Austin’s Mars Candy Factory Designated as Landmark

The Spanish Revival-style Mars candy factory in Austin was designated as an official Chicago landmark by City Council today.

Located at 2019 N. Oak Park Ave. and fronted by a broad lawn, the factory's clay tile roofs, arched windows and balconets created a building more like a country club than a factory, allowing the one-story complex to easily integrate and inspire additional development among adjacent residential blocks when it opened in 1929.

The exotic design by Cleveland-based engineering firm The Austin Co. also belied the industrial innovations occurring inside, including the creation of popular confections like the Snickers, Milky Way and Three Musketeers bars.

The designation will protect the front portion of the complex along Oak Park Avenue, including the entry gate, when the 20-acre factory site is redeveloped following its anticipated 2024 closing by its owner, Mars, Inc.

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