DOWNTOWN — Chris Toepfer wants his famous Blackhawks mural back.
The artist behind the Blackhawks mural inside the former Old Main Post Office building said he doesn't wish to see the mural destroyed after the building was sold in May.
For now, the mural is still inside the building, greeting drivers as they head west on Congress Parkway out of the city.
"My main concern is that it's going to get thrown in a dump," Toepfer said Tuesday. "I just want to make sure we save it and put it some place where we can appreciate it. And if the building's not going to be redeveloped right away, I'd like to keep it where it is."
New York-based 601W Cos. finalized its purchase of the Old Main Post Office straddling Congress Parkway on May 12. The company will spend $500 million to redevelop the long-vacant Art Deco post office into new office space plus a public riverwalk and a three-acre rooftop park with outdoor cafes, a track, tennis and basketball courts.
Officials from 601W Cos. did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
The Hawks mural has been inside the property, 433 W. Van Buren St., since 2010, when the Blackhawks were in the midst of winning their first Stanley Cup since 1961 and their first of three over a six-year span.
Toepfer, who is known for using artwork to make "buildings that are vacant not look vacant," actually made three murals: the one that remains visible on the building's east side; a second in 2010 that was eventually taken down and given to one of Kappele's friends; and a third in 2013 that was placed on the building's west side. The third mural was taken down and is now "lying in a heap of dust somewhere on the third floor" of the post office building.
Toepfer said he's tried to reach out to the building's current and former owners and has been unsuccessful getting a hold of anyone.
"It's frustrating," he said.
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