2018 Year-in-Review Newsletter

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WINS

WIN: Chicago Union Station Developers “Completely Revise Their Vision for the Project” (Chicago 7 2018)

Rejected Chicago Union Station Addition, Rendering Credit: SCB

After Preservation Chicago declared Chicago Union Station as a 2018 Most Endangered, and following months of extensive advocacy and the avalanche of negative press following the release of the proposed seven-story addition to the top of the Chicago Union Station, the developers Riverside Investment & Development and Convexity Properties revised their vision for the project with a low-profile rooftop deck addition. “The decision to jettison the original plan is a major victory for historic preservationists,” wrote Blair Kamin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune.   During a well-attended community meeting on June 25, 2018 Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago Executive Director, received an enthusiastic round of applause when he said, “Rooflines, elevations, and interior volumes are protected under the Landmark Ordinance and we think you’re going to step over these lines. We’d like to see no building on top of this amazing station, and instead suggested transferring the additional floors to the new high-rise buildings proposed next door.” (Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, 6/26/18)   Ward Miller suggested an alternate approach be to build out an extensive rooftop terrace on the existing Union Station building, which would be directly above the proposed 330-room hotel within the historic office floors. Rooftop restaurants and lounges have proved to be incredibly popular and highly valuable assets for buildings throughout the Loop. Coupled with a hotel below, a series of rooftop restaurants, lounges, and event spaces could become a destination unto itself and powerfully reactivate one of Chicago’s greatest Landmark buildings.   Prior to the development plan revisions, Blair Kamin laid out the existential challenge to Chicago Union Station.   “When the City of Chicago granted [Union] Station official Landmark status in 2002, it buttressed its case by noting that the station is the last great historic railroad terminal still in use in Chicago; that it’s one of the nation’s most architecturally and historically significant passenger railroad stations, and that its soaring Great Hall is one of the country’s great interior public spaces.”   “So the stakes for this forlorn but beloved Landmark, designed by Chicago architects Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and completed in 1925, couldn’t be higher. Which begs this question: Are we stuck with this fourth-rate design or are Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, in whose ward the station sits, going to exercise their considerable clout and push for something better?”   Kamin described the proposed rooftop addition as one that “would plunk a squat modernist box atop the existing structure’s neo-classical pedestal. They go together as well as Rauner and Pritzker, the City Council and ethics reform”….“The seven-story addition and its 404 rental apartments would bring to the forlorn but grand train station all the grandeur of a Holiday Inn.”…. “Worse, its exterior, a skeletal metal and glass grid is at odds with the station’s carefully composed classical aesthetic. Despite the architects’ best efforts, it’s as though one era of architecture had been piled, willy-nilly, atop another.”… “The juxtaposition of past and present isn’t as violent as the spaceship-like seating bowl that’s plopped atop the classical colonnades of Soldier Field. It’s just banal, which Burnham buildings never are.”… “[The] addition design for Union Station does not inspire confidence. A building that’s part of the Burnham legacy deserves better, especially when it forms a gateway to Chicago.”

WIN: After Being Mothballed for Nearly 40 Years, Uptown Theatre Restoration Plan Receives City Council Approval!

Uptown Theatre Post-Renovation, Rendering Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Uptown Theatre Interior, 4816 N. Broadway, Photo Credit: Chicago Tribune Historic Photo

On November 13, 2018, the Chicago City Council Department of Planning and Development voted to approve the $75 million rehabilitation of the long-vacant Uptown Theatre. After decades of false starts and unfulfilled promises, this marks an important and tangible step forward for the restoration of this magnificent building.   37 years ago, the Uptown Theatre hosted its last concert on Dec. 19, 1981 before being closed due to water damage from frozen pipes. The effort to save this outstanding building from demolition has been long and arduous, but the preservation community never gave up on the dream of one day seeing the Uptown Theatre restored. In 1991 after a decade of advocacy, the Chicago preservation community succeeded in having the Uptown Theatre designated a Chicago Landmark. No one at the time could have guessed that the building would remain shuttered for nearly 30 more years!    Most recently, Friends of the Uptown and Preservation Chicago sponsored an online petition to encourage the restoration of the Uptown Theatre that generated 10,778 signatures before it was closed having achieved its goal of catalyzing the building’s restoration. Construction work is expected to begin in August 2019 with a grand reopening scheduled for early 2021.   As Blair Kamin wrote in his Chicago Tribune column, “local preservation groups — Landmarks Illinois, Preservation Chicago and Friends of the Uptown — and the Washington, D.C.-based National Trust for Historic Preservation, which in 1996 put the Uptown on its list of the nation’s most endangered places, deserve credit for the tenacity they exhibited in fighting for what many assumed was a lost cause. City officials also get kudos for laying the infrastructure groundwork that could help a renovated Uptown succeed.” (Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 6/29/18)    “The Uptown Theatre is one of the greatest theaters in America, and it’s the premier property in Uptown. Its restoration will be expensive but the theater is a treasure that must be saved,” said Jam co-founder Jerry Mickelson. “Assistance from all levels of government — local, state, and federal — is necessary to get this project over the finish line. Future generations will not forgive those who do not save this magnificent palace, because a venue like the Uptown Theatre will never be built again.” (Chicago DPD, 11/20/18)   “It’s been more than 35 years since the theater closed to the public, which makes this the most anticipated restoration project in the City’s history,” said DPD Commissioner David L. Reifman. “The Uptown is the last and largest movie palace in the United States that hasn’t been demolished or restored and its re-opening is going to be recognized by preservationists, entertainment entities, cultural organizations and cities around the world.” (Chicago DPD, 11/20/18)   Preservation Chicago wishes to acknowledge the owners, Jerry Mickelson of JAM and Farpoint, 46 th Ward Alderman James Cappleman, Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Commissioner David Reifman, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Andy Pierce, Friends of the Uptown Theatre, and all of the Chicagoans who have advocated for nearly 40 years to reopen the Uptown Theatre. Kudos to former Alderman Mary Ann Smith who deserves special recognition and thanks for her efforts.

WIN: Old Cook County Hospital Redevelopment Underway! (Chicago 7 2003 & 2004)

Preservation Chicago Cook County Hospital Rally in 2003, Photo Credit: Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune

After 15 years of advocacy by Preservation Chicago, Landmarks Illinois, and other preservation partners, the vacant and historic Old Cook County Hospital will be adaptively reused as two hotels and medical offices. Located at 1825 W. Harrison Street, the eight-story Beaux Arts building was designed by architect Paul Gerhardt in 1914 and became a Designated Chicago Landmark as part of this process.   “The heavily ornamented Classical Revival style façade includes granite, white glazed terra cotta, cream-colored brick, massive columns and wonderful ornament. At one time it was the largest hospital in the nation, and Old Cook County Hospital has made appearances in movies such as ‘The Fugitive,’ with Harrison Ford, and served as the setting of the long-running hit television show ‘ER.’” (Ori, Chicago Tribune, 5/27/18)   “What everyone said can’t be done can finally be done,” said developer John Murphy. “We’re going to turn a dilapidated building into the first phase of what could become a $1 billion project. First up is the existing building, an approximately 345,000 square foot behemoth at 1835 W. Harrison Street. The building is 550 feet long, the rough equivalent of a 50-story skyscraper turned on its side. Once we reset this old building, I think you’ll see explosive development in this area. It will unlock billions of dollars in investments and jobs." (Ori, Chicago Tribune, 5/27/18)   Located in the heart of the Illinois Medical District, the $135 million dollar redevelopment plan will renovate the historic Old Cook County Hospital building and will include two Hyatt hotels, medical offices, and ground floor retail with food hall and pharmacy.  Historic tax credits played an important role in the financing for this development which was eligible due to its status on the National Register of Historic Places. The developers will seek Designated Chicago Landmark status for the building.   A 99-year lease was awarded on December 31, 2017 to a private development consortium called Civic Health Development Group (CHDG), which is led by Chicago-based developer John Murphy. Preservation Chicago applauds John Murphy and the development team and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Board for this important decision.   “With the signing of this lease, we can look forward to restoring this amazing building and its historic architecture. Additionally, the redevelopment of Old County Hospital will unlock tremendous economic potential for the Near West Side and the Illinois Medical District,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. (Sneed, Chicago Tribune, 1/11/18)

WIN: Old Main Post Office Renovation Underway

Old Main Post Office, Rendering Credit: Gensler

The redevelopment of the Old Post Office is moving ahead. 601W Companies is the project developer and Gensler is the architecture firm for the massive $600 million renovation plan. According to the Chicago Tribune, renovation of the Post Office represents the single largest redevelopment project in the country. Extensive new amenities will include a three-acre rooftop park/fitness center, a large food market, restaurants, a landscaped riverwalk and outdoor cafes lining the river frontage.    Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, the building was completed in 1932. The reuse of this important Chicago Landmark building has been a top priority for the preservation community, including Preservation Chicago and Landmarks Illinois, for over 25 years. Multiple schemes had been presented over the years, many which included partial demolition of portions of this massive building. Preservation Chicago testified in opposition to all of the previous development proposals that included partial demolition. We are thrilled that the ongoing restoration work will restore the entire historic structure.    After decades of preservation advocacy since it was shuttered in 1996, the Old Main Post Office was awarded Preliminary Landmark Status at the October 2017 meeting of the Commission of Chicago Landmarks. Preservation Chicago testified strongly in support of awarding Chicago Landmark Designation status to the building and its spectacular two-story lobby during many legal proceedings and commission meetings. Chicago Landmark Designation protects the 2.8 million-square-foot Art Moderne gem from future demolition or partial demolition.

WIN: Proposed Pilsen Landmark District Receives Preliminary Landmark Status!

Preliminary Pilsen Chicago Historic Landmark District, Photo Credit: Chicago DPD

After many years of advocacy, outreach and preparation, Preliminary Landmark Status was approved for the proposed Pilsen Chicago Landmark District on December 6, 2018. Pilsen has a dense and varied collection of historic buildings built by Bohemian immigrants in the late 19th century and early 20th century and preserved and enriched by Mexican immigrants over the past 50 years.   Below is Ward Miller's public testimony to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks on December 6, 2018 in support of the proposed Pilsen Chicago Landmark District.   We at Preservation Chicago support the proposed Chicago Landmark Designation of the many buildings of Pilsen, extending along 18th Street, between Leavitt on the west and Sangamon on the east, and the 13 blocks bounded between Ashland Avenue, 21st Street and Racine.   This proposed district encompasses a portion of the earliest boundaries of the City of Chicago, dating back to when the City was first incorporated in 1837. The community was initially settled in part by the builders and workers of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and the nearby railroads in the 1840s and 1850s and by the McCormick Reaper Company plant in the 1870s. Later, this was followed by other factories and industries, and also the construction of the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, opened in 1900, which reversed the flow of the Chicago River and diverted polluted water away from Lake Michigan. This area of Chicago’s “Lower West Side” has always been a “port of entry” into Chicago and its neighborhoods by waves of immigrants—very much like New York’s Lower East Side and Bowery District.   From the Irish and Germans, to the Bohemians—Czech, Slovak and Eastern European communities, to the Latino and Mexican-American’s that have settled there over the past decades, Pilsen has an amazing richness in both its built environment and its ethnic fabric. We at Preservation Chicago absolutely support and celebrate these layered histories and hope these protections and this designation will further encourage long-term stakeholders and the diversity of this community’s fabric to remain. This Landmark Designation should also protect the incredible collection of large-scale murals and artwork, located throughout the community.   Pilsen, also known as the ‘Lower West Side’ and Community Area number 31, has over 800 buildings identified as significant structures in the CHRS-Chicago Historic Resources Survey. This vast number of significant buildings puts Pilsen among the top five largest Community Areas with the most significant historic structures identified in the entire city of Chicago. Only West Town, Lincoln Park, the Near West Side and the Near North Side, have a greater concentration of these types of significant buildings, and many of those communities have multiple Chicago Landmark Districts, where Pilsen has none.   Pilsen also has some of the most continuous intact historic streetwalls, and these are among some of the oldest in Chicago, with many structures dating to the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. These structures range in a wide variety of architectural styles from Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Romanesque, Renaissance Revival, Gothic Revival, Victorian, “Workman’s Cottages” and the Vernacular to name several styles represented here. Some of these buildings are defined by large corner bays, multiple groupings of dormers extending from their rooftops of the commercial buildings along 18th Street, and many exhibiting incredible craftsmanship, details and integrity. There’s also a unique selection of fine-quality buildings in Pilsen, which exhibit a certain scale and architectural quality, dating from the last decades of the 19th Century, which distinguish it from other communities and both residential and commercial districts across the City.   We’ve been honored to work with members of the community, elected officials, 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis, and the City, over the past four years towards this Chicago Landmark District. This outreach also includes efforts to save nearby historic St. Adalbert’s Church—called “the Mother Church of Chicago’s South Side Polish Community,” designed by architect Henry Schlacks.   We at Preservation Chicago wish to thank the Department of Planning & Development’s Historic Preservation Division, Commissioner David Reifman, Eleanor Gorski, Dijana Covello and Matt Crawford, in addition to Alderman Solis for their efforts to bring forth a Pilsen Chicago Landmark District.   Lastly, with many celebrations underway recognizing the Illinois Bicentennial this week—celebrating 200 years of Statehood on December 3rd, we cannot think of a better honor than to recognize a large unique and diverse community in Chicago, with an amazing history like Pilsen, and its contributions over time to our City, the State of Illinois and the Union, as a Designated Chicago Landmark. We are grateful for the opportunity to fully support this proposed Landmark District.

East Andersonville Downzoned to Protect Neighborhood from Demolition Pressure

1436 W. Berwyn Avenue, Photo Credit: Redfin

In 2017, the beautifully ornamented limestone historic greystone at 1436 W. Berwyn Avenue in East Andersonville was threatened by demolition. A developer had purchased the double lot with plans to replace the building and garden with a six-flat. The lot site was particularly attractive to the developer because the underlying RT-4 zoning allowed for a higher density and more FAR (floor-area-ratio) than the existing building. Because the developer was planning to build “as-of-right”, or within the permitted zoning allowance, he would be able to proceed over the objections of the alderman and neighborhood.     Despite the highly challenging path to preservation surrounding 1436 W. Berwyn Avenue, widespread opposition to the demolition and a sustained preservation effort resulted in a preservation victory and the home has been saved. The developer agreed to sell the property, at a significant profit, to a new preservation-sensitive buyer who is deconverting the two-flat to a single family home and is restoring its historic features. Additionally, the landscaped side yard, green space, and mature American elm tree will be preserved.     Preservation Chicago is thrilled that the preservation efforts resulted in a great win for the building, the Andersonville and Edgewater communities, and Chicago. The neighborhood preservation coalition of owners, community partners, 48 th Ward Harry Alderman Osterman, and Preservation Chicago created the circumstances which allowed a preservation-oriented outcome to emerge. However, this extraordinary effort is neither sustainable nor realistic for the hundreds of homes and buildings within this neighborhood. So far in 2018, four historic homes in the neighborhood have been demolished for new construction.    Unlike other historic neighborhoods whose historic fabric has been permanently impacted by frequent and widespread demolition, Andersonville and Edgewater are largely intact. So steps were urgently needed to empower the community and alderman regarding planning and development matters.    Fortunately, immediate steps have been taken by Alderman Osterman who introduced an ordinance at the September 20, 2018 Chicago City Council meeting to downzone an eight-square-block area known as East Andersonville as a way to protect historic two-flats and houses by reducing the zoning imbalance between what exists and what current zoning allows. Additionally, downzoning in this area from RT-4 to RS-3 will make it consistent with zoning in all adjacent neighborhoods. Proposed boundaries are from Foster to Gregory, the alley east of Clark Street to both sides of Glenwood, Bryn Mawr to Foster.   The difference between the size of many of the existing historic homes and the underlying higher density zoning, which allows for bigger buildings and more units, creates a constant structural challenge. Developers and brokers actively seek out properties with a large zoning differential and then seek to monetize the difference through demolition and new construction. In these circumstances, developers are consistently willing to out-spend prospective home-owners. The full value to the developer is in the land and zoning, so other than the demolition cost, the building itself becomes irrelevant, no matter how beautiful, historic or significant it may be.     The downzoning ordinance will better harmonize the underlying zoning to the existing historic buildings. This will reduce the profitability for as-of-right development and make this neighborhood less attractive for “slash and burn” development. Better harmonized zoning will make the neighborhood more stable and “level the playing field” for prospective homeowners who wish to renovate historic homes and live in the neighborhood.   Preservation Chicago strongly applauds Alderman Osterman for his leadership, his process, and his efforts around this issue. It is far simpler for elected officials to avoid, delay or postpone addressing complicated neighborhood matters. Alderman Osterman and his office have consistently demonstrated strong leadership, listened to a wide range of voices within his ward, considered a variety of possible solutions to address the challenge, and took a stand to actualize the desires of the community.    Preservation Chicago also wishes to recognize the tireless efforts of Kathy Klink-Flores of the Lakewood Balmoral Residents Council, Julie Wlach, Leslie Ames of the East Andersonville Residents Council, LeRoy Blommaert of the Edgewater Historical Society, Maureen Murnane of the Lakewood Balmoral Residents Council, and the many other community members and community organizations who helped to make this preservation effort a success.

WIN: Chicago Tribune Tower to be Adaptively Reused and "Chicago Tribune" Sign Saved

Tribune Tower, 435 N. Michigan Avenue, Howells & Hood, 1925, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

On April 16, the Tribune Tower development team unveiled their development proposal for the historic Chicago Tribune Tower and a new super tall adjacent building that would be the second tallest in Chicago. Plans are moving forward. The developments will transform the former office complex into 163 new luxury condominiums within the historic tower, retail space, and hotel rooms. Total cost of the project is estimated to top $1 billion. After a legal process, the iconic Chicago Tribune’s sign will remain a fixture on Michigan Avenue and from the Chicago River.    The development team is a joint venture between Chicago’s Golub & Company and the Los Angeles-based CIM Group. The architect for the new construction tower is Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, while the historic redevelopment of Tribune Tower will be led by Chicago-based Solomon Cordwell Buenz in collaboration with preservation consultant Vinci-Hamp Architects.   Preservation Chicago applauds the development team, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly for helping to protect one of Chicago’s most important and visible buildings and a gateway to North Michigan Avenue. In 1922, the international design competition captured the world’s attention “to design the world’s most beautiful building” and it was home to one of the nation’s premier newspapers and broadcasting companies for nearly a century.   The primary elevations of the Chicago Tribune Tower were partially protected by its Chicago Landmark status. Preservation Chicago would ideally like to see all facades of the Tribune Tower protected by Chicago Landmark Designation along with Nathan Hale Court and Building, including the statue of Nathan Hale. Additionally, the WGN Radio Building, the Chicago Tribune Printing Building fronting Pioneer Court along with its iconic sign, and the 11-story WGN TV Building/former Chicago American Newspaper Headquarters should be considered for designation in the future.

