little Village.” The design was inspired by arched entrances found in Mexican architecture.

“I put my heart, my soul — everything into it — when I had the opportunity to build this,” Baltierra said. “Even though I was born and bred in America ... it meant so much for me to build something like this, knowing that that’s where my heritage is.”

In the building of the archway from around 1988-1989, Ramirez said he and Baltierra worked with and discussed plans with the architect, then-alderman Jesús “Chuy” García, the city of Chicago and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce.

Ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Brandon Johnson presented Baltierra and Ramirez with a written proclamation in honor of their contribution to the city.

Deputy Counsel General of Mexico in Chicago Gerardo Guerrero, Ald. Michael Rodríguez (22nd Ward) and CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney were also among the speakers at the event.

The archway restoration comes near the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, beginning Sept. 15, and Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16. Multiple events and parades citywide will be held this weekend to celebrate the independence holiday.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]


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