WIN: Hotel Julian’s Adaptive Reuse Successfully Mixes Old and New

Hotel Julian/Atlantic Bank Building, Benjamin Marshall, 168 N. Michigan Avenue, Before and After. Photo Credit: WMA Engineering

The Atlantic Bank Building, formerly known as the National Bank of Greece Building, has been successfully converted to boutique hotel called Hotel Julian. Named for the patron saint of travelers, the 218-room Hotel Julian underwent a comprehensive $75 million-plus renovation which included a five-story glassy addition.   Despite its location at 168 N. Michigan Avenue and design by notable Chicago architect Benjamin Marshall in 1912, the Atlantic Bank Building was never designated a Chicago Landmark, likely due to the severely deteriorated condition of the building’s creamy-white terra cotta façade. In fact, the development team had to replace over a third of the terra cotta during construction. The project architect's desire for a seamless and accurate terra cotta restoration included a search of the Benjamin Marshall archives at the University of Texas for original design drawings.     Preservation Chicago applauds Oxford Capital Group CEO John Rutledge, London-based Quandrum Global and project architects Hirsch/MPG for their commitment for pursing excellence and insuring a top-tier restoration to an important Chicago building, by an important Chicago architect, on one Chicago’s most important streets. They represent a new generation of developers who recognize the inherent ability of Chicago’s historic buildings to drive greater value and are leading by example. The intrinsic value of historic buildings for adaptive reuse has been proven by the success of the London House Hotel in the London Guarantee Building, the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel in the Chicago Athletic Association Building, Chicago Motor Club Hampton Inn, St. Jane Hotel in the Carbide and Carbon Building, The Alise Chicago in the Reliance Building, the Ace Hotel, and the Kimpton Hotel Gray in the New York Life Building.

WIN: The Commercial National Bank Building at 125 S. Clark Street Sold After Comprehensive Renovation

Commercial National Bank Building, D.H. Burnham & Company, 125 N. Clark Street. Photo Credit: Blue Star Properties

The Commercial National Bank Building designed by D.H. Burnham and Company and located at 125 S. Clark Street has been comprehensively renovated by Chicago-based Blue Star Properties and Wolcott Group with architect Aric Lasher of Chicago-based HBRA. Most noticeably, the building received repairs to its exterior terra cotta and a much-needed cleaning which altered the color from a mottled grey to a gleaming white. They purchased the former Chicago Public Schools headquarters in 2014 for $28 million and invested $91 million to restore and lease up this 18-story commercial office building. Prior to CPS, it long served as the headquarters for Commonwealth Edison which filled in the large interior atrium.   Located on the ground floor across 24,000 square foot space, Revival Food Hall has emerged as a vibrant new loop food destination. The name is homage to the Classical Revival style of architecture that Daniel Burnham embraced in so many of his great building commissions. According to Craig Golden, founder of Blue Star Properties, the design was intended to embrace the history of the building, not hide it.  The Commercial National Bank Building was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2016. It is the oldest surviving high-rise commercial bank building in the Loop designed by D. H. Burnham & Company.   Preservation Chicago was part of many hearings and testimonies to support this project and applauds Craig Golden, Blue Star Properties, Wolcott Group and architect HBRA for their success at beautifully restoring and activating an important Chicago Landmark building.

WIN: Rector Building/Bell Federal Savings to be Renovated

Rector Building, 79 W. Monroe Street, Jarvis Hunt in 1906 and south addition by Holabird & Roche in 1924. Historic Photo Credit: ChicagoPast.com

A renovation will soon be underway for the 14-story Rector Building/Chicago Trust Building/Chicago Title and Trust Building/Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building located at 79 W. Monroe Street by developer R2 Company. Designed by Jarvis Hunt in 1906, the neoclassical office building will be renovated as a “premier boutique creative office building”. Holabird & Roche designed a highly complementary and seamless addition to the south in 1924.   R2 Company will purchase the leasehold interest in the 199,000 square foot building for approximately $25 million. R2 has been active in Chicago and renovated the buildings at 542 S. Dearborn Street and 445 W. Erie Street. They are the developers working to improve the landmark Germania Club Building and to redevelop the historic Morton Salt warehouse on Elston Avenue into an office, retail and entertainment venue complex called "The Salt District."   Originally, the Rector Building had an elaborate, multi-story masonry cornice. Preservation Chicago strongly encourages the developer to consider reconstructing the lost cornice and other lost elements and to return the building to it historic appearance. This beautifully crafted building by architect Jarvis Hunt with later additions by Holabird & Roche would qualify for a Chicago Landmark Designation. Preservation Chicago encourages the developer to pursue a Chicago Landmark designation for this important Chicago building.

WIN: Adler and Sullivan’s Jewelers Building at 19 S. Wabash to be converted to Boutique Hotel

Jewelers Building, 19 S. Wabash Street, Adler & Sullivan, 1882. Photo Credit: Chicago DesignSlinger

The Adler & Sullivan designed Jewelers Building, originally known as the S.A. Maxwell Store, located at 19 S. Wabash, will be converted to a boutique hotel. The Jewelers Building was built in 1882 and became and Designated Chicago Landmark in December 1981. This is one of only a few surviving early Adler & Sullivan buildings in Chicago and is an outstanding example of a commercial commission from their early period.    “The architecture is just incredible. There’s nothing designed like it anymore. You’re not just seeing one of those huge skyscrapers going up; we’re restoring a historic building,” said Daniel Knorps, broker for the developer (Olumhense, Chicago Tribune, 4/19/18)   The 39-key adaptive reuse boutique hotel project is a joint venture of Peerless Development and Honoree Properties with boutique hotel operator Sonder. Space Architects have been selected for the project. The development cost is estimated at $15 million with the hotel opening anticipated in 2020. Sonder is also opening boutique hotels in the Plymouth Building, a Designated Chicago Landmark, and the historic Waterman Building on State Street.

WIN: Waterman Building on State Street to Become Boutique Hotel

Waterman Building, 129 South State Street, Holabird and Roche in 1919, with proposed restoration with new storefront at ground and second floor. Rendering Credit: NORR Architects

In 2006, the Waterman Building received the dubious honor of being included on Blair Kamin’s short list of the most “unsightly structures” in the Loop which he describes as “structures that make you cringe every time you see them -- gross architecture, grotesque decoration, hideous materials.”    Fortunately, the San Francisco-based boutique hospitality chain Sonder and the building owners have recognized its intrinsic value and hidden beauty and have signed a long-term lease to create a boutique hotel. The proposed adaptive reuse will convert the upper five floors of the historic office building into a 41-room boutique hotel; floors which have been largely vacant for decades.    The building owners are Shai Town Realty Group and GW Properties with design work from NORR Architects.  The seven-story building was originally designed for L.E. Waterman Company, a leading manufacturer of fountain pens, by the distinguished architectural firm of Holabird & Roche in 1919. Waterman Company occupied the building until 1938.   Preservation Chicago applauds Shai Town Realty Group, GW Properties, and Sonder’s adaptive reuse of historic office buildings as boutique hotels. Successful Sonder hotels are located in Rome, London, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and Montreal. We welcome Sonder to Chicago and wish them great success. We also encourage them to continue to expand to other historic Chicago buildings which require reinvestment and reactivation.

WIN: West Side YMCA/YWCA Complex at Ashland and Monroe to be Adaptively Reused

West Side YMCA/YWCA complex, 1513-1539 W. Monroe Street. Rendering Credit: Cedar Street Companies

The Chicago Plan Commission approved the adaptive reuse of the former West Side YMCA/YWCA and Salvation Army complex at Monroe and Ashland by Cedar Street Companies on June 21, 2018. The $30 million transit-oriented plan will include ground floor retail and 260 residential units, including 46 on-site affordable units.    “The West Side YMCA/YWCA complex is a handsome and intact grouping of Classical Revival and Georgian Revival buildings. Stretching over two city blocks, the West Side YMCA/YWCA buildings form a cohesive complex. The complex served as a regional headquarters for the Chicago YMCA and an important center for social, educational, and recreational activities on the Near West Side neighborhood for nearly seventy years.” (Chicago Landmark Designation Report, 7/7/18)   Thanks to Cedar Street Companies, the building complex will become a Designated Chicago Landmark. Preservation Chicago provided public comments in support of the reinvestment and reuse plans proposed by Cedar Street Companies and fully supports the Chicago Landmark designation of this important series of historic buildings.     Preservation Chicago applauds Cedar Street Companies for their ongoing focus on the renovation of Chicago historic residential buildings, and the adaptive reuse of historic Chicago buildings such as the Bush Temple of Music on Chicago Avenue, the Lawrence House, and the former Agudas Achim North Shore Synagogue in Uptown (Chicago 7 2015).

WIN: Congress Theater Renovation Receives TIF Support

Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Fridstein & Company, 1926. Rendering Credit: Woodhouse Tinucci Architects

On June 12, 2018, the City of Chicago Community Development Commission unanimously approved the renovation of the Chicago Landmark Congress Theater including a $9.6 million subsidy from the surrounding Fullerton-Milwaukee tax-increment-financing (TIF) district. The support of TIF funds from the City of Chicago was an essential component of the financing package for the extensive $69 million renovation of the historic theater located at 2135 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square. The project also includes $22.3 million worth of historic tax credits. Scheduled to be reopened in 2019, the theater is expected to host up to 125 live music events per year.  According to project architect Andy Tinucci, “the goal is to ensure the building lasts another 100 years.” (Chicago Tribune, Yerak, 10/12/17)   Built in 1926 for the Lubliner and Trinz theater company as a movie theater, the ornate Congress Theater was designed by architect Fridstein & Company in the Italian Baroque style. On its opening day, September 5, 1926, there were parades, band concerts, and a bathing beauty contest. It has an elaborate large domed auditorium and is covered with decorations in stone, terra-cotta and plaster. It remains remarkably intact, down to the original light fixtures and marble wainscoting.    In 2000, the theater was threatened by demolition and replacement with condos, but the neighborhood and preservation community rallied to its defense. With the extensive and persistent support of Preservation Chicago and Logan Square Preservation, on July 10, 2002, the Congress Theater became a Designated Chicago Landmark.  In January 2018, the Congress Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

PARTIAL WIN: Village Theater Façade Incorporated Into New Development

Village Theater/Germania Theater, 1550 N. Clark Street, Adolph Woerner, 1916. Photo Credit: Cinema Treasures

The ornate two-story exterior facade of the Village Theater/Germania Theater will be saved and partially reconstructed as necessary. It’s located on the Gold Coast at 1550 N. Clark Street adjacent to the Designated Chicago Landmark Germania Club Building. A Designated Chicago Landmark since 2009, the façade of the Village Theater will be carefully incorporated into the new residential development and serve as its principal entry, thanks in part to the advocacy of Preservation Chicago. The development team is a joint venture between Golub & Co. and CIM Group with architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz. The new 10-story building will deliver 32 condominium units.   Originally called the Germania Theater, and later the Globe, the Village Theatre was one of the best-surviving first generation movie theaters in Chicago. Designed by German-born architect Adolph Woerner for motion picture use, the building was completed in 1916 and was part of a theater chain operated by Herman L. Grunbiner. This brick and terra cotta-clad building is a mix of Classical Revival and Renaissance Revival styles, incorporating Germanic symbolism, such as the two-barred Cross of Lorraine. (Landmarks Division, City of Chicago)

WIN: Lathrop Homes Celebrates Grand Reopening (Chicago 7 2007 and 2013)

Lathrop Homes, 2000 W. Diversey Avenue , 1938. Rendering Credit: Related Midwest

After decades of preservation advocacy, the Julia C. Lathrop Homes celebrated its grand reopening in September 2018. The Chicago Housing Authority and the development team of Related Midwest, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation and Heartland Housing held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the public housing project’s transformation into a mixed-income community. The final redevelopment plan includes both historic preservation and new construction, but with a significantly higher percentage of preservation than initially proposed. The original proposed percentage of historic preservation was a tiny fraction of the historic structures, but the final percentage of historic preservation is approximately 75% with hopes for more preservation on the still-to-be-renovated section south of Diversey Avenue.   Lathrop Homes has twice been a Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered, first in 2007 and again in 2013. The Lathrop Homes were one of the first and one of the best public housing developments built in Chicago, resulting in a remarkably stable racially-mixed community for generations. Completed in 1938, the 35-acre park-like site is located along the Chicago River, with its graceful combination of mature landscaping and low-rise and gently ornamented buildings, create an intimate and human-scale atmosphere.    This highly preservation-sensitive outcome is due to a multi-year preservation advocacy campaign by Preservation Chicago, our preservation partners including Landmarks Illinois, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and neighborhood groups such as Logan Square Preservation, Lathrop Homes Advisory Council and Logan Square Neighborhood Association.  We applaud the development team for recognizing the history of Lathrop and reshaping their development plans to celebrate and restore much of the site's architectural assets.

WIN: Chicago Bee Building Restored!

The Chicago Bee Building, Z. Erol Smith, 3647 S. State Street, 1929. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The Chicago Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Library re-opened in December 2018 after a comprehensive $2.32 million renovation funded by the Chicago Housing Authority. The project included restoration of the exterior Art Deco terra cotta, a replacement exterior storefront designed to match the original building, and extensive interior renovation. Located at 3647 S. State Street, the building became a Designated Chicago Landmark in 1996 as part of the Bronzeville Historic District.   Designed by Z. Erol Smith in 1929, the beautiful Art Deco building was built to house the Chicago Bee newspaper at the direction of Anthony Overton. Overton was the founder of The Chicago Bee and was one a highly successful African-American entrepreneur in Chicago and a powerful champion of Bronzeville. In fact, the name Bronzeville was first used by Chicago Bee editor James Gentry to describe the neighborhood’s vibrant businesses and thriving culture.   Preservation Chicago applauds the Chicago Public Library, Chicago Housing Authority, 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell and Mayor Rahm Emanuel for their leadership in this outstanding project. The investment by public agencies to adaptively reuse Chicago’s historic buildings provides necessary services to Chicagoans today while protecting Chicago’s historic buildings for future generations.

WIN: Pullman Clock Tower Building Restoration Underway

Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building, Solon S. Beman, 11057 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, 1880. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

A comprehensive restoration of the Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building is finally underway with a target completion date of September 2020. The National Park Service, with financial and strategic support from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is investing over $13 million in the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Clock Tower and Administration Building, and it will again be open to the public as the new Pullman Visitor Center. After suffering extensive damage from a fire on December 1, 1998, portions of the building were reconstructed in the years following.   Commissioned by George Pullman to produce his legendary Pullman Palace Car Company sleeping cars, Solon S. Beman designed the first model, planned industrial town in the United States. Built in 1880, the Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building was one of Beman’s most prominent buildings in Pullman and was the central hub of activity among the extensive manufacturing buildings. Unlike most industrial and manufacturing buildings of that period (and today), the Administration Building and Factory Complex was a beautifully designed, highly ornate collection of buildings designed within a park-like setting.   The Pullman Historic District is architecturally and historically significant, and is one of the most beautiful industrial landscapes in the country. Pullman is one of the most famous company towns and the backdrop for the violent 1894 Pullman labor strike. The Pullman Historic District was designated a National Monument on February 19, 2015 which makes it a part of the National Park system.

WIN: Phoenix Rising...New Roof Installed at Shrine of Christ the King!

Shrine of Christ the King, 6401 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Henry Schlacks, 1923. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

A new roof has been installed at the Shrine of Christ the King following a massive fire in 2015. Preservation Chicago wishes to applaud the tireless dedication and leadership of Emily Nielsen, Save the Shrine, the Coalition to Save the Institute of Christ the King Church , Landmarks Illinois, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and all of the preservation partners who have helped to save and rebuild this incredible Chicago Landmark. Preservation Chicago has continued to play an important role in the Shrine’s restoration, including recently by supporting the Shrine’s successful application for the National Fund for Sacred Places. In 2017, the Shrine was the only Chicago house of worship to be accepted into this competitive program, which includes a $250,000 grant to support the restoration.    The Shrine, built as St. Clara and landmarked as St. Gelasius in 2003, has been one of Preservation Chicago’s most consistent efforts over the past two decades. When the neo-Renaissance masterpiece of Chicago architect Henry Schlacks at 6401 S. Woodlawn Avenue was first threatened with demolition in 2002, Preservation Chicago, along with our partner organization Landmarks Illinois, led the successful effort to designate the building as a Chicago Landmark in 2003. When the Shrine was once again threatened with demolition following the massive fire that destroyed its roof in 2015, Preservation Chicago again rallied to #SaveTheShrine, generating $650,000 in pledges to secure the building, and facilitating an unprecedented transfer of ownership from the Archdiocese of Chicago to an independent Catholic religious order, The Institute of Christ the King.

WIN: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Parish House Landmarked

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Parish House, 615 to 623 W. Belmont Avenue, William A. Otis, 1895. Photo Credit: MacRostie Historic Advisors

After many years of preservation advocacy, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and the adjoining parish house have received Preliminary Chicago Landmark status on May 3, 2018. 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney was highly supportive of Chicago Landmark designation.    Preservation Chicago testified in support of the Landmark designation of the buildings. During early discussions of redevelopment options two years ago, Preservation Chicago strongly advocated for and supported that both buildings be included in the Landmark Designation. We also supported the option of keeping the church functioning as a church, even if the parish house were to be sold and repurposed.   The parish house building will be sold by the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago to JAB Realty with architectural design by SPACE Architects + Planners for adaptive reuse as residential apartments while the adjoining church will continue operation as an Episcopal church. Located at 615 to 623 W. Belmont Avenue near Broadway in Lake View, the church building was designed by William A. Otis in 1895.   The Belmont Avenue elevation is comprised of a rusticated limestone facade with a tower and high-gable. The small-scaled church building was inspired by 15th-century English Gothic churches. It features open timber construction and ornamental trusses and retains much of its original Victorian charm. The adjacent three-story, brick parish house was built in 1926 and designed by William C. Jones. It includes beamed ceilings, an ornamental Gothic stone entryway, and diagonal leaded glass windows, refined brick and stone work, and a steeply pitched roofline. The sanctuary was restored in the 1990’s, including a restoration of original colors and stencils under the direction of Robert Furhoff.

WIN: St. Boniface Adaptive Reuse Plan Receives Chicago City Council Approval

St. Boniface Church, 1358 W Chestnut Street, Henry Schlacks, 1902. Rendering Credit: Stas Development

26 years after St. Boniface Church held its last mass, and after 16 long years of relentless preservation advocacy, and a last minute sale before demolition; Preservation Chicago is thrilled that the St. Boniface adaptive reuse is moving forward. The adaptive reuse project received Chicago City Council approval in August 2018. The historic church will be adaptively reused by Michael Skoulsky of Stas Development with Space Architects + Planners.   The Romanesque church was designed by architect Henry Schlacks in 1902 and is located at 1348 W. Chestnut Street. First nominated as a Chicago 7 Most Endangered Building in 2003, preservation advocacy efforts were sustained for over a decade until Friday, September 23, 2017, when with demolition scheduled for the following Monday morning and moments before the hard deadline of Friday at 5 p.m., the building was sold to Stas Development for a preservation-sensitive adaptive reuse.    The road to St. Boniface's preservation has been long, complex, and difficult. Despite that the prospects for success seemed remote at times, Preservation Chicago never lost hope and never stopped advocating for a preservation-oriented outcome. Preservation Chicago's leadership role was pivotal, but many preservation partners worked tirelessly to support St. Boniface. Preservation Chicago wishes to recognize and celebrate Michael Skoulsky of Stas Development. David Ruttenberg of Marc Realty Capital, Skoulsky's equity partner in the project; and Northwestern Settlement House. The courageous leadership of Eleanor Gorski and Dijana Cuvalo, City of Chicago Landmarks Division and Lisa Misher, City of Chicago Senior Counsel, was instrumental to this process. Persistent advocacy from Lisa DiChiera at Landmarks Illinois and the continued interest of local press kept the fight for St. Boniface in the public spotlight. Neighborhood organizations including Neighbors of St. Boniface led by the Kevin Stawiarski, East Village Association's Bob Zwolinski Scott Rappe, and Gladys Anselmo, along with Preservation Chicago Board President Brad Suster never faltered. Neighbors of St. Boniface were key to the effort’s success, including Claudia Sainsot, Jon Kulpit, Kathy Thalmann, Jim Boccarossa, and architect Mike Vasilko. Elaine Coorens, editor of "Our Urban Times" and Alisa Hauser formerly of "DNAinfo Chicago/Block Club Chicago" have been dedicated to covering this story for years.

PARTIAL WIN: Demolition Averted for Washington Park Substation (Chicago 7 2018)

Washington Park Substation, 6141 S. Prairie Avenue, Hermann von Holst, between 1928 and 1939. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer

In early 2018, the Washington Park Substation was facing an immediate threat of demolition as a permit was applied for in March 2018 and demolition fencing had been erected. The Washington Park Substation was included as a 2018 7 Most Endangered, Preservation Chicago had been in active communication with preservation-oriented developers interested in the Washington Park Substation, including the Cook County Land Bank. The Cook County Land Bank moved to quickly purchase the building which saved the building from the looming demolition threat.  A long-term user and renovation plan are necessary to restore and protect this building into the future. Preservation Chicago applauds Rob Rose and the leadership of Cook County Land Bank for their efforts around the Washington Park Substation.   The Washington Park Substation is an orange-rated building in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey. Constructed in stages between 1928 and 1939, this Classical Revival building was designed by notable architect Hermann von Holst. This large and elegant industrial building features a dramatic series of arched window openings topped with a series of repeated cadence of smaller windows capped by a limestone string course. The facade elements culminate in the middle section of the building front elevation being defined by three soaring arches flanked by two pairs of columns. Carved limestone decorative ornament incandescent light bulbs repeat between the arches on the façade. Located at 6141 S. Prairie Avenue, the Washington Park Substation is an outstanding example of the early electrical substations built across the Chicago in the early 20th century to electrify the city. This substation is larger than most as it was built to distribute high voltage power to smaller neighborhood substations.

PARTIAL WIN: After Emergency Demolition, Façade Reuse Proposed for 5th Church of Christ Scientist/Shiloh Baptist Church

Shiloh Baptist/5th Church of Christ Scientist, 4820 S. Dorchester Avenue, Solon S. Beman, 1914, in the Kenwood Landmark District. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Designed by Solon S. Beman in 1914, the Shiloh Baptist Church/5th Church of Christ Scientist is located at 4820 S. Dorchester Avenue and is a contributing building in the Hyde Park – Kenwood Landmark District. After decades of vacancy, neglect, and the resulting severely deteriorated condition, a redevelopment plan has emerged that will preserve the columned front façade. This façade is protected as a contributing building within the Landmark District.    Preservation Chicago has long sought to find a patron for the building and would have preferred a preservation-oriented developer who would have stabilized and redeveloped not just the façade of this historic landmark but the entire building. The building’s condition continued to deteriorate during the ownership of current owner and developer, John Liu, which resulted in the emergency demolition of the rear portion of the building, leaving only the front façade and return walls on the side of the building still standing. Preservation Chicago and concerned members of the Hyde Park and Kenwood community attended many Building Court hearings regarding the building.   Liu announced plans to build 13 townhouses around a courtyard in November 2018. Each townhouse would be approximately 3,500 square feet, with underground garages. According to the developer, the “earlier plans entailed preserving some or all of the original building and parts of its interior, but Liu said the "only way we could do this at a price that meets the market" was to demolish all but the columned—and landmarked—facade. Demolition is at least 80 percent complete, he said, and the first two townhouses, which have the facade as one of their walls, are [said to be] under construction.” (Rodkin, Crain’s, 11/8/18)

WIN: Lakeside Press Building to be Adaptively Reused

Lakeside Press Building, 731 S. Plymouth Court, by Howard Van Doren Shaw, Photo Credit: 3L Real Estate

The Lakeside Press Building will be converted to 96 market-rate apartments by developer 3L Real Estate. Originally, the building served as a showroom, office and printing press for the Lakeside Press. The middle floors housed the printing presses. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is a contributing building in the Printing House Row Chicago Landmark District designated in 1996. The seven-story building had operated for almost 80 years as a printing plant before being converted to residential use in 1985. Columbia College has used this historic Printer’s Row office building as a student dormitory since 1993.   731 S. Plymouth Court was designed by the notable architect Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1897 with the northern half completed in 1901. This massive loft building is a wonderful example of a late 19th century commercial/industrial buildings. It features a solid limestone base with limestone quoins, piers, and window headers and a massive limestone entryway with ornate carving. The building is primarily of red brick, with heavy vertical piers, and a wide variety of window types including arched windows at the first and top floors, and rows of massive windows separated by riveted cast iron spandrels.   Preservation Chicago applauds 3L Real Estate for their continued interest in adaptive reuse of Chicago’s historic buildings. They recently completed the adaptive reuse of the former Yellow Cab Warehouse on 21st Street into residential apartments and recently purchased the Chicago Landmark Johnson Publishing Ebony/Jet building 820 S. Michigan Avenue which will be converted to a residential use.

WIN: West Pullman Elementary School Landmarked Prior to Adaptive Reuse

West Pullman Elementary School, 11917-51 S. Parnell Avenue, W. August Fielder, 1894. Photo Credit: City of Chicago

The West Pullman Elementary School served as a Chicago Public School for over 120 years before being closed in 2013, along with 48 other CPS buildings. Located at 11917-11951 S. Parnell Ave in West Pullman, the block-long building will be adaptively reused as affordable senior and veterans housing. West Pullman Elementary was designated as a Chicago Landmark on April 18, 2018.   “It saves a very important building in the community. The city was concerned with what was going to happen to the building. We’re excited to turn the space into something productive and thriving. There’s a big need for senior housing and this project could fill an unmet need,” said developer Scott Henry from Celadon Holdings. (Freund, Curbed Chicago, 3/14/18)   West Pullman Elementary School was designed by highly regarded Chicago architect W. August Fielder in 1894. Fielder served as the first in-house architect for Chicago’s Board of Education. Fielder designed 58 new schools and dozens of additions during his appointment which lasted three years from 1893 to 1896.    Preservation Chicago applauds developer Scott Henry and Thad Garver from Celadon Holdings, A Safe Haven Foundation and the architect UrbanWorks for a great project. This is an excellent example of how adaptive reuse can reinvigorate historic structures. It also demonstrates how the inherent authenticity of historic structures can result in more interesting, unique, desirable, and ultimately successful finished projects than comparable new construction.

WIN: Hollander Warehouse Building to be Adaptively Reused

Hollander Storage Building, 2418 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Historic Photo Credit: Logan Square Preservation

The historic Hollander Warehouse Building located at 2418 N. Milwaukee Avenue, with principal facades fronting both Milwaukee and Fullerton Avenues, in Logan Square will be adaptively reused for a first floor restaurant and boutique offices above. Hollander Storage building was built in 1911 by architect H.H. Mueller and operated by the Hollander family from this location until 2017.   According to developer Mitch Goltz, principal of GW Properties, the existing 5-story brick building will be adaptively reused, while the new construction will be built on the site of the adjacent one-story annex building and parking lot. The new construction will be no taller than the historic 5-story building and no zoning variation is required. The full site is 11,000 square feet.   Goltz told Block Club Chicago that “he and his team are looking forward to preserving the historic building, which he described as ‘iconic.’ The building is in great shape and there are really cool architectural elements inside like marble floors, high ceilings and a safe. It’s an important building in the neighborhood and we’ll do our best to preserve it.” (Bloom, Block Club, 8/8/18)   Preservation Chicago had outreached to 1st Ward Alderman Joe Moreno and owner David Hollander to encourage a preservation-sensitive reuse of the building and to promote a potential Chicago Landmark designation when the building was first listed for sale. Both Alderman Moreno and David Hollander were open and receptive to the idea. Preservation Chicago encourages the developer to landmark the Hollander Warehouse Building with its highly decorative facades and intact lobby.

WIN: Schulze Bakery to be Adaptively Reused as Data Center

Schulze Baking Company Building, 40 E. Garfield Boulevard, John Ahlschlager & Son, 1914. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Vacant and suffering deferred maintenance since 2004, the Schulze Baking Company building will be renovated and adaptively reused as a data center. Located at 40 E. Garfield Boulevard (55th Street) in Washington Park, this architecturally exuberant building was designed by Chicago architect John Ahlschlager & Son in 1914. The Schulze Baking Company building is a beautifully designed industrial building and was thoroughly modern for its time. Its design is highlighted by a combination of its strong classical form, extensive geometric patterns and detail in the white glazed brick, vivid blue terra cotta, and exuberant Sullivanesque-inspired terra cotta ornamentation with wheat shafts, corn, and other grains.   Despite being of Landmark quality, the Schulze Baking Company building was never designated as a Chicago Landmark and had suffered years of deferred maintenance and neglect. Its status on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982 makes it eligible for federal historic tax credits but does nothing to prevent demolition.    The 220,000-square-foot site Schulze property was sold to CIM Group,a large real estate development firm, with projects including Block 37 and the Tribune Tower redevelopment. As reported in Crain’s, the century-old building, which will be called Midway Technology Center, will require a major rehab that could total $150 million to become a data center, including a new roof and bringing in additional power required for racks of electricity-thirsty servers. The partners have decided against pursuing tax breaks associated with historic landmarks, but they plan to restore the building's distinctive façade with its exuberant terra cotta which has been removed over time. The facility is located in a state-designated enterprise zone, which could provide some sales-tax incentives. (Pletz, Crain’s, 7/31/18)   Preservation Chicago applauds the development team for their plans to restore the historic Schulze Baking Company Building and encourages them to pursue a Chicago Landmark designation and a full restoration of the decorative terra cotta at the top most floors of the building.

WIN: Marshall Field Lofts Ready to Lease

Fields Lofts, 4000 W. Diversey Avenue. Photo Credit: Darris Lee Harris / Hubbard Street Group

Leasing is underway for the residential adaptive reuse of the six concrete and red brick buildings of the 1.5 million square foot Marshall Field’s warehouse complex located on 22 acres at 4000 W. Diversey Avenue and Pulaski Road in Logan Square. Renamed “Field’s Lofts,” the developer is Hubbard Street Group with architect Hirsch MPG Associates and Harken Interiors. Built for the Olson Rug Company in 1928, this site was later occupied by Marshall Field’s until 2008 when it was shuttered by Macy’s. After a lengthy period of vacancy, it was sold for redevelopment in 2014.     When Macy’s announced they were closing the facility, Preservation Chicago held numerous meetings with former 31st Ward Alderman Ray Suarez to encourage possible Chicago Landmark designation and to consider an adaptive reuse of the site for residential and affordable housing within these immense fireproof buildings.   John McLinden of Hubbard Street told Curbed Chicago. “The product is also very different. These are loft-style units with 14 to 17-foot ceilings, original concrete columns, and large-scale industrial windows. It’s not just another white box in the sky.” Preservation Chicago applauds Hubbard Street Group, architect Hirsch MPG Associates, Harken Interiors and Kickpoint Ventures for their success at restoring and activating these great Chicago warehouse buildings.   This is also the historic site of the much beloved and missed Olson Rug Park and Waterfall built in 1935. This park featured an elaborate illuminated rock garden and 35-foot waterfall, which made it a popular Chicago attraction. The site was sold to Marshall Fields in 1965 and the waterfall and park were dismantled in 1970.

WIN: Appropriate Facade Alterations for the former Continental Furniture Building in Milwaukee Avenue Landmark District

1425 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Rendering Credit: Pappageorge Haymes

More renovations are coming to the Milwaukee Avenue Historic Landmark District between North Avenue and Division Street. The former Continental Furniture building will be renovated with first and second floor retail with offices above. Continental Furniture/Meyers’ Furniture closed its door in 2015 after 63 years in business. For decades, the upper floors had been used for storage with their windows back-filled with glass block.    Continental Furniture Building is actually three contiguous buildings all fronting Milwaukee Avenue. All three are contributing buildings in the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District, a Chicago Landmark District designated by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in 2008. 1427 N. Milwaukee Avenue is a four-story red-brick building built by George Strauss in 1887 with a decorative pediment reading “C. Strauss – 1887”. The adjacent 1425 N. Milwaukee Avenue is also a four-story red-brick building built in the 1880’s with a series of concentric masonry circles. The adjacent two-story red-brick was built in the 1910s and has lost its decorative cornice.   The buildings were purchased by Realterm, Maryland-based real estate firm in August 2017 for $3.7 million. In June 2018, a construction permit was issued for approximately $1.5 million worth of renovations, including brick masonry facade repair, replacing the glass block from the upper floor, and installing new two-story high storefront windows. “We saw it as an opportunity to take a beautiful building from the late 1880s and restore it back to its original glory,” said John Tsiskasis, vice president of acquisitions for Realterm. “We’ve been working through designs and Landmark Commission to get [the renovations] approved.   Preservation Chicago applauds the City of Chicago Commission on Chicago Landmarks, developer Realterm and architect Pappageorge Haymes for respecting the historic appearance of these important contributing Landmark buildings and modifying their redevelopment plans accordingly to honor the building’s historic appearance.

WIN: Boutique Hotel Proposed For Historic Grace’s Furniture Building in Logan Square

Proposed Grace's Furniture Building Boutique Hotel, 2618 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Rendering Credit NORR Architects

After sitting vacant for many years, there is a redevelopment proposal for the former Grace’s Furniture Building located at 2618 N. Milwaukee Avenue to be adaptively reused as a 44-room boutique hotel. This building was included in the Logan Square Boulevards District boundaries in 2005 to ensure a preservation-sensitive reuse of this building which overlooks Logan Square. It also requires review and oversight by the Commission of Chicago Landmarks. The developers are Marc Realty and LG Development with hotel operator Holiday Jones. Architects are Chicago-based Bureau AD in collaboration with NORR Architects.   In addition to the hotel use, the preliminary plans call for a rooftop deck overlooking the Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square and a pair of ground floor restaurants. The preliminary development rendering includes retaining the iconic Grace’s Furniture neon blade sign and restoring the ivory-colored terra cotta along the first-floor storefront that has been largely hidden behind plywood and scaffolding.     Additionally, many new windows are proposed to be added to the south elevation of the building overlooking the boulevard and Logan Square. The solid brick wall formerly backed up to another building, but was revealed after that historic building was demolished to make way for the entrance to the Blue Line subway expansion in the late 1960s. This windowless brick wall has been the source of significant controversy as community activists worked for over a decade to prevent it from being used for billboards and to prevent them from returning. This resulted in a protracted lawsuit and multiple hearings before the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and other city commissions.   Logan Square Preservation, Preservation Chicago, and neighbors including Andrew Schneider, Patricia Lauber, Steve Hier, Lew Coulson, Bruce Anderson and others advocated for many years to protect this historic building and have been involved in on-going redevelopment conversations, which has contributed to the current preservation-oriented redevelopment proposal.    Preservation Chicago supports this development plan and encourages the City and developer to respect, retain, and even consider restoring the “L” station canopy entry and English cross bond brick wall designed by Myron Goldsmith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) in 1970. This is an example reflecting the Mies van der Rohe courtyard building studies, which were part of Mies’ curriculum at IIT.

WIN: Hudson Motor Building To Be Adaptively Reused

Hudson Motor Building, 2222 S. Michigan Avenue, Alfred Alschuler, 1922. Photo Credit: CoStar Group

Renovations are underway for the three-story terra cotta Hudson Motor Building located at 2222 S. Michigan Avenue. Designed by Chicago architect Alfred Alschuler in 1922, the building has a wonderfully ornate terra cotta façade including arched windows, twisted columns, decorative cornice, and “H” medallions representing the Hudson Motor Car Company.     Two retired Chicago Bears, defensive ends Israel Idonije and Julius Peppers, are the developers leading the live-work-play styled redevelopment and project completion is scheduled for late 2019. Idonije was the developer behind the Workvault co-working space located at 1420 S. Michigan that opened in 2015. Preservation Chicago applauds the development team for their commitment to Bronzeville, recognizing the potential of these magnificent buildings, and their leadership for actualizing a highly creative use of a Designated Chicago Landmark.   This represents one of the most significant redevelopments in the Motor Row District since it was desginated a Chicago Landmark District in December 13, 2000. The district includes 55 buildings. This collection of commercial buildings on Chicago's Near South Side is considered to be the largest, intact early "automobile row" in the country. At its peak, as many as 116 different makes of automobiles were being sold on Motor Row including Ford, Buick, Fiat, Cadillac, Hudson, Locomobile, Marmon, and Pierce-Arrow.   In December 2015, Richard H. Driehaus purchased the historic former Marmon Motor Car Company Building located at 2232 S. Michigan Avenue to showcase his extensive historic car collection. Preservation Chicago applauds him for his commitment to this Chicago Landmark District. The 38,800 square foot Spanish-revival building was also designed by architect Alfred Alschuler in 1922 is immediately adjacent to the Hudson Motor Building.

WIN: Morton Salt Warehouse to be Saved and Adaptively Reused as Salt District Mixed-Use Redevelopment

Morton Salt "Salt District" Redevelopment, Rendering Credit: Gensler

The iconic and highly visible “When it Rains it Pours” Morton Salt Umbrella Girl sign painted on the roof of the Morton Salt warehouse building will be preserved as part of the new “Salt District" development. The 4.25 acre riverfront Morton Salt industrial campus will be adaptively reused by developer R2 Company. The 86-year old, Chicago-based Morton Salt Company shuttered the salt storage and packing facility in 2015.   According to Matt Garrison, R2 Managing Principal, the north side buildings, where melting salts and other bulk salts were once transported by barges and piled high using giant conveyor belts, will be converted to a wide variety of new uses. The mix could include a brewery, restaurants, offices, indoor and outdoor festivals and markets, concerts and other entertainment. R2 plans to have a water taxi stop and kayak launch on the site, connected to a new riverwalk area. (Ori, Chicago Tribune 1/5/18)   Preservation Chicago applauds both developer R2 Company and Morton Salt for their appreciation of the site’s history and for their recognition that the existing historic industrial buildings add a layer of interest, authenticity, character and quality that will make the finished redevelopment more successful. Unlike the redevelopment of the former Finkl Steel Site, where the historic buildings were demolished (Chicago 7 2015), the value of the historic buildings at Morton Salt are being appreciated and embraced.

WIN: Warehouse Loft Across from Lincoln Yards Adaptively Reused

Lofts at Southport, 2065 N. Southport Avenue. Rendering Credit: GREC Architects

2065 N. Southport Avenue is a 4-story brick and timber industrial loft warehouse built in 1915. The 90,000 square foot building is being redeveloped into the Lofts at Southport which will include both loft-style offices and apartments. Offices will be located on the lower two floors and 56 rental apartments will located on the upper two floors. Ceiling heights range from 12 to 16 feet. The building is located across the street from the now demolished former A. Finkl & Sons' campus and the future Lincoln Yards development. The Chicago City Council’s 2017 comprehensive rezoning of the North Branch Corridor has allowed the adaptive reuse of historic industrial and commercial buildings such as this into residential uses.      Preservation Chicago applauds 2 nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins for his support for the adaptive reuse of historic loft buildings and would like to encourage preservation-oriented developers such as Jon Morgan, Matt Ferrino and Heart of America Group to consider adaptive reuse of other historic loft buildings in this district. With massive changes underway within this former industrial corridor, it’s essential that the City of Chicago and preservation-oriented developers move quickly to protect architecturally significant buildings.    The City of Chicago has created a list of 70 architecturally significant buildings along the North Branch Industrial Corridor that could be threatened by new development. These buildings need to be preserved in order to maintain a connection to the corridor’s history, to insure quality of life issues, and to promote healthy communities. However, the steps must be taken as quickly as possible, as one of the historic buildings identified on the list, 1666 N. Ada, has already been demolished.    Preservation Chicago encourages Chicago Department of Planning and Development Historic Preservation Division/Landmarks to include the designation of these buildings as Chicago Landmarks along with open space and parklands as part of the on-going discussions and master planning for the North Branch Corridor area. Preservation Chicago is actively working with stakeholders and is an official member of the North Branch Park Preserve Coalition.

WIN: 1920’s Ukrainian Dairy/Leona’s Building Facade Saved

Ukrainian Dairy, 1938 W. Augusta Avenue, Rendering Credit: TheBlvdChicago.com

A construction permit was issued in January 2018 for the former Ukrainian Dairy site at 1938 W. Augusta Avenue, which is located within the East Village Landmark District, but was not considered a contributing building. After over a year of advocacy and negotiations, the developer, MCZ Development, agreed to preserve the one-story, 1920’s era, white glazed tile, “Pure Dairy” façade and to set back the new construction 14 feet. The historic façade will provide courtyards between the sidewalk and new five-story construction condo building creating privacy for the residents and preserving a much beloved neighborhood facade. Designed by Space Architects + Planners, the project will include 16 condos.    In November 2015, 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, Preservation Chicago, the East Village Association, and Ukrainian Village community members testified to prevent the demolition of the Ukrainian Dairy/Leona’s building. The passionate testimony proved unable to reverse the opinions of the Landmark Commissioners who voted to approve the demolition permit. However, the preservation effort then moved to the full City Council where Alderman Hopkins courageously defended the will of the community and continued to oppose the demolition permit.    Preservation Chicago salutes the heroic efforts of Alderman Hopkins to protect an iconic neighborhood building. Preservation Chicago also applauds the extensive efforts of the East Village Association which worked closely with the alderman’s office in 2007 to downzone the property, a move which provided an important tool for the current preservation effort.

WIN: Historic Wicker Park Church School Building Reuse Proposal

First Bethlehem Evangelical Church School, 1645 W. LeMoyne Street, Rendering Credit: Casagrande Architects

The historic school building adjacent to the First Bethlehem Evangelical Church owned by the Franciscan Outreach Association and currently used as a soup kitchen will be adaptively reused for 16 residential apartments by Lakeview-based developer Anne Shutler. The 3-story red brick building is located at 1645 W. Le Moyne and is orange-rated in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey. The words “Ev. Lutherische Bethlehems Schule” are inscribed in stone at the top of the building. The architect of the school building is not known.   According to the project architect Philip Casagrande, “the existing building has some really great brick masonry detailing which we intend to preserve.” Preservation Chicago applauds developer Anne Shutler for choosing a preservation-sensitive direction for the development. We also applaud 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins for his continued leadership to help protect historic buildings within the 2nd Ward and throughout Chicago.     Preservation Chicago wishes to acknowledge the important contribution to the community from the Wicker Park Committee and the Wicker Park Committee’s Preservation and Development Subcommittee. The oversight from advisory committees like these play an important role in helping to encourage sensitive development, helping to improve specific development proposals, and creating a constructive public process to assist the local aldermanic office to fully vet proposed development well before it reaches the alderman’s desk. We encourage every community in Chicago to organize their own advisory committees in partnership with the local aldermanic office to improve the quality of proposed new development.

WIN: "Jet-Age" Chicago Skyway Canopy Restored

Chicago Skyway Toll Plaza following restoration. Photo Credit: Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge was built in 1958 to connect the Indiana Toll Road to the Dan Ryan Expressway. Its mid-century modern toll plaza canopy serves as an iconic gateway. The “jet-age” design was defined by a steel canopy, neon signage, and stainless steel toll booths. However, following decades of retrofits to accommodate a seemingly endless cycle of new and then obsolete technology, the structure's original design was largely obscured.     The $7 million, privately financed restoration and modernization project removed the obsolete additions and restored the original toll plaza canopy design. The original neon letters that spell out “Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge” have been restored and upgraded. The canopy roof incorporates a photovoltaic panel array which can provide 100 percent of the energy required to run the toll plaza.   “It’s a great combination of preserving our past but ultra-modernizing the electronics. It was a real challenge to take that structure and put in the new technologies that we have,” said Kirk Dillard, chairman of the Skyway Concession Company to the Chicago Tribune. Mayor Richard M. Daley leased the Skyway in 2005 and it is now controlled by three Canadian pension funds and operated by the local Skyway Concession Company. (Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 10/26/18)   Preservation Chicago applauds the owners and project team for recognizing the inherent value of this stylized "jet-age" mid-century modern toll canopy. By combining the best of the past and the best current innovation, we are able to create wonderful built assets for the future. It is an excellent model and one that we encourage other decision-makers responsible for infrastructure to adopt.

WIN: New Illinois State Historic Tax Credit Becomes Law!

Sunlight in the Illinois Capitol Dome. Photo Credit: Eddie Winfred Doc Helm / Illinois State Archives

On July 16, 2018, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed SB 3527, a bipartisan bill improving and expanding the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Historic Tax Credit.   "Historic Tax Credit projects are that rare win-win-win we look for. The design, construction and development team wins from the jobs created, the community wins by restoring a great local asset and the taxpayers win with a tremendous return on investment," said Rep. Steven Andersson (R-Geneva).   A statewide historic tax credit program incentivizes developers to choose Illinois and will breathe new life into older properties. This new tax credit is based off an existing program in Illinois that saw tremendous success creating jobs and new economic activity by reviving structures in older downtown areas." said State Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island. (Quad-City Times, 7/26/18)   Preservation Chicago applauds Landmarks Illinois and the American Institute of Architects-Illinois for their persistent advocacy to create this important financial tool for historic preservation. Its even more significant since the recently passed new federal tax code weakens the federal historic preservation tax credit.   Historic tax credits work and are an important financing tool to allow historic projects to be economically feasible. A behind-the-scenes scramble by John Murphy and Cook County officials late last year illustrates the make-or-break importance of the old federal historic tax credit, which provided a 20% income tax benefit to developers of certified rehabs of historic income-producing properties. “If there’s ever a textbook case of a building that never would have survived without it, it’s the old Cook County Hospital building,” Murphy said. (Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 6/1/18)

WIN: City Approves Steep Fines to End "Demolition by Neglect"

Chicago River View. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The real estate markets in the Old Town and East Ukrainian Village Chicago Landmark Districts have gotten so desirable that developers are willing to pay huge amounts for vacant lots to build multi-family housing, according to 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins.  And when no vacant lots exist, some unethical developers have found a loophole which allows demolition of historic homes in Chicago Landmark Districts. If a historic building condition becomes so decayed that it possesses a threat to safety, then a demolition can be granted. Alderman Hopkins said he is aware of instances where property owners have “intentionally allowed a building to get into a state of degraded condition” before saying “it has to be demolished because it’s a hazard to the community.” (Hauser, Block Club Chicago, April 3, 2018)   In response, the ordinance introduced by Alderman Hopkins and approved by the City Council allows the City of Chicago to fine property owners up to $2,000 per day for willfully allowing the deterioration of historic properties or contributing buildings within Landmark Districts and this ordinance doubles the moratorium on new construction that the City of Chicago can impose to 10 years.    In the case of Old Town in particular, one of the things that drives its property value is the sense of historic charm in the area,” Alderman Hopkins said. “It just looks like a really special place, and one of the reasons it’s a special place is because it does have a higher concentration of older buildings. So that needs to be preserved just to keep that quality of life that attracts people to Old Town in the first place.” (Bryne, Chicago Tribune, April 12, 2018)   Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago, Lisa DiChiera of Landmarks Illinois, and Allan Mellis, a dedicated community activist, testified before the Committee in support of this ordinance. We applaud Alderman Hopkins for his leadership on this preservation sensitive ordinance. It will help to maintain the integrity of historic Chicago Landmark Districts and discourage profit-oriented developers from abusing the Landmark District Ordinance.

WIN: Stone Temple Baptist Church Receives Federal Grant

Stone Temple Baptist Church, 3622 W. Douglas Boulevard. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Stone Temple Baptist Church was the only building in Chicago to receive a highly competitive African American Civil Rights Grant from the Federal Government. This $440,000 grant will continue and accelerate the restoration of this Designated Chicago Landmark. Under the strong leadership of Bishop Derrick Fitzpatrick, the building has been carefully maintained and Stone Temple Baptist Church has continued its mission to serve both the North Lawndale community and wider City of Chicago.   Located at 3622 W. Douglas Boulevard in Chicago’s North Lawndale community, Stone Temple Baptist Church was originally a synagogue called “First Roumanian Congregation”. The soaring yellow masonry building was built in 1926 by Jewish immigrants primarily from Romania and designed by Chicago architect Joseph W. Cohen & Company. The historic building became Stone Temple Baptist Church in the 1950s under the leadership of Reverend J.M. Stone. During the late 1950s and 1960s Reverend Stone and Stone Temple Baptist proved a strong voice advocating for Civil Rights. As early as 1959, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Chicago, he frequently visited Stone Temple Baptist and often addressed the congregation from the podium. During the 1966 Chicago Freedom Movement, Stone Temple Baptist was one of his key bases of support.   Preservation Chicago played an important role in outreaching to Bishop Derrick Fitzpatrick, his wife Pastor Reshorna M. Fitzpatrick, and his congregation to encourage and advocate for the Chicago Landmark designation of the building which was awarded in 2016. Preservation Chicago was part of numerous testimonies and ceremonies to both honor and celebrate the Chicago Landmark Designation of this building. The historic building is highly significant for its architecture and its important role in the Civil Rights Movement.     Additionally, the podium from which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached remains in the sanctuary of Stone Temple Baptist Church. Preservation Chicago continues to advocate that this extraordinary artifact be prominently displayed in a leading Chicago museum such as the DuSable Museum of African American History, and perhaps on occasion loaned to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.

WIN: South Side Community Art Center Wins Prestigious National Grant

South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Avenue, Photo Credit: Jacob Hand

Chicago’s South Side Community Art Center was one of 16 grant winners among a total of 830 applicants across 42 states to win a grant from the African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. An initiative of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is a program which seeks to preserve and promote African-American historic places. “History of the South Side Community Art Center: Dedicated by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1941, the South Side Community Art Center at 3831 S. Michigan Avenue was one of nearly 100 art centers established by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project. Since that time, it has served as a cultural and artistic hub in Chicago, fostering emerging African-American artists and showcasing established talent while connecting South Side residents to art through exhibits, classes, lectures, and other educational programming. The center is the only Works Progress Administration art center still operating as established in its original building.   The National Trust will work together with South Side Community Art Center leadership, providing expertise to ensure that its rehabilitation includes preserving the building’s historic character. These two dynamic organizations will foster new opportunities for programming and events that will continue to serve, inspire, and enrich South Side’s co m munity for generations to come.”  (From the South Side Community Art Center: National Treasures, National Trust for Historic Preservation, www.SavingsPlaces.org)

WIN: Art Moderne Bronzeville Church Receives $228K of Restoration Adopt-a-Landmark Funding

First Church of Deliverance, 4315 S. Wabash Avenue, Walter T. Bailey, 1939. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The striking Art Moderne First Church of Deliverance located at 4315 S. Wabash Avenue in Bronzeville received a $228,000 restoration grant from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development Adopt-a-Landmark fund in January 2018. Funding for the Adopt-a-Landmark program is provided by new development projects in exchange for receiving zoning bonuses.     Designed by Walter T. Bailey in 1939, Illinois’ first licensed African-American architect, First Church of Deliverance was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1994 making it eligible for Adopt-a-Landmark funds. The renovation will restore the building's terra cotta façade, doors, and the interior murals painted by Chicago-based artist Fred Jones.   The First Church of Deliverance played a significant role in the history of gospel music.  Since the 1940s, its gospel music broadcasts established it as an important national center for the growth and innovation of this musical genre. Over the years, gospel and jazz music legends including Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington and Sallie Martin performed at the church for its nationally syndicated Gospel radio program   Chicago is experiencing an extraordinary construction boom with record-breaking levels of new construction and investment. Preservation Chicago applauds the City of Chicago and its efforts to divert a portion of the massive capital investments in downtown super tall projects to Chicago Landmarks in the neighborhoods through the Adopt-a-Landmark Fund. This a powerful, successful, and effective tool to help all of Chicago to move forward together and to provide much-needed renovation funds to important Chicago Landmarks located in the neighborhoods and underserved communities. The hope is that these funds will continue to flow into the neighborhoods to help restore Chicago Landmarks suffering from years of deferred maintenance. Preservation Chicago encourages owners of Chicago Landmark buildings to nominate their landmarks to this Adopt-a-Landmark program. Link to Adopt-a-Landmark program and link to download an application.

WIN: Mecca Flats Historic Fragments Discovered During Excavation Work!

Mecca Flats Revealed, Photo Credit: Joseph Altshuler/The Architect's Paper

The campaign to save the Mecca Flats was one of the Chicago’s earliest examples of a preservation effort to save an important historic building from demolition and perhaps one of the first community efforts to oppose what would later be referred to as Urban Renewal. The 15-year preservation effort to save the Mecca Flats lasted from 1937 until 1952 when it was demolished. This was significantly earlier than the effort to save Adler & Sullivan's Garrick Theater which was demolished in 1961 and efforts to save Adler & Sullivan's Chicago Stock Exchange Building which was demolished 1972.   Built in 1892 as a hotel for visitors to the  World's Columbian Exposition , the Mecca Flats building was designed by architects Willoughby J. Edbrooke  and  Franklin Pierce Burnham . The apartments circled two open interior atriums covered by glass skylights and open courtyards. Mecca Flats became a vibrant hub for the African-American community and inspired the poem by author Gwendolyn Brooks “In Mecca Flats” the early jazz pianist Jimmy Blythe’s "Mecca Flat Blues" in 1924 and “Lovin’ Been Here And Gone To The Mecca Flat” in 1926.   It’s true that new construction replacement buildings generally fail to match the quality of the demolished original building, however in the case of Mecca Flats, it was replaced S. R. Crown Hall at Illinois Institute of Technology, Mies Van der Rohe’s legendary modernist masterpiece.   In July 2018 while construction workers were digging a trench for maintenance on the mechanical plumbing system situated on the southwest corner of Crown Hall, they discovered intact tile flooring from the Mecca Flats and other artifacts. The bright and vibrant colors of the patterned floor tile include blues, oranges and browns which help to add a color palate to a historic building known primarily through black and white photos.   The construction work was temporarily suspended and local historians and urban archaeologists were assembled to uncover and excavate a significant portion of the remnants. These artifacts will be preserved, and a selection will be installed on site at the Graham Resource Center, an architectural library in Crown Hall, in a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Mecca Flats.

WIN: Historic Gold Star Lounge Neon Blade Sign To Be Saved

Gold Star Lounge's Iconic Neon Sign, 1755 W. Division Street. Photo Credit Alisa Hauser / Block Club Chicago

WIN: City of Chicago Landmarks Commission Honors Chicago’s Best Preservation Projects of 2018

City of Chicago Landmarks Commission Honors Chicago’s Best Preservation Projects of 2018   On October 23, 2018, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks honored 11 unique rehabilitation projects with the Preservation Excellence Awards.   “The Preservation Excellence Awards honor some of the best rehabilitation efforts in the country, and the private property owners who diligently work to celebrate the history and heritage of Chicago,” said David L. Reifman, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, which provides staff support to the Landmarks Commission.

London House Hotel / London Guarantee Building, 360 N. Michigan Avenue by Architect ‎Alfred S. Alschuler, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The London Guarantee Building, 360 N. Michigan Avenue Designated Chicago Landmark: April 16, 1996 Adaptive Reuse and Addition Recipient: Oxford Capital Group, LLC.   Located at 360 North Michigan Avenue, the London Guarantee Building is one of Chicago’s best examples of the Beaux Arts Classical Revival style. Oxford Capital purchased the building with the intention of converting it from obsolete office space to mixed use hotel/retail. Utilizing the Class L Property Tax Incentive and the 20% Federal Historic Tax Credit, interior and exterior alterations accommodated new programming. Exterior work included masonry repairs and cleaning on all elevations, historic window repair, replication of missing ornamental metalwork, and a new, one-story addition and roof deck. Interior work included a full interior build-out of hotel rooms, meeting spaces, and ballrooms. In addition to the renovations to the London Guarantee Building, the owner constructed a new, 21-story addition in the adjacent surface parking lot adding 78,000 square feet to the property. Preservation Chicago strongly supported the redevelopment and restoration over many phases with numerous testimonies and letters of support.

Commercial National Bank Building, 125 N. Clark Street, by D.H. Burnham & Company, Photo Credit: Blue Star Properties

The Commercial National Bank Building, 125 S. Clark Street Designated Chicago Landmark: June 22, 2016 Rehabilitation Recipient: Blue Star Properties   Located prominently at the northeast corner of Clark and Adams Streets in the Loop, the Commercial National Bank Building is 20 stories tall and was completed in 1907 by the noted Chicago-based architecture firm of D.H. Burnham & Co. Blue Star Properties acquired the vacant property in 2014 and, utilizing the Class L Property Tax Incentive, embarked on an extensive exterior and interior rehabilitation. Exterior work included much-needed cleaning of the facades and repair of original terra cotta. All non-original infill on the south elevation was replaced with GFRC units matching original profiles including highly detailed, classically-inspired decorative reliefs on the upper floors. The cornice, storefronts, and entries were repaired. Historic cast iron window surrounds on floors 2-4 and 17-19 were repaired and repainted.

The Plymouth Building, 417 S. Dearborn Street, by architect Simeon Eisendrath, prior to remodeling. Historic Photo Credit: Chicago History Museum

The Plymouth Building, 417 S. Dearborn Street Designated Chicago Landmark: Nov. 16, 2016 Adaptive Reuse Recipient: LG Development Group   Designed by Simeon B. Eisendrath and completed in 1899, the Plymouth Building at 417 S. Dearborn St. combines fine detailing and craftsmanship that exemplifies the revolution in high-rise design that occurred in Chicago in the last two decades of the 19th century. Its Plymouth Court façade retains its original Sullivanesque ornament. The building’s early steel-frame construction and Collegiate Gothic ornament added to the Dearborn façade in 1945 conveys an evolutionary history that reflects its various roles within the city’s central business district. The developer purchased the property and undertook an extensive rehabilitation for a new residential use. In addition to exterior and interior renovations, including installation of new aluminum-clad windows and repair to the ornamental historic storefronts, a one-story rooftop addition and roof deck were constructed. The building owner applied for a 20% Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit.

The American Book Company Building, 330 E. Cermak Avenue, Photo Credit City of Chicago

The American Book Company Building, 330 E. Cermak Avenue (Chicago 7 2008) Designated Chicago Landmark: July 29, 2009 Adaptive Reuse  Recipient: Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority   The American Book Company Building (ABC Building) was built in 1912 and was designed by Nelson Max Dunning, a prominent architect in the Midwest. The building had been vacant for many years until the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority undertook an extensive exterior and interior rehabilitation project. The restored ABC Building is part of and connected to the $350 million Marriott Marquis Chicago Hotel, which has 1,205 keys and offers state-of-the art amenities and impressive skyline and lakefront views. The ABC Building has meeting rooms for the hotel, office spaces on the upper floors, and commercial retail spaces on the first floor. The rehabilitation project included masonry repairs and cleaning, window and door replacement, and restoration of the historic lobby finishes, including the vaulted ceiling, the marble stair and balustrade, and the tiled walls. Preservation Chicago strongly supported the redevelopment and restoration of this building over many testimonies and letters of support.  The American Book Company Building was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2008.

The former Graeme Stewart Public School, 4525 N. Kenmore Avenue, Photo Credit: Morningside Equities Group

The former Graeme Stewart Public School, 4525 N. Kenmore Avenue (Chicago 7 2014) Designated Chicago Landmark: Nov. 16, 2016 Adaptive Reuse Recipient: Morningside Equities Group   The former Graeme Stewart Public School Building, designed by noted architect Dwight Perkins, was built in 1906 with a compatible addition to the south added in 1940. The building exhibits a wide horizontal composition that is characteristic of the Prairie School movement with Renaissance Revival stylistic details. The developer transformed the decommissioned CPS building into residential units, including amenities such as roof decks, balconies, and terraces. Work to rejuvenate the building included a new roof, masonry cleaning and repair, and a fully restored cornice. New compatible windows and doors were inserted on primary and secondary elevations to accommodate new rental units and provide accessibility. Portions of the rear of the building were converted into parking. This project serves as an excellent example of how civic building and architecture can be reused in a community. Stewart School and other closed Chicago Public School buildings were Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2014

First Congregational Baptist Church / Union Park Congregational Church, by architect Gurdon P. Randall in 1869. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

First Baptist Congregational Church, 1613 W. Washington Street Designated Chicago Landmark: Jan. 21, 1982 Rehabilitation  Recipient: First Baptist Congregational Church   Originally known as the Union Park Congregational Church, the church was constructed in 1869 and survived the Great Chicago Fire. During the blizzard of 2011, a small, narrow finial at the First Baptist Church of Chicago was toppled and destroyed. The church explored options to replicate the steeple and proposed a new lightweight version constructed of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic to recreate the stone coursing, color and texture. In 2017 the new spire was lifted into place and fixed to the historic church, restoring the roofline to its original form. Today, the church remains a cornerstone in its community, and a valuable example of the appropriate use of substitute material on a historic property.

George W. Blossom House, 4858 S. Kenwood Avenue, by Frank Lloyd Wright while he was employed by Adler & Sullivan in 1892. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Blossom House, 4858 S. Kenwood Avenue (Kenwood District) Designated Chicago Landmark District: June 29, 1979 Rehabilitation  Recipient: Arthur & Elisa Reliford Jr.   The Blossom House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1892 in the Colonial Revival architectural style. Along with the McArthur House, its neighbor immediately to the north, the Blossom House is one of the last houses Wright designed in a historical revival style before becoming a pioneer of the Prairie style characterized by elongated proportions and broad horizontal lines. This evolution is reflected in the carriage house designed by Wright in 1907. New owners undertook a major restoration project to address the deferred exterior maintenance and condition issues for both structures and to update the interior kitchen and bathrooms. Deteriorated siding and trim were replaced to match existing. Original art-glass windows, many of them badly warped and bowing, were carefully restored. The deteriorated front and side porches were repaired and reconstructed to match the original design, and the brick base was repaired with salvaged brick. A one-story addition was built on the rear elevation. At the carriage house, deteriorated framing, roofing, and sheathing were replaced to match original profiles and the brick was repointed.

Save Our Street Graphic, Image Credit: www.edgarmiller.org/save-our-story-save-our-street

Save Our Street Graphic, Image Credit: www.edgarmiller.org/save-our-story-save-our-street

Preservation Advocacy Award  Recipient: Save Our Story – Save Our Street   After demolition threatened a building on their street, a group of neighbors and preservationists, including Preservation Chicago and Landmarks Illinois, banded together to stop the encroaching development and to further protect their neighborhood by procuring designation for the West Burton Place District. This district is a compact residential enclave in Old Town comprised of late-19th century urban dwellings mixed with “handmade houses” designed by Edgar Miler, Sol Kogen, and others as studios for artists from the 1920s through 1940s. Although designating this neighborhood had long been a goal of some residents, the movement didn’t take off until they were notified of a new development and a demolition application for 159 W. Burton Place. Every member of this group played a unique role in ensuring the neighborhood’s architecture would survive; from writing the landmarking proposal, to gathering community support for the designation process. Without their tireless effort, this unique residential district could have been altered and lost forever. The district met 5 of the 6 designation criteria mandated by the Chicago Landmarks Ordinance and was officially designated on June 22, 2016. Preservation Chicago and our sister organizations strongly supported this effort with many numerous testimonies before various commissions and with letters of support.

LOSSES

LOSS: D.H. Burnham Building at 1217 W. Washington Demolished!

Chicago Machinery Building, by D.H. Burnham & Company, 1217 West Washington Boulevard, 1910. Photo Credit: Ward Miller

Despite a vigorous 11th hour preservation effort, the historic D.H. Burnham & Company-designed building at 1217 W. Washington Boulevard was demolished. After the expiration of a 90-Day Demolition Delay hold, the demolition permit was issued on January 23, 2018 for the orange-rated Chicago Machinery Building. Built in 1910, this three-story commercial and industrial building had an outstanding façade with highly decorative ornamentation and an elaborately detailed cornice. The white-glazed brick contrasted beautifully with the maroon-colored ornament and arched window openings.    In early February, as part of a last-ditch effort to prevent demolition, conversations with the building owner yielded a slight opening. The owner indicated a willingness to donate the façade if Preservation Chicago could quickly solidify a plan for a third party to cover the cost of deconstruction and if the facade removal could happen quickly. Preservation Chicago was able to identify three potential developers who expressed interest and capacity to deconstruct the historic façade. The strongest of the developers engaged in good faith negotiations with the owner regarding the details of façade deconstruction. However, in late April the developer was unable to finalize the deal, the owner was unwilling to delay the redevelopment plans further and the demolition began.   Buildings of this caliber should be protected by the City of Chicago. This building contributed considerably to the character of the West Loop and, at a minimum, this highly intact orange-rated façade should have been preserved and incorporated into a larger new development plan.     The West Loop is home to a number of historic buildings that could possibly make up a new historic district. “We’re seeing a number of beautiful buildings come down on Washington Boulevard that could be part of a larger [historic] district. The city and staff are overwhelmed with Landmark designations and just don’t have the capacity,” said Ward Miller.   The character of the historic West Loop is under intense pressure from new construction with new buildings under construction ranging from 10 to 20 or even 40 stories. Historic two- and three-story industrial and commercial buildings on big lots are prime targets for demolition and redevelopment. Downzoning would help to immediately reduce development pressure on historic properties.   There is an urgent need for a Greektown/West Loop/Haymarket Square Chicago Landmark District that would recognize, celebrate and protect this wonderful and highly endangered historic neighborhood. This is an amazing assortment of fine quality buildings with strong links to early Chicago industrialists such as John Glessner and manufacturing, to labor history including the Haymarket riots, and ethnic histories ties to Greek-American settlements. Preservation Chicago made this suggestion to Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development Historic Preservation Division. Much like the wildly successful Fulton Randolph Chicago Landmark District, a new Landmark District would be a powerful economic stimulus, increase tourism, and protect the character of this neighborhood by protecting its built environment.

LOSS: Bronzeville's Boston Store Stables Demolished!

Boston Store Stable Building, by architects Holabird & Roche, 4340 S. Vernon Photo Credit: Bernard Loyd

The Boston Store Stables was a well-designed commercial warehouse building located at 4340 S. Vernon Avenue in Bronzeville. It was built in 1906 by the Boston Store to support their new flagship department store located at the northwest corner of State and Madison in the Loop, also built in 1906. The Boston Store Stables served as a horse stable and parcel distribution station which allowed more rapid and efficient deliveries to their South Side customer base.  After multiple uses and a long period of vacancy, it was demolished in late November 2018.   The Boston Store Stables were designed by Holabird and Roche with “bright red brick, three large, front-facing quoined arch window surrounds, brick circular portals, and quoined columns. Though lost to time and neglect, the stable originally had decorative terra cotta coping on top of the front facade. The stable building is unusual because these Romanesque and Italianate-era architectural traits popular in the 1880s and 1890s were mostly out of fashion by the time of the stable’s design in 1906.” (Chicago Patterns, 9/24/18)   The Boston Store Stables suffered from years of neglect and abandonment, but the building was not in immediate danger. The property had been on the market for a few years with hope that a preservation-oriented developer would emerge. The building became an urgent preservation issue when a demolition permit application from the recent buyer was discovered and made clear the new owner’s intention for the building. The demolition permit was issued on November 1, 2018.   Preservation Chicago worked closely with neighbors in Bronzeville and preservation partners to help organize a rapid response preservation effort to bring about a positive outcome. Preservation Chicago would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Bernard Loyd at Urban Juncture as well as to the dedicated neighbors who rallied to organize and support the preservation effort. John Morris with Chicago Patterns played an integral role in breaking this story and sounding the alarm regarding the pending threat to the building, in addition to conducting outstanding historical research.   A series of neighborhood meetings were held, a Change.org petition generated approximately 750 signatures in a little over a week, conversations were held with 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell, and conversations were held with the developer’s broker. The developer expressed a willingness to entertain offers to buy, but would not delay their demolition schedule and would not share their timeframe. Exterior tours of the building were coordinated with potential preservation-oriented buyers, including one foundation that expressed interest. Despite all of these efforts, there was simply not enough time for a preservation-friendly developer to emerge to buy-out the current owners and rescue the building.

LOSS: Chicago Avenue Bridge Demolished!

Chicago Avenue Bridge, by Ketler-Elliot in 1914, Demolition began November 1, 2018 Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Built in 1914 by the Ketler-Elliot Erection Company of Chicago, the iconic Chicago Avenue Bridge was demolished in November 2018. The Chicago Avenue Bridge was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, but the Chicago Department of Transportation chose to replace it with a new concrete bridge.    The Chicago Avenue Bridge was a pony truss bascule bridge with an elegant symmetric span of riveted steel beams which taper towards the center. The exposed riveted steel references a heroic industrial age when Chicago was a manufacturing powerhouse, a leader in steel production, and a world-leading bridge design innovator. The bridge was operated from an elegant bridge house with a pitched roof, rounded corners, a ribbon of windows, and clad in a decorative copper, which oxidized green like the Statue of Liberty.   The Chicago Avenue Bridge was a historic asset immediately adjacent to the Chicago Landmark Montgomery Ward Complex dating from 1909 and designed by the distinguished architectural firm of Schmidt, Garden, and Martin. Overlooking the bridge and river is the 22.5 foot bronze statue that originally topped the former Montgomery Ward Building on Michigan Avenue. It is ironic that at a time when the City of Chicago has invested heavily in creating and expanding river access through an increasing network of riverwalks, that an iconic, elegant, human-scaled, historic river focal point was demolished to be replaced by a non-descript highway scale, highway-style bridge.    Iconic bridges such as the Chicago Avenue Bridge are a value to tourism and the film industry and these factors should be included in the economic calculations when engineers study existing assets like historic bridges. While a number of historic rail bridges spanning the Chicago River have been designated as Chicago Landmarks, Chicago’s bascule bridges have no protection against demolition. It is essential that these important icons of Chicago be recognized and protected by a Chicago Landmark designation of bridges along the main channel of the Chicago River and North and South branches.

LOSS: Victorian Queen Anne at 1441 W. Carmen Bulldozed!

1441 W. Carmen Avenue Pre-Demolition, Photo Credit: Leyla Royale

Despite strong neighborhood opposition, the historic Queen Anne home at 1441 has been demolished. But it wasn't without a fight. In the face of overwhelming odds, Leyla Royale took action when she learned about the pending demolition of a beautiful 1890’s, three-story, orange-brick Victorian Queen Anne, with a high-pointed gable, bay window, and front porch with slender columns. “The yard is lush, shady and, most important for a developer, really big.” (Schmich, Chicago Tribune, 6/12/18)   “[I] loved walking by the house, thinking about all the people who had passed through it, all the history it contained. Tearing it down seemed crazy. It really upset me,” said Royale. “I think a lot of people in neighborhoods are tired of buildings like this being torn down for cookie-cutter condos and cookie-cutter million-dollar single-family homes. So she started an online petition to Save 1441 Carmen Avenue.  (Schmich, Chicago Tribune, 6/12/18)   Apparently, she was not alone. Within a day or so of her starting the petition, and with the support of Preservation Chicago’s rapid response advocacy, the petition received over 1,200 signatures! Royale and the Winona Foster Carmen Winnemac (WFCW) Block Club presented the petition to 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar when the number of signatures grew to over 2,300.   “Now we’re really in a crisis where we’re seeing fine quality buildings being demolished across the city's neighborhoods,” said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago. “The massive new construction changes the light, the air, the mood of neighborhoods; steals our visible connection to the past. Stopping the trend may be impossible, but it could be slowed.” (Schmich, Chicago Tribune, 6/12/18

LOSS: Woodruff Arcade Demolished! (Chicago 7 2018)

Woodruff Arcade, 6361 N. Broadway Avenue, Photo Credit: Jason Marck/WBEZ Chicago

The Woodruff Arcade has been demolished. Located at the corner of Broadway, Devon and Sheridan in Edgewater and Rogers Park, the 94-year old Woodruff Arcade has served dozens of small tenants since it was first opened in the 1920s.  The Woodruff Arcade was an important community feature and it could have been an asset for the Rogers Park and Edgewater communities for years to come. It should have been preserved, restored, and reused.   “In 1922, W.J. Woodruff received a building permit from the city for his arcade, according to the Edgewater Historical Society. Architect Herbert Green designed a handsome but utilitarian red brick building that opens up inside with iron staircases, large interior windows into the internal courtyard, and that big skylight.” (WBEZ, 6/22/17)   The Edgewater Historical Society, Preservation Chicago, and other local neighborhood groups had advocated for its protection and preservation through Chicago Landmark designation. The online petition to save the historic Woodruff Arcade collected approximately 800 signatures.   As the developer worked within the existing zoning limits (as-of-right), there was no requirement for public meetings and no requirement for Aldermanic approval. Like so many historic buildings under threat, the discrepancy between the existing historic structure and the site’s more permissive zoning results in an economic incentive for the destruction of Chicago’s historic building resources.

LOSS: Morton Salt Headquarters Building Demolished

Former Morton Salt Headquarters Building, 110 N. Wacker Drive, Photo Credit: Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

The mid-century modern Morton Salt Headquarters Building was demolished to make way for a new office skyscraper. Designed by the highly respected architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White along with Shaw, Metz & Dolio, this five-story building had been a fixture at 110 North Wacker Drive since its completion in 1961. It was commissioned by Morton Salt Company, the long-standing Chicago-based company founded in 1879. Morton Salt Company left the building in 1992 and more recently, General Growth Properties occupied the building.     At a Section 106 meeting, Preservation Chicago advocated for a reconsideration of the proposed demolition, citing the building’s history, integrity, scale and relationship to the development of Chicago. Additionally, the history of Wacker Drive’s transformation from Market Street is being lost as the scale of the riverfront is being overwhelmed with super tall, glass buildings. Additionally, Preservation Chicago suggested that the following nearby riverfront buildings be considered for Chicago Landmark designation, including the Hartford Insurance Building at 100 S. Wacker Drive by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (1961), and 10 and 120 S. Riverside Plaza Buildings also by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (1968 and 1974), along with the Art Deco 2 N. Riverside Plaza also known as the Chicago Daily News Building by Holabird & Root (1928)   One positive outcome from Preservation Chicago and Docomomo Chicago's advocacy was that the developer agreed to repurpose some of the Morton Salt Building’s stainless steel panels in the new building, to install plaques to commemorate the Morton Salt Company history, to commission a study of the Morton Salt Building’s architecture and donate it to the research collections at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Ryerson and Burnham Architecture Archives, and to sponsor a public education seminar regarding mid-century modern Architecture in Chicago.

LOSS: Prairie School Industrial Building at 1401 W. Wabansia Demolished in the North Branch Industrial Corridor

1401 W. Wabansia Street, Photo Credit: Google Street View

The Prairie School industrial building located at 1401 W. Wabansia Street at Ada Street was sold on February 21, 2018. The demolition permit was released on March 27, 2018 and the building was demolished on April 4, 2018.    Built in 1919, this two-story building, with third-story penthouse and roof deck, had most recently been occupied as the Wabansia Warehouse wedding venue. The building was built by the Ralph H. Simpson Company, an iron and steel contractor. The building was owned and occupied by the Simpson-Frisch Company, which manufactured metal stairs and other ornamental metal products.    The heavy timber floor and ceilings made the interior an interesting and authentic location. The loft building’s dark brown brick and window grouping separated by vertical piers with limestone caps made it a unique and architecturally compelling building.    Low-rise historic industrial buildings are being lost throughout Chicago at an alarming rate. The City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development Historic Preservation Division has conducted a survey which identified approximately 70 historic commercial industrial buildings which should be preserved as part of any redevelopment of the North Branch Industrial Corridor and Lincoln Yards development. Preservation Chicago would like to see these buildings preserved and protected.

LOSS: Carbit Paints Building at 2942 W. North Avenue Demolished

Carbit Paints Building, 2942 W. North Avenue, Photo Credit: Google Maps Street View

The lovely historic red brick Carbit Paints Building was demolished in early January, 2018. Built around 1910, Carbit Paints Building was located at 2942 W. North Avenue, just east of Humboldt Boulevard and across from Humboldt Park. With its original red brick, arched windows and clay tile roof, the building was a “beautiful example of the craftsman buildings all around Humboldt Park,” according to Andrew Schneider, President of Logan Square Preservation.   When news of the impending demolition broke, the preservation community mounted an earnest, rapid response effort to prevent the demolition, or at least, to save the historic façade. The developer, Wilmot Properties, had little interest in considering an alternate approach to their plans. No zoning change was required and the building had no historic protections.   Though the building was never designated as a Chicago Landmark, it was considered historically significant by the National Register of Historic Places and listed as a ‘contributing building’ in both the Logan Square Boulevards National Register Historic District and the Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District. This listing clearly established its architectural significance and importance to the surrounding National Register District.    Additionally, this building was originally included in the "Logan Square Boulevards Chicago Landmark District" that would have provided protection against demolition, but the final Landmark District boundaries were adjusted to more closely conform to arbitrary aldermanic ward boundaries which left the Carbit Paint Building without the protection it deserved.

LOSS: Temple Beth-El at 2122 W. Crystal Street Demolished

Temple Beth-El Building, 2122 W. Crystal Street, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Despite an 11th hour advocacy effort by Preservation Chicago, the historic former Temple Beth-El building at 2122 W. Crystal was demolished. Preservation Chicago strongly encouraged the developer to save all or part of the historic façade. The history of the building was evident on its highly intact façade including its decorative yellow brick work, a series of stone arches, limestone ornamentation and finials, and the Hebrew and English carved inscriptions over the entry doors.    Childs Development purchased the historic synagogue/church building in Wicker Park for $1.75 million. They closed on August 8, 2018. Twelve days later on August 20, 2018, a demolition permit had been issued for the 116 year-old building. Built in 1902 as the third Temple Beth-El synagogue, it became the Original New Morning Star M. B. Church in the 1970’s.   Tear-down developers are often willing and able to outspend buyers looking to save and restore historic homes. According to the listing broker, the church initially asked $1.1 million for the building. It went under contract in less than a week and for an amount $650k over the list price, or approximately a 60% premium over the asking price.   As this development was “as-of-right,” there were few planning or preservation tools available to the community. There was no zoning change required and therefore aldermanic approval was not required. The building was not protected by any Chicago Landmark District designation or even included in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey which might have required a demolition delay. Downzoning properties so that the zoning more closely corresponds the existing historic building would help to encourage reuse of existing building and homes. An extension of the nearby Chicago Landmark District would have provided the greatest protection and oversight for historic structures like Temple Beth-El.

LOSS: State and Elm Building Demolished!

1139 N. State and Elm Street, Photo Credit: Ryan Ori

The historic three-story corner building at the corner of State and Elm Streets on the Gold Coast has been demolished. This brown brick building with ornamented, arched windows was built in the early 20th century. Located at 1139 N. State, this desirable and attractive 14,000 square foot building was occupied by RA Sushi on the ground floor with apartments on the second and third floors.     To avoid an upzoning process, the new development is a three-story building marketed for a multi-story restaurant.  The plan received Plan Commission approval under Chicago’s Lakefront Protection Ordinance in April 2018. Despite extensive advocacy outreach efforts by Preservation Chicago to the developer, alderman and community, even a partial preservation success proved impossible.     The Gold Coast has been experiencing intense redevelopment pressure and highly stable and successful historic buildings will continue to be threatened by demolition unless they can be protected by a Chicago Landmark District. To the end, Preservation Chicago has been working to create a “Gold Coast Chicago Landmark District,” which will include historic research on the buildings of the proposed historic district and both advocacy and outreach to the community.

LOSS: Belmont Flyover Demolition Underway

Historic buildings demolished for Belmont Flyover, Photo Credit: Building Up Chicago

The Chicago Transit Authority began the demolition of a collection of buildings in Lake View in March 2018 to make way for the “controversial” elevated flyover project. The project is intended to reduce the elevated train congestion bottleneck at the Belmont Avenue Station for the Red, Brown and Purple Line trains.   While Preservation Chicago values public transit and encourages improvements to Chicago’s elevated transit system, the demolition of 14 buildings to allow construction of the flyover is disappointing. Buildings slated for demolition include five buildings on the west side of Wilton Avenue, between 3240 and 3252 N. Wilton Avenue, four on Clark Street, including 3334-3344, 3346-3348, 3366 and 3401-3407 N. Clark Street, plus 947 W. Roscoe Street. Scheduled for fall 2018 demolition are four more buildings on Clark, including 3328, 3413, 3415-3419 and 3421 N. Clark Street.   “Demolishing some of these structures would ‘irreparably’ damage the community, and change its visual and economic character,” said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago. “We’re not out to save every old building, but we’re out to save buildings with historical or architectural significance. We can’t leave a big scar on this urban landscape and this historic district.” (Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune, March 7, 2018)   One preservation outcome as a result of much public feedback and comments from consulting partners including Preservation Chicago, was that the CTA chose relocation over demolition for the historic Vautravers Building at 947-949 W. Newport Avenue which is a contributing building in the Newport Avenue Landmark District

LOSS: South Side Masonic Temple Demolished (Chicago 7 2007 and 2015)

South Side Masonic Temple, 6400 South Green Street, Photo Credit: Noah Vaughn

The City of Chicago ordered the emergency demolition of the long vacant South Side Masonic Temple at 64th and Green Street in Englewood due to its severely deteriorated condition and a partial roof collapse.  Despite many years of advocacy for this orange-rated building, the challenges presented by its deteriorated condition and the market challenges in the Englewood community proved insurmountable. Advocacy efforts were unsuccessful to convince the nearby Kennedy-King College Campus or the new Whole Foods grocery store at 63rd and Halsted to adopt this historic building. Additionally, efforts at attracting developers to take on the adaptive reuse of this magnificent building were unsuccessful.   Located at 6400 S. Green Street, the South Side Masonic Temple was built in 1921 and housed fraternal organizations through the 1950s. Three stories of Ionic columns dominated its façade, and it contained multiple ornate meeting halls and grand spaces with Art Deco, Egyptian Revival, Eastern and Moorish influences. The South Side Masonic Temple was designed by notable Chicago architect Clarence Hatzfeld who is better known for the park district buildings that he designed at Indian Boundary Park, Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Revere Park, Independence Park, Gompers Park, Greenbrier Park and others.   During its heyday, the Classic Revival style Masonic Temple was located in proximity to one of Chicago’s most thriving and bustling neighborhood retail and entertainment districts at 63rd and Halsted, second only to State Street in the Loop.

LOSS: Historic Spencer Kimbell Home Demolished

Martin Kimbell Jr. Home (Existing) and Spencer Kimbell Home at 2616 N. Kimball Street, Demolished December 2018. Historic Martin Kimbell House Photo Credit: Jim Mulligan and Logan Square Preservation. Spencer Kimbell House Photo Credit: Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago

The 1880s Spencer Kimbell House, an early frame building at 2616 N. Kimball was built by one of the pioneers of Logan Square. Spencer Kimbell (1842-1907), was the son of Martin Kimbell (1812-1895), the "Father of Logan Square,” an early pioneer and settler of Northwest Chicago/Town of Jefferson, and builder of Northwest Plank Road, now known as Milwaukee Avenue. Additionally, Spencer Kimbell was a Civil War Lieutenant, marched with General Sherman to the Sea, and served at the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Atlanta.     The Spencer Kimbell House was almost "a twin" house to the Martin Kimbell Jr. House--his brother's house, located a block to the south and built in about 1897 at 2544 North Kimball/Kimbell Avenue (pictured above in about 1900). Decades before annexation into Chicago, the old "Kimbell Farm" included a number Kimbell and Smalley-Kimbell Family Houses on this two block section of Kimball Avenue, named in honor of the family, despite the variance in the spelling of Kimbell/Kimball. These grand Queen Anne houses "on the prairie”, later to be developed into the Logan Square community, must have been quite a spectacular sight, prior to Wrightwood Avenue being extended and dividing the original Kimbell Farm’s parcels.   In decades past, the Spencer Kimbell house lost its wrap-around porch, the "witches hat” atop its corner bay and high rooflines, along with its original wood siding and a portion of its once expansive lands. In 1905, Spencer Kimbell commissioned architect C. Whitney Stevens, to design and construct a new brick mansion for his family at the southwest corner of Kimball and Wrightwood Avenues, which still stands today. This house is "orange-rated” in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey and Preservation Chicago has suggested this house and others nearby on the historic Kimbell Farm, be considered for Chicago Landmark Designation.    Preservation Chicago learned of the demolition permit on Thursday, December 27, 2018 and took immediate steps to contact a wide number of stakeholders including the Alderman, City of Chicago ’ historic Preservation Division, historic researchers and neighborhood groups. By the following morning, the wrecking crew had mobilized and the house was demolished by that evening. Ward Miler spoke to the owner who had decided to demolish to home to decrease the taxes on the property.

LOSS: Former Temple Judea Synagogue/ Lawndale Greater Missionary Baptist Church Demolished

Temple Judea Synagogue/ Lawndale Greater Missionary Baptist Church, 1227 S. Independence Boulevard, Photo Credit: Razel613 Flickr

Temple Judea was founded in 1914 and dedicated its synagogue at 1227 S. Independence Boulevard in 1917. This two-story yellow-brick structure was set back from the boulevard by a large courtyard. The building had brick ornament Stars of David, a pair of menorahs mounted on the limestone cornice, and stone Ten Commandments mounted above the two doorways.  The building was demolished in May 2018.    On June 24, 1954, the Chicago Tribune reported that the congregation sold its building to the Greater Progressive Baptist Church. The building later known as Lawndale Greater Missionary Baptist Church, in recent years had been cited for numerous code issues and had been in building court with structural issues tied to the rear walls which lead in part to the building’s demise.

LOSS: Agam Sculpture Vanishes from Michigan Avenue! (Chicago 7 2017)

“Communication X9” Sculpture, by Yaacov Agam, located at 150 N. Michigan Avenue, Photo Credit: Terence Faircloth /Flickr

Chicago is home to one of the world’s finest collections of 20th Century public art and sculpture. However, a number of important sculptures have recently vanished. These sculptures are an important part of Chicago’s artistic and cultural heritage, and their loss is profoundly embarrassing and a tragic blow to Chicago’s exceptional collection of public art. It damages Chicago's reputation as an international architectural and cultural capital, which is so important for drawing millions of tourists and their billions of tourist dollars to Chicago every year.   The Agam sculpture titled “Communication X9” was dedicated in 1983. This 43-foot tall sculpture by Israeli artist Yaacov Agam used colorful prismatic elements that appear to move as pedestrians walk past this bustling Michigan Avenue corner in front of the Stone Container/Crain Communications Building at 150 N. Michigan Avenue. This iconic sculpture was removed in August 2018. Like so many other monumental works of Chicago art, this sculpture will likely end up sold at auction.   According to a statement from property management CBRE to Crain’s Chicago Business, “the building is undergoing a significant renovation project that will change the character of the building in a way that is no longer compatible with the sculpture. We are taking great care to properly remove and store the sculpture with the hope that it can one day be enjoyed again in a setting that is in keeping with the spirit of the piece. While ownership may sell the piece, they also are entertaining the idea of donating it if they are able to identify an appropriate recipient.”   The monumental Henry Moore bronze, called “Large Internal-External Upright Form” that once dominated the lobby of Three First National, vanished during a lobby remodel and then resurfaced in 2016 when it sold at auction in London for millions. In March 2017, Alexander Calder’s “The Universe” kinetic sculpture was carted off to storage prior to a lobby renovation and its future is pending the outcome of a lawsuit regarding ownership. This highly whimsical kinetic sculpture in lobby of the Sears Tower was unveiled on the same day, October 25, 1974 as “Flamingo” in Federal Center. The grand-scale of Harry Bertoia’s “Sonambient” sound sculpture on the plaza of the Standard Oil/Aon Building with its soaring brass rods was lost when the plaza was redesigned in 1994 and most of the sculpture hauled off to storage. Five pieces of the sculpture were sold at auction in 2013 and a new round of plaza alterations jeopardize the few elements of the sculpture that remain.      There are other important Chicago sculptures in danger. There is concern regarding the future of the Marc Chagall’s “Four Seasons” mosaic at First National Bank/Chase Plaza, as credible sources report that Chase Plaza has been quietly marketed for sale as a buildable site with potential for a new high-rise development. Originally, intended to be viewed from the tall buildings surrounding the Plaza, the mosaic sunburst and rainbow stripes that once covered the top surface of Chagall’s masterpiece have already been lost.   Jean Dubuffet’s fiberglass sculpture “Monument with Standing Beast” has been located in the plaza in front of Helmut Jahn’s Thompson Center at 100 W. Randolph since 1984. While it reflects on the open space of the Thompson Center’s architecture, it is comprised of four massive forms which invite viewers to enter and walk through the sculpture. Former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has frequently called for the state-owned property to be sold for a super-tall new development which would endanger the future of the sculpture.

LOSS: Preservation Chicago’s “Spotlight on Demolition” of 1870’s Lake View Home Draws Television News Coverage.

702 West Wellington, Demolished March 2018. Photo Credit Google Street View

702 West Wellington Demolition News Coverage, Photo Credit Fox 32 News Chicago

The outrage, sadness and grief felt by many Lake View neighbors by the sudden demolition of the 1870’s era Italianate cottage at 702 W. Wellington Avenue was shared widely by Preservation Chicago’s “Spotlight on Demolition” which helped spread the news of this loss.    “Spotlight on Demolition” is an initiative intended to help bring more community and media attention to the frequent loss of historic single family homes in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Unlike large historic buildings such as the Chicago Tribune Tower or the Old Main Post Office, these small homes typically have no protection against demolition and often vanish “overnight” after being bought by a developer. The creation of new and expanded Chicago Landmark Districts would help to prevent these homes from being demolished.   The story of 702 W. Wellington Avenue was widely viewed through social media and was picked up by Fox 32 Chicago News which aired a two-minute story on the local newscast. During the newscast, Dane Placko interviewed Preservation Chicago’s Ward Miller and 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney.   Alderman Tunney voiced his efforts in cooperation with the City and community groups to create an East Lake View Historic Landmark District. Preservation Chicago applauds Alderman Tunney for his leadership in helping to protect historic Lake View homes and buildings from demolition. Preservation. Chicago also applauds Fox 32 Chicago News and Dane Placko for focusing on this important issue.   702 W. Wellington Avenue was built in the years immediately following Chicago’s Great Fire of 1871. Because certain minor historic elements of the home had been modified over its 140-year life, such as the addition of siding; it was passed over by the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS). As a result, it was not protected by the 90-Day Demolition Delay for orange-rated buildings identified by the CHRS. Preservation Chicago supports the periodic calls for the CHRS to be updated, or for buildings of a certain age, perhaps built prior to 1890, to be automatically assigned a Demolition Delay

LOSS: “Spotlight on Demolition” 4636 N. Paulina Street, Ravenswood 168-172 N. Halsted Street, Fulton Market 1230 W. Jackson Boulevard, Near West Side La France Laundry, 2143 E. 75th St., South Shore 2716 W. Montrose, Ravenswood Manor 1730, 1732, & 1734 W. 18th Street, Pilsen 450 W. Belmont, Lake View  1144 W. 18th Street in Pilsen 1106 W. 18th Street, Pilsen 1042 S. Oakley Boulevard, Tri-Taylor 2446 W. Foster, Lincoln Square 2727 E. 76th Street, South Shore 2333 N. Mildred Avenue, Park West 3930 N. Greenview Avenue, Southport 2420 W. Iowa Street, Ukrainian Village 2120 N. Kenmore Street, Lincoln Park 1022 N. Honore Street, East Village

“It’s an old, common cry in a city where demolition and development are often spoken in the same breath, and where trying to save historic homes from the wrecking ball can feel as futile as trying to stop the snow. My Twitter feed teems with beautiful houses doomed to vanish in the time it takes to say ‘bulldozed’. Bungalows, two-flats, three-flats, greystones, workers’ cottages. The photos, posted by people who lament the death of Chicago’s tangible past, flit through my social media feed like a parade of the condemned en route to the guillotine”,   mused Mary Schmich in her Chicago Tribune column on July 12, 2018

4636 N. Paulina Street, Demolished May 2018 Photo Credit: John Morris, Chicago Patterns

168-172 N. Halsted Street, Demolished July 2018 Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael from Twitter

1230 W. Jackson Boulevard, Demolished November 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

La France Laundry, 2143 E. 75th Street, Demolished October 2018 Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

2716 W. Montrose Avenue, Demolished November 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

1730, 1732, & 1734 W. 18th Street, Demolished November 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

450 W. Belmont, Lake View Demolished. Will be replaced by 16-story tower Photo Credit: Google Street View

1144 W. 18th Street in Pilsen, Built in the 1880's with Cast-Iron Storefront and Pressed Metal Cornice Orange-Rated in Chicago Historic Resources Survey. Demolished June 2018. Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael from Twitter

1106 W. 18th Street, Pilsen, Demolished September 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

1042 S. Oakley Boulevard, Tri-Taylor, Demolished August 2018 Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael from Twitter,

2446 W. Foster Avenue, Demolished November 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

2727 E. 76th Street, South Shore, Demolished October 2018 Photo Credit: Cook County Assessor Set for Chicago Fire Filming in 2015

2333 N. Mildred Avenue, Demolished November 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

3930 N. Greenview Avenue, Southport, Demolished November 2018 Photo Credit: Google Street View

Workers Cottage, 2420 W. Iowa Street , Demolished April 2018 Photo Credit: John Morris, Chicago Patterns

Workers Cottage, 2120 N. Kenmore Street , Demolished April 2018  Photo Credit: John Morris, Chicago Patterns

Workers Cottage, 1022 N. Honore Street,  Demolished April 2018 Photo Credit: John Morris, Chicago Patterns

THREATENED

THREATENED: Superior Street Rowhouses Receive 90 Day Reprieve from Demolition!

42, 44 & 46 East Superior Street Rowhouses, Photo Credit: Taylor Moore / Block Club Chicago

Preservation Chicago strongly opposes the demolition of these three, architecturally significant, orange-rated East Superior Street Rowhouses dating from the 1870’s and 1880’s. The adjacent seven-story Art Deco limestone building and historic four-story red brick Giordano’s building are also endangered. The three 1880’s-era rowhouses at 42 E. Superior Street (George A. Tripp House), 44 E. Superior Street and 46 E. Superior Street (Hennessey Houses) were added to the 90-Day Demolition Delay List on September 12, 2018.   With only days before the expiration of the 90-Demolition Delay, the Superior Street Rowhouses have been granted an additional 90 day extension until March 8, 2019. The extension of the demolition delay is difficult to achieve and requires the support of the alderman, the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development staff, and the consent of the owner/developer.     In early November 2018, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly took the important preliminary steps to formally request that the City Council downzone the Superior Street Rowhouses properties. Preservation Chicago applauds Alderman Reilly for his strong leadership and his proactive steps to protect these authentic, beautiful, and charming historic Chicago rowhouses from being bulldozed.   In addition to Alderman Reilly, Preservation Chicago wishes to recognize and applaud the Chicago Department of Planning and Development Landmarks Staff, our preservation partners, and the nearly 5,000 Chicagoans who signed the petition to support the protection of these architecturally significant Chicago rowhouses. Each component is essential for conducting an effective preservation effort that yields a positive outcome.     While the 90-Day Demolition Delay extension is a critically important and very positive step forward, the reprieve is temporary and the Superior Street Rowhouses remain very much imperiled. Preservation Chicago continues to proactively advocate for the creation of a Designated Chicago Landmark District that would protect the Superior Street Rowhouses and the few remaining original nineteenth century homes within the neighborhood that have survived until today.     Preservation Chicago is actively working with neighborhood organizations and other stakeholders to generate support for a Chicago Landmark District. Preservation Chicago researchers are hard at work discovering and assembling as much historic material as possible about these and the handful of other similar surviving buildings in the neighborhood.

THREATENED: Jackson Park and Midway Plaisance Threatened by Proposed Obama Presidential Center and South Shore Cultural Center Threatened by Proposed Golf Course (Chicago 7 2017 and 2018)

Jackson Park Woman's Garden,designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux with contributions by Alfred Caldwell. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

A Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2017 and again in 2018, Preservation Chicago has consistently advocated for the protection of Jackson Park, a world-class historic landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux with contributions by Alfred Caldwell. Preservation Chicago does NOT oppose the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) being built in Chicago, but for many important and valid reasons, strongly prefers the 20-acre private facility to be constructed in a location other than historic Jackson Park.   “Make no bones about it. The proposed plans…will backhoe and destroy almost 20 acres of this legacy park land,” said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation, said, warning of the dangerous precedent. “This green, leafy site will now be compromised…with three very large buildings, all on a concrete plaza, and a tall museum building which is over 200 feet tall. … No other presidential library is of this scale and magnitude.”   Miller urged the Obama Foundation and President Obama to consider “another nearby site in the heart of the community” rather than “sort of an extension of the University of Chicago into Jackson Park.” (Speilman, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/22/18)   The University of Chicago played a major role in the OPC process and was responsible for the initial proposals to locate the OPC on Chicago Park District lands including Jackson Park, Washington Park, or the South Shore Cultural Center. None of the University of Chicago proposals included an option to locate the OPC on land controlled or owned by the University of Chicago.    "Given this city’s rich and colorful history of graft, payola and insider dealing, Chicagoans are entitled to be enormously skeptical—and even maybe a tad bit cynical—when asked by our civic leaders to take certain things on faith," according to the Crain's Chicago Business Editorial Board on August 2, 2018. "But there’s another reason to wonder about the site selection: The University of Chicago-backed Jackson Park deal may not have been cut in the kind of smoke-filled backroom Chicago is notorious for, but it might as well have been. The public disclosures by the Emanuel administration, the Obama Foundation and the U of C have been about as transparent as cigar smoke." (Crain's Editorial Board, 8/2/18)   The University of Chicago and the Obama Foundation considered these proposals to be highly confidential and, despite many requests, had never shared them publicly. This all changed recently when as part of the ongoing federal lawsuit, the Judge John Robert Blakely indicated that he would open a discovery phase in which documents could be subpoenaed. The original proposals were released and made available to the public just prior to the court date. We still await the release of additional relevant documents.   The modest approach of the initial proposals has been completely rejected and reversed by the current project architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. The current proposal includes a massive, 235 foot-tall, stone monolith. Equivalent to a 23-story high-rise, the current proposal has been widely criticized. The earlier slightly shorter design was referred to by Blair Kamin as “an expanded version of a truncated obelisk. It's too heavy, too funereal, too Pharaonic, too pyramid-like." (Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 5/4/17)  Others have jokingly nicknamed it "Yertle the Turtle” tower. The architects responded to this criticism by making it…even taller! Even though senior administrators at the University of Chicago have been the strongest advocate for locating the OPC in Jackson Park and even though the University of Chicago is the organization that potentially has the most to gain by its construction there, the “University of Chicago faculty have also weighed in on the public land debate several times. In January, nearly 250 professors signed a letter calling for the Center to be built in a location other than Jackson Park. They argued that preserving public land in city spaces should be an imperative and that building the Center would compromise the vision of the park’s original architect, Frederick Law Olmstead.” (Albaharna, Chicago Maroon, 9/21/18)   "The letter also expressed support for a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA): a legally binding document that would hold the Foundation accountable to the communities bordering the park. CBA advocates are concerned that the presence of the Center would raise rent prices in the area, driving low-income residents out of the neighborhood. The Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition is a group of seven South Side activist organizations, including a group of University students. They demand that the Center employ local citizens and supports residents in danger of displacement. The Coalition also outlines two dozen “development principles”: goals to improve everything from education to nearby public transportation." (Albaharna, Chicago Maroon, 9/21/18)   In early August 2018, the City of Chicago and Chicago Park District began cutting down mature trees in Jackson Park until they were forced to halt following a powerful Chicago Sun-Times editorial. Despite claims that the demolition was unrelated to the planned OPC, it was self-evident that the bulldozing of the groves of trees, lawns, ball fields, and track was the first phase in clearing space for the planned OPC. The timing of the demolition and the destruction of these public assets occurred prior to City Council approval, prior to the outcome of the federal review, and in the midst of an ongoing Federal lawsuit. The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board found the work to be highly contradictory to the Obama Foundation CEO’s pledge that ‘until the foundation has the permits, “there will be no trees removed or cut down” as promised to the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board on January 12, 2018. (Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times, 1/12/18)     Ironically, a week prior to the tree-cutting work in Jackson Park, the Obama Foundation announced the groundbreaking date for the Obama Presidential Center would be pushed back to 2019 and only after the conclusion of the federal review process.     The Obama Presidential Center has enjoyed strong political support from the Mayor’s office and has sailed through a series of Chicago City Council votes and City Council sub-committee votes. On October 31, 2018, the Chicago City Council passed a proposed Obama Presidential Center Ordinance. There was minimal dissent or questioning from City Council members, but many statements-- including by the Mayor--celebrating this “wonderful” accomplishment. These political statements largely avoided many of the unresolved unpleasant topics such as the onerous burden on taxpayers, the widespread displacement of local residents, the significant loss of public parkland, and the traffic problems resulting from road closures and realignments. The closure and removal of South Cornell Drive in the Jackson Park will result in expansion and widening of South Lake Shore Drive and Stony Island Avenue into the park resulting in the loss of parkland and massive tree cutting.   On September 20, 2018, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that approved the 99-year lease of 19.3 acres in Jackson Park for a total of $10. Jackson Park Watch co-founder Margaret Schmid said, “The idea of leasing invaluable, irreplaceable public parkland to a private entity for $10 for 99 years is astounding in this era when public lands and natural resources are under attack in so many places. Besides, Chicago’s finances are extremely precarious.” (Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times, 9/18/18)    Additionally, as part of this lease deal, the City agreed to reimburse the Obama Foundation for environmental testing of the development site. These testing costs were capped at $75k. However, in the final language of the approved Ordinance, the taxpayers of the City of Chicago and State of Illinois are now fully responsible and liable for ALL costs related to any environmental remediation costs required or resulting from the construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. This language includes no cap for the total cost. Estimated remediation costs are not yet available, but it can be expected that the final remediation costs for this “blank check” will likely be enormous.   The City of Chicago and State of Illinois have also agreed to cover the cost of $172 million in discretionary road changes in Jackson Park. The oft-repeated argument is that the ultimate cost burden will be borne by taxpayers - both state and federal. Additionally, any precious federal funds brought to Chicago should be used first for desperately needed road work and crumbling infrastructure elsewhere in city.   Ironically, in August 2018, the Chicago Tribune reported that according to the Obama Foundation’s first annual report, that it raised nearly $233 million in 2017 mostly from private donors. The amount of Foundation’s fundraising in 2018 remains unknown. In light of the incredible amount of fundraising dollars the Obama Foundation has generated, it is hard to understand why a budget-strapped city and state would be required to provide such a “sweetheart” lease deal for incredibly valuable public lands, and then to willingly subsidize a private entity with hundreds of millions of additional dollars.    Another important development is the ongoing federal lawsuit by a better government and parks advocacy group to block the Obama Presidential Center. On May 14, 2018, the nonprofit Protect Our Parks, Inc. filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court. In the complaint, they accuse the organizers for the Obama Presidential Center of pulling an “institutional bait and switch” by shifting away from an “official presidential library" overseen and paid for by the U.S. federal government and the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA).   “Although that original purpose of an official Presidential Library no longer exists,” reads the complaint, “the defendants continue to forge ahead to advance a totally different private nongovernmental project on public parkland.”   Furthermore, the suit claims that the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago don’t have the authority to transfer public parkland, that public land is “prohibited by law” from being turned over to a private entity for private use, and that such a deal violates Chicago Park District code.   Additionally, the complaint argues that the City of Chicago and Chicago Park District’s intention to lease the land in perpetuity for a nominal amount is a violation of state law and represents “a shell game" to “legitimize an illegal land grab.”

THREATENED: Demolition and Redevelopment Approved for Crawford Power Station

Crawford Station, Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Despite strong community objections, the Chicago Plan Commission and Chicago Zoning Commission voted to approve the proposed demolition and redevelopment for the Crawford Power Station in Little Village. Chicago City Council will now consider the proposal.   The enormous Crawford Station, the electrical-generating coal-fired power station that was considered an engineering wonder of the modern world after its completion in 1926, received a demolition permit on the first day of the 90-Day Demolition Delay hold. The site will likely be cleared to make way for the construction of a giant semi-trailer distribution cross dock facility.   The Crawford Station was designed by architects Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, the successor firm to D. H. Burnham & Company. The firms' commissions included many large scale and important buildings like Chicago’s Union Station, Soldier Field, The Field Museum, the Merchandise Mart (once the world’s largest building), Shedd Aquarium, and Chicago’s Main Post Office.   The Crawford Station innovative technology conquered the previously difficult task of employing steam engine turbine technology to create the world’s largest electrical generators. The massive electricity production allowed Chicago to grow and prosper at a magnitude not previously seen. The success of the Crawford Station was replicated around the world, but it all began in Chicago.    Engineering magazine in July of 1925, noted that “Probably no power station ever built has commanded greater interest during the period of its construction than has Crawford Avenue Station in Chicago”. The magazine made numerous references to the world power conference in London, England and the interest in Chicago’s new power plant.    The Crawford Station is composed of red-brick, stonework masonry, Modern Gothic forms and Renaissance-Revival detailing to create an eclectic mix of historic styles, now termed “Industrial Gothic.” The main Turbine Hall is a stately, massive red-brick building, resembling the front façade of a church or religious structure with its large flanking towers dominating the front facade. A mammoth three-story, arched window opening is divided with slender brick piers.     Preservation Chicago is not opposed to a redevelopment plan for the site, but strongly encourages the 1926 portion of the 72-acre campus to be adaptively reused in any redevelopment plan. The historic structures incorporate some of the existing equipment to tell a story of Chicago’s place on the world stage in the history of electricity and the production process.     This industrial reuse plan is tragically ironic, considering the extraordinary 12-year effort to close the Crawford Station to eliminate the toxic pollution it generated. This was led by a consortium of neighborhood activists and organization such as Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Delta Institute, Sierra Club Task Force, and community activists. The massive truck staging facility will generate high levels of exhaust and noise pollution, and will restrict an extensive stretch of river frontage to an industrial use as opposed to converting this valuable riverfront acreage to cultural uses. It is even more tragic as the North Branch of the Chicago River is being activated for a dynamic mix of park space, residential, offices and transit.

THREATENED: 2nd Christian Science Church Declines Purchase Offer from Major Chicago Foundation to Fully Restore and Convert to Lincoln Park Community Cultural Arts Center

Second Church of Christ, Scientist, by Solon S. Beman, 2700 N. Pine Grove Ave., Photo Credit Eric Allix Rogers

Located at 2700 N. Pine Grove in Lincoln Park, the Second Church of Christ, Scientist was designed by Solon S. Beman in 1899. Beman’s design was inspired by the Merchant Tailors building which he designed for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Built of Bedford limestone and granite, its glorious Beaux-Arts design includes a colonnade, triangular pediment and elaborates dental moldings. The interior is even more extraordinary with large theater space, with a multiple arches and an art glass dome.    The building’s future remains uncertain as the congregation listed the property for sale. The highest sale price would be generated from a residential real-estate developers with intentions to demolish the historic building and construct a high-rise residential tower.   In January 2018, Preservation Chicago and a well-established Chicago foundation presented a purchase offer to the board and listing agent that would include a payment to the congregation, $4 million to renovate the building and convert to a community cultural center for arts, lectures and presentations. The offer included the opportunity for the congregation to continue to hold services within the building. This offer was rejected. 43rd Ward Alderman Michele Smith took steps to make the zoning consistent across the multiple parcels by downzoning to R-5.   A building designed by Beman for the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Evanston is today being used as a state-of-the-art, 550-seat performance space of the Evanston-based Music Institute. The Evanston building has a similar design to the Chicago sanctuary and its reuse could serve as a blueprint for Lincoln Park. (Von Buol, Skyline, 4/4/18)   “The building is an amazing structure. Preservation Chicago even had discussions with members of the community. We [had been] hopeful for this amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Lincoln Park community and our City, with the recent directive of Mayor Rahm Emanuel to bring the arts and neighborhood cultural centers to the communities of Chicago. The mayor has gone on record saying he wants to extend the concept of downtown’s Chicago Cultural Center to the neighborhoods,” Miller said. (Von Buol, Skyline, 4/4/18)

THREATENED: Aon Building Facade Alterations Proposed

Aon Building/Standard Oil Building of Indiana/Amoco Building, by architect Edward Durell Stone with Perkins and Will in 1973, 200 East Randolph Street. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The Aon Building owners are proposing alterations to the topmost floors of the historic building located at 200 East Randolph Street while also adding an observation deck, exterior elevator, and a gondola-like ride. Originally known as the Standard Oil Building of Indiana and later the Amoco Building, it was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone with Perkins and Will and holds an important place in the Chicago skyline. When it was completed in 1973, it was the tallest building in Chicago and the fourth-tallest in the world.   The proposed highly visible exterior elevator addition will protrude from the corner of the building and project above the roofline, thus changing the iconic look and feel of this building and impacting the overall shape of this remarkable structure. The plan also calls for the removal of exterior steel columns and granite cladding above the 82nd floor to open up the space for an observation deck, forever changing its iconic appearance. The addition of a two-story exterior elevator, and a gondola-like ride that would sit atop of the building, will introduce an “amusement-park ride” component to one of Chicago’s most significant buildings.   Architect Edward Durell Stone's vast work is well respected by art and architectural historians alike around the world and in numerous publications and the Standard Oil Building/Aon Center is perhaps the best building of his career. The City of Chicago is considered to be one of the great "architectural capitals" of American 19 th- and 20 th -Century building design, and we need to make every effort to preserve great works of architecture. With every insensitive remodeling, the original design intent of these buildings are compromised and diminished, resulting in a negative impact to the overall building’s design integrity.    The proposal for an exterior passenger elevator mounted to one of the corners of the building will negatively and adversely impact the design of Chicago’s third-tallest building, (following Willis Tower and Trump Tower). It could be a significant enough exterior change to prevent the building from ever being considered for a Chicago Landmark Designation, or ever being considered for national recognition. To allow such design changes to the exterior of the building could become an embarrassment for Chicago. Additionally, the observation deck elevator could use one of the existing 40 interior elevators and observation deck could be built on the roof to create the use while minimizing impact to the historic building. Developer 601W has agreed to consent to a Chicago Landmark Designation for Aon Building at the request of 42 nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly if the building meets Chicago Landmarks Criteria. Preservation Chicago believes that the building meets four of the seven criteria. Two criteria are required for Chicago Landmark Designation.

THREATENED: From Parkway Boulevard to Interstate Highway; Massive Changes Considered for North Lake Shore Drive

Proposed Chicago Avenue Interchange, Rendering Credit: North Lake Shore Drive Project

Since first established over 80 years ago as a parkway boulevard along Chicago’s lakefront, planners have struggled to strike a balance between increasing traffic volumes and preserving the character and feel of this legendary, scenic roadway. While Lake Shore Drive has been updated and improved throughout the decades, the City of Chicago has always voiced an interest in remaining sensitive to the character of the historic boulevard parkway along the route.   The current proposal from the Chicago Department of Transportation represents a radical departure from the past and would completely overhaul North Lake Shore Drive from Navy Pier to its northern terminus at Hollywood Avenue. The estimated $2 billion to $3 billion overhaul is being referred to as “Redefine the Drive.” While still in the early planning phases, one primary objective would be to bring North Lake Shore Drive up to current highway grade standards.    The proposed work includes the potential to widen Lake Shore Drive from its current four lanes in each direction to five in each direction. For comparison sake, the Eisenhower Expressway is primarily three or four lanes in each direction with the CTA running in the median.    Many of the plans to date include removing these bridges and sinking Lake Shore Drive into a deep trench or tunnel, significantly below lake levels at various locations between Navy Pier and Foster. To avoid flooding, these new sub-surface roadways will be controlled by pumps, which will remove the water following both rainstorms and flooding. However, we all know that systems break down and these recessed roadways will also be susceptible to flooding over time. After all, it’s usually flooding at the Oak Street and Michigan Avenue tunnel to the Outer Drive that hampers traffic and shuts down after heavy rains and high waves from Lake Michigan. In a time of rising sea and lake levels, sinking an essential arterial roadway into a trench below the adjacent lake level is risky. The current occasional heavy storms that cause flooding on Lake Shore Drive are inconvenient and scary, but if the roadway were to be sunken into a trench below grade, flash floods caused by these storms could prove catastrophic.   The North Lake Shore Drive “improvement” proposal calls for all of the historic Art Deco bridges and spans at North Avenue, Fullerton, Belmont, Montrose and continuing up Lake Shore Drive to be completely destroyed. We agree that due to profound neglect and consistent failure to provide routine maintenance, many of these historic bridges are suffering from decades of deferred maintained. However, these bridges and their unique historic design features can and should be repaired and restored with appropriate ornament, rails and light standards, much like the repairs to the historic bridge at 47th and South Lake Shore Drive.  The cost to maintain these historic structures is a fraction of the cost for new construction.   These proposed plans would add more pavement, more lanes for cars and more traffic, removing many of the wonderful sight-lines, vistas, lookouts, hills, bridges, special features, some old growth trees and the enjoyment one currently experiences on North Lake Shore Drive. It will turn this very special street and boulevard into another version of the Eisenhower Expressway and take away many of the beautiful aspects of experiencing the park and Lakefront shoreline in a vehicle, which is important to both residents and visitors alike.    Why must we rethink a pastoral Lakefront boulevard which is currently an amazing place to enjoy and experience? Let’s reconstruct what we have as required, repair the historic bridges, and encourage a calming of traffic, rather than add dedicated bus lanes, extra on-off-lanes and introduce highway standards to Lake Shore Drive. To add more capacity has often shown to further add additional cars and traffic, often leading to more delays, and greater bottlenecks at just past the off-ramps. Let’s instead try to rebuild the features which are in need of repair and protect one of Chicago’s most picturesque boulevards.

THREATENED: Fulton Market Block Endangered

Loft Buildings Targeted for Demolition at 810 W. Fulton Market, adjacent to the Fulton Market District Gateway Sign, Photo Credit: Ward Miller

The historic integrity and character of the Fulton Market District gateway is threatened by an 18-story glass-and-steel office building proposed for the entire block bounded by Fulton, Halsted, Wayman and Green streets. This property is immediately to the north of the neighborhood’s distinctive gateway signage near the corner of Halsted and Fulton. The current development plan proposes to demolish all of the existing buildings. The development proposal by New York developer Thor Equities envisions an approximately 400,000-square-foot, 18-story glass-and-steel office building to be designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). To proceed, a significant upzoning from C2-5 to DX-7 will be required to accommodate the large new building.   Erin Bowler, a longtime resident of 720 W. Fulton Building stated that “maintaining the historic character [of the Fulton Market District] benefits not just us and the neighborhood, but the whole city and the district itself."   Preservation Chicago strongly encourages Thor Equities and SOM to save the historic loft building facades of 810 W. Fulton Market and 300 N. Green Street and incorporate them into the base of any proposed new construction projects. These four-story, red brick, loft buildings are characteristic of the Fulton Market District and would provide the appropriate scale and material for the streetscape. It’s even more important that these building facades be reused because they serve as the gateway buildings to the entire Fulton Market District. Ironically, these gateway buildings were not included within the boundaries of the Fulton-Randolph Market Landmark District.   Furthermore, Thor Equites has specific experience with façade adaptive reuse at their project under construction a couple blocks away at 905 West Fulton Market. In this case, the facades were in much worse condition than those at 810 W. Fulton Market, yet they are being successfully incorporated into the new development and provide a sense of character and authenticity to the new construction. Preservation Chicago strongly urges the Thor Equities and SOM to pursue this direction.

THREATENED: Inappropriate Modifications Threaten Lawrence Avenue Sears Store (Chicago 7 2016)

Current Proposal for Lawrence Avenue Sears Store. Rendering Credit: Springbank Capital Advisors

Façade treatments proposed by a developer will compromise the historic integrity of the shuttered Sears Store at 1900 W. Lawrence. A 2016 Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered Building, the shuttered Sears Store at 1900 W. Lawrence Avenue was the first Sears, Roebuck & Company retail store to be built from the ground up as a commercial department store. It is an outstanding building with great prospects for preservation-sensitive redevelopment.    The building was purchased from Sears Holdings and is being redeveloped by Springbank Capital Advisors. The proposed $40 million redevelopment plan includes an adaptive reuse of the existing structure and plans to deliver 59 apartments, 42 parking places, and 20,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space.    Preservation Chicago’s primary concern is with regard to the façade treatment. The original building façade had large and expansive windows and we would strongly support the reinstallation of windows of a similar size to the original design. Additionally, we oppose changing the original exterior colors.    Preservation Chicago hopes that the developer will reconsider some façade treatment elements. Earlier renderings indicated a solution that was more sensitive to the building’s original design with deeper setbacks and fewer additional floors. The developer has responded to some community concerns voiced at public meetings to address parking and traffic flow considerations.

THREATENED: Fulton Market Grain Silos and Historic Loft Buildings Sold for Development

ADM Wheat Mill, 1300 West Carroll Avenue, Photo Credit: Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

Once a gritty and hardworking meatpacking district, the Fulton Market neighborhood has become a trendy with significant reinvestment and the opening of many new bars, restaurants, residences and offices. Thanks in large part to the highly successful Fulton-Randolph Market Landmark District, approved by Chicago City Council in 2015, many of the protected historic buildings are being renovated. However, many unprotected historic buildings in the West Loop beyond the Landmark District boundaries are threatened with demolition.   Shortly after Archer Daniels Midland announced plans to close the historic wheat plant in June 2017, a demolition permit was released for the full block site. This is an amazing series of buildings which should be creatively reused for an innovative development. Designed by architect William Carbys Zimmerman, the plant was built in 1897 for B.A. Eckhart Milling /Eckhart & Swan Co and has been in operation since that time. Located at 1300 West Carroll Avenue in the Fulton Market District, it has been reported to be Chicago’s last active grain elevator.     In the 1850’s, Chicago was the grain capital of the world. The mill and silo buildings are a direct connection to Chicago’s wheat industry, one of the major industries upon which Chicago was built. As poet Carl Sandburg wrote in his legendary poem “Chicago”,   Hog Butcher for the World,   Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,  Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler;  Stormy, husky, brawling,  City of the Big Shoulders.   Preservation Chicago considers new construction, adaptive reuse, and the addition of a new rail station at the site to be mutually beneficial. We encourage Sterling Bay to pursue a creative adaptive reuse development that could recognize and celebrate this interesting building and the Chicago history it represents. This is an excellent opportunity to reuse these historic buildings in the proposed new station. The building is green-rated per the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS) which indicates that it was an important building in the Illinois Historic Structures Survey (ISS) in the 1970’s. Its inclusion in both the CHRS and the ISS confirms its architectural significance. Preservation Chicago plans to suggest to the City of Chicago that these structures be considered for Chicago Landmark designation.

THREATENED: Urgent Action Needed to Protect 70 Historic Buildings Near Lincoln Yards Development Site

Horween Leather Company Building, originally Loescher Leather Tannery, 2015 N. Elston Avenue, Photo Credit Ward Miller

“While much of the former steel mills that make up Lincoln Yards have been razed, Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller said he obtained a list of 70 architecturally significant buildings along the North Branch Industrial Corridor that could be threatened by new development.” (Sudo, Bisnow Chicago, 7/19/18)   As massive changes are underway within this former industrial corridor, it’s essential that the City of Chicago quickly move to protect these 70 architecturally significant buildings along the North Branch Industrial Corridor. They need to be preserved in order to maintain a connection to the corridor’s history, to insure quality of life issues, and to promote healthy communities. Preservation Chicago is actively working with community organizations and is an official member of the North Branch Park Preserve Coalition.     Already, we’ve seen the rapid sale and demolition of architecturally significant industrial buildings in the area, including the prairie school industrial building located at 1401 W. Wabansia Street, (also known as 1666 N. Ada Street) which was sold on February 21, 2018. Despite being a well-regarded and highly wedding venue, the building was bought for the underlying land. The demolition permit was released on March 27, 2018 and the building was demolished on April 4, 2018.   Many of these 70 identified buildings are in fact very important industrial buildings, designed by noteworthy architectural firms and individuals. These include; Adler & Sullivan Architects and Louis Sullivan structures at 1440 N. Kingsbury Street Complex/Carbit Paints, originally constructed as the Euston & Company Linseed Oil Plant in 1899 and the Chicago Linoleum Company Plant in 1903 as the plant of the Carbit Paint Company; at 2013 N. Elston/Horween Complex, originally the Herman Loescher Leather Tannery, now the Horween Leather Company complex. The architect of Horween needs to be definitively confirmed, but in past research the taller structure, with a decorative cornice and angled facade elevation appears to be connected to Adler & Sullivan.     Preservation Chicago encourages Chicago Department of Planning and Development Historic Preservation Division to designate some of these buildings as Chicago Landmarks as part of these on-going discussions and agreements for Lincoln Yards/North Branch Corridor area, in tandem with open space and parklands.  A thematic Chicago Landmark “Tannery District” of buildings and another protected district tied to beer brewing and manufacturing could protect many of these significant buildings. However, the steps must be taken as quickly as possible, as one of the historic buildings identified on the list, 1666 N. Ada, has already been demolished.

THREATENED: Redevelopment for Washington Park National Bank Building

Washington Park National Bank Building, 6300 South Cottage Grove, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Located at 6300 S. Cottage Grove, the Washington Park National Bank Building was constructed in 1924 by architect Albert Schwartz. The building’s elegant Bedford Indiana limestone façade includes Corinthian pilasters, a projecting cornice and decorative parapet, The historic Washington Park National Bank name is chiseled into the limestone entablature. Unfortunately, the Washington Park National Bank Building has no Landmark protection against demolition.   Under the leadership of Executive Director Rob Rose, the Cook County Land Bank Authority partnered with Metropolitan Planning Council to facilitate a three-part, community-led redevelopment process of the Washington Park National Bank Building to generate community input into how the building should be repurposed. The Cook County Land Bank Authority released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek developers to explore redevelopment proposals for the Washington Park National Bank. The deadline to submit a proposal was October 31, 2018. No decision had yet been announced.   Preservation Chicago applauds the Cook County Land Bank Authority and Metropolitan Planning Council for coordinating and facilitating the workshop and RFP process to catalyze the redevelopment of this historic building. The Washington Park National Bank Building is an important neighborhood anchor on a commercial corridor that has seen the tragic loss of many important building. It is it essential for the long-term reinvestment and prosperity of this commercial district that this historic building be preserved and redeveloped.

THREATENED: Avalon Regal Theater Requires Support to Reopen

Avalon Regal Theater Lobby, 1645 E. 79th Street, by John Eberson, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The Avalon Regal Theater is one of Chicago’s most extraordinary theaters with exuberant ornament on par with the Uptown Theatre, the Congress Theater, the Oriental Theatre, and the Chicago Theater. The Avalon Regal Theater is the last of the great theaters standing on Chicago’s South Side. Despite being in remarkably good condition, the building has been tied up in building court and mostly dormant since 2010. Jerald Gary, the current owner, has been making progress towards reopening the theater. His plans were given a boost when superstar rapper Kanye West announced his interest in seeing the Avalon Regal Theater reopened and pledged his financial support to the effort. Originally from the South Side, West tweeted out to his 28 million followers, “We’re going to restore the Regal Theatre.”   The Moorish-style Avalon Theater was built in 1927 by movie palace architect John Eberson. Eberson specialized in the design of atmospheric theaters and used lavish ornament inspired by exotic locations to transport the imagination of theater-goers. His vision for the Avalon Theater was said to have been inspired by a Persian incense burner he found at an antique market in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The exuberant tiled lobby floor and ceiling resemble a Persian rug. The ornate lobby mosaics were designed by architect Charles Morgan, who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on his Chicago projects. The walls and balconies are exquisite with their colorful ornament and arched opening. The 2,500 seat theater auditorium was designed to resemble the buildings of outdoor Moroccan market bazaar with a simulated night sky complete with twinkling star lights. The Avalon Regal Theater was designated a Chicago Landmark on June 17, 1992.   For over a decade, Preservation Chicago has helped to support and advocate for a reopening of the building. We are hopeful that with the right support the Avalon Regal Theater will reopen soon. It’s an incredible Chicago Landmark and could prove to be a hub for performing arts and a powerful economic catalyst for the South Shore neighborhood. We applaud the commitment and efforts of Jerald Gary and hope that Kanye West or other prominent musicians uses their star power and financial resources to support the Avalon Regal Theater.     Using the model of 46th Ward Alderman James Capplemen who lobbied hard for many years before successfully securing significant city funding to help restore the Uptown Theatre, we strongly encourage 8th Ward Alderman Michelle Harris and Commissioner David Reifman to do everything within their power to help secure city funding to support the Avalon Regal Theater.

THREATENED: Pilgrim Baptist Gospel Museum Gaining Momentum But Challenges Remain

National Museum of Gospel Music, Pilgrim Baptist Church/K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Temple, Adler and Sullivan, 3301 S. Indiana Avenue, Rendering Credit: Wight & Company

In December 2017 plans were announced to build the nation’s first major gospel museum within the exterior limestone walls of the historically significant Adler and Sullivan-designed, Designated Chicago Landmark Pilgrim Baptist Church/K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Temple at 3301 S. Indiana Avenue. This is a wonderful plan to reuse the building devastated by a 2006 fire, but significant funds must be raised before it can move forward.   Led by Don Jackson, the successful businessman and founder of the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, organizers of the National Museum of Gospel Music hosted a gospel music benefit concert in Chicago on September 27, 2018. Pilgrim Baptist was known as the birthplace of gospel music due to the leadership of long-time music director, Thomas Dorsey, known as the Father of Gospel. Mahalia Jackson, the “Queen of Gospel” made her professional debut at Pilgrim Baptist Church in 1928. Gospel legends that performed at the church include Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Albertina Walker, Sallie Martin and James Cleveland.     The architect of the proposed National Museum of Gospel Music is the internationally renowned Dirk Lohan of Wight & Company. The projected cost for the museum is approximately $40 million. The project rendering shows a 45,000-square-foot building that restores the 127-year old limestone walls with a glassy rooftop addition. Preservation Chicago strongly supports the project, but would prefer to see a roofline more similar to the original Adler and Sullivan designed. The Adler and Sullivan design was renowned for its outstanding acoustics, and we believe that a similar roof design and volume will make it easier to achieve optimal acoustics in the renovated building.

THREATENED: Demolition Threat for Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church

Grand Dinning Room, Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, by George W. Maher in 1925, Photo Credit: Jason Marck / WBEZ

The historic Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church located at 1925 W. Thome Avenue behind Emmerson Park in West Ridge is threatened with demolition. The 3.5 acre site was recently sold for $7.5 million to Misericordia Homes which plans to demolish the historic building and construct a residential building to accommodate individuals with developmental disabilities.   Designed by Chicago architect George W. Maher in 1925, the Tudor-Revival Chicago Town and Tennis Club overlooked 16 tennis courts and extensive gardens. The building is orange-rated in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS). The tennis club closed and later became an Elks Club before becoming Unity Church. The building was carefully restored by Vinci-Hamp Architects for Unity Church, which converted the club dining room into its sanctuary. Other rooms were converted into an art gallery and a social hall. The building has retained much of its original stained glass, tile, and plasterwork. On the exterior of the building, original stone carvings depicting a pair of tennis rackets can be seen.  Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago, has been urging Misericordia and 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O’Connor to preserve the historic orange-rated building for reuse as a community center and dining hall. Because the historic building takes up only a small percentage of the expansive 3.5 acre site, Preservation Chicago encourages Misericordia to construct their new residential building elsewhere on the site.

THREATENED: Temptation Chocolates Building Demolition Delay Extended

Temptation Chocolates Building Storefront, 1929 S. Halsted Street, Photo Credit: Google Street View

The Temptation Chocolates Building was added to the 90-Day Demolition Delay list on December 1, 2017 requesting “removal of existing terra cotta cladding and replacement of windows.” After initial advocacy work and to allow time for an engineering analysis of the building’s historic terra cotta to be completed, the Alderman’s office, city officials and owner, Aberdeen Development, by mutual agreement, extended the demolition permit an additional 90 days to June 8, 2018. Negotiations are ongoing between city officials and the developer.   The engineering report confirmed that some repair work is required for the historic terra cotta façade but was largely focused on the upper floor roofline and ground floor storefronts and could be characterized as reasonable maintenance of a 100-year-old façade. The complete demolition of the historic façade and replacement by a contemporary curtain wall is not required.   Despite city officials’ interest in seeing the building protected, Preservation Chicago is concerned that the building remains in jeopardy. We strongly urge 11th Ward Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson and the City of Chicago Landmarks Division to take steps to protect this important orange-rated building and ultimately to consider Landmark designation.   It is a six-story office and retail building with an outstanding white terra cotta façade and decorative neo-gothic ornamentation. The original Temptation Chocolates sign, detailed cornice, and historic sconces add delightful detail to the building at street level.  Located at the corner of Halsted Street and 19th Street in Pilsen, the Temptation Chocolates Building is one of the tallest buildings in the vicinity and significantly contributes to the wonderful collection of historic buildings that makes this stretch of Halsted Street so visually compelling and so attractive to creative tenants and art institutions.    Chicago was once the Candy Capital of the Nation. The strong connection to this important Chicago industry and the beautiful architecture make this building and district an outstanding candidate for a Chicago Landmark Designation.

THREATENED: Wayman AME Church Sold for New Development

Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church, 509 W. Elm Street, Photo Credit Google Street View

After receiving multiple offers on the same day it was listed for sale, the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church and its 2.72-acre property has been sold. The listing agent told Dennis Rodkin of Crain’s Chicago Business that “demolishing the church is a near certainty. The value is all in the land. That the life of this building is gone," and that "there's no sense in even trying to repair it" for a conversion to residential units or another use.” (Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 6/25/18)   Preservation Chicago respectfully disagrees. Originally known as the First Swedish Baptist Church when completed in 1889, it was located in a dense Swedish neighborhood called Swedetown. Since 1920, the red-brick, Romanesque church building at 509 W. Elm St. has been home to the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal congregation. Essentially surrounded by the public housing Cabrini-Green high-rises, it served as a “spiritual haven” for the African-American community for nearly a century.   Preservation Chicago considers the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church/First Swedish Baptist Church an important historic church building that should be protected and adaptively reused. This building is an excellent example of the Romanesque Church construction and despite some deferred maintenance is in surprisingly good and stable condition. The historic buildings from the Cabrini-Green neighborhood have almost all been demolished, so this is one of the last standing survivors and must be protected.  Wayman AME Church is orange-rated in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, so a demolition permit would trigger a 90-Day Demolition Delay.     Additionally, the church building is located in one small corner of an otherwise large vacant lot. The church building occupies approximately 1/20th of the site, or 0.14 acres of the total 2.72-acre lot, so the developer could easily build without the historic church building interfering.

THREATENED: Potential Insensitive Redevelopment of Jefferson Park Firehouse

Jefferson Park Firehouse, 4835 N. Lipps Avenue, Historic Photo Credit: Northwest Chicago Historical Society

After sitting vacant for five years, an adaptive reuse is planned for the Jefferson Park Firehouse. Located at 4835 N. Lipps Avenue at the corner of Ainslie Street, this is one of the city’s oldest surviving firehouse buildings. Built in 1906, the two-story brick building had elegant Beaux-Arts detailing including strong horizontal base elements, a decorative cornice and a projecting triangular pediment. The cornice detail and pediment has been lost, but rebuilding it as close to the original design should be part of any redevelopment plan.   If the required zoning change is approved, Ambrosia Homes plans to purchase the building from the City of Chicago and convert it to a micro-brewery with apartments above. The project is estimated to cost $2.4 million. Two new floors would be added to the structure and the upper three floors would become nine rental apartments. The ground floor would be occupied as a second location by Lake Effect Brewing Company. Lake Effect Brewing has become a popular neighborhood fixture since opening at 4727 W. Montrose in 2011.    Preservation Chicago and the Northwest Chicago Historical Society support the adaptive reuse of this early Chicago firehouse, but strongly urge 45 th Ward Alderman John Arena to encourage the development team take greater care to respect the integrity of the historic building and to return lost historic elements to the building.

THREATENED: Tidal Wave of Historic Catholic Church Closings/Consolidations Coming

Preservation Chicago has been working for years to prevent the loss of significant church buildings such as Shrine of Christ the King, St. James, St. Adalbert, St. Boniface, St. Lawrence, and many others. We have enjoyed some remarkable successes and some tough loses. Preservation initiatives, such as the lawsuit to prevent the demolition of St. James which was litigated in Latin at the Vatican but ultimately failed to save the church, have encouraged the Archdiocese of Chicago to consider reuse ideas before costly, multi-million dollar demolition of these structures.   It now appears that these isolated church closings were the tip of the iceberg and that a tidal wave of church closings is coming. One initial estimate is that approximately 75 Catholic churches will be closed or consolidated over the next 10 years. Many of the churches targeted first for closure are the oldest and largest buildings due to their higher operating costs and not surprisingly, this includes many of Chicago’s most extraordinary churches. Due to the 1987 amendment introduced by then Alderman Burt Natarus, only a handful of Chicago churches are designated Chicago Landmarks. The following churches have been added to our rapidly growing Preservation Chicago Endangered Church Watch List: St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 8237 S. South Shore Drive, South Shore, William J. Brinkmann, 1909 All Saints - St. Anthony Catholic Church, 518 West 28th Place, Bridgeport, Henry J. Schlacks, 1913  St. Ita Catholic Church, 5500 N. Broadway, Edgewater, Henry J. Schlacks, 1924-1927 St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4200 N. Sheridan Road, Uptown, Henry J. Schlacks, 1917  St. Barbara Catholic Church, 2859 S. Throop Street, Bridgeport, Worthmann & Steinbach, 1914 St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 600 W. 45th Street, Canaryville, Burnham & Root, 1888 St. Jerome Croatian Catholic Church, 2823 S. Princeton Avenue, Bridgeport, Christian O. Hansen, 1885 Santa Lucia-Santa Maria Incoronata, 3022 S. Wells Street, Bridgeport, Ray Basso, 1961 St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church and School, 218 W. Alexander Street, Bridgeport, William F. Gubbins, 1904 St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church, 4827 N. Kenmore Avenue, Uptown, Joseph W. McCarthy, 1917 St. Mary of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1039 W. 32nd Street, Bridgeport, Henry Engelbert, 1889 Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 653 W. 37th Street, Bridgeport, Patrick C. Keeley, 1885 St. Stanislaus Kosta Catholic Church, 1327 N. Noble Street, West Town, Patrick C. Keeley, 1877-1881 St. Adalbert Catholic Church, 1650 W. 17th Street, Pilsen, Henry J. Schlacks, 1914

St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church 1650 W. 17th Street, Photo Credit: Leroyesha Lane/ Block Club Chicago

St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 600 W. 45th Street , Canaryville, Burnham & Root, 1888, Photo Credit: Lynn Becker

St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 8237 S. South Shore Drive, South Shore/South Chicago/The Bush, William J. Brinkmann, 1909, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

St. Mary of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1039 W. 32nd Street, Bridgeport, Henry Engelbert, 1889 Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4200 N. Sheridan Road, Uptown, Henry J. Schlacks, 1917, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

St. Ita Catholic Church, 5500 N. Broadway, Edgewater, Henry J. Schlacks, 1924-1927, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church (Parish of Daley Family) , 653 W. 37th Street, Bridgeport, Patrick C. Keeley, 1876-1885, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

St. Barbara Catholic Church, 2859 S. Throop Street, Bridgeport, Worthmann & Steinbach, 1914, Photo Credit: St. Barbara Catholic Church

All Saints - St. Anthony Catholic Church, 518 West 28th Place, Bridgeport, Henry J. Schlacks, Photo Credit: All Saints - St. Anthony Catholic Church

THREATENED: Oriental Theatre Blade Sign Marquee To Be Scrapped

Oriental Theatre Sign, 24 W. Randolph Street, Rapp and Rapp. Photo Credit: Heather Stone / Chicago Tribune

The Oriental Theatre opened on May 8, 1926 and has been an anchor in Chicago’s Theater District ever since. Located at 24 W. Randolph Street, the Balaban & Katz picture palace and live theater was opened with great fanfare one year after they opened the Uptown Theatre. The exuberant ornament of the Oriental Theatre interior was inspired by Indo-Chinese influence. The exotic “Far East” décor was intended to transport visitors to a fantastic realm.  The incredible interior décor is described as “a virtual museum of Asian art, presented popular first-run motion pictures, complemented by lavish stage shows. Turbaned ushers led patrons from the lobby, with polychrome figures and large mosaics of an Indian prince and princess, through an inner foyer with elephant-throne chairs and multi-colored, glazed Buddhas, to the auditorium’s ‘hasheesh-dream décor’.” (BroadwayInChicago.com)   James L. Nederlander, president of the Nederlander Organization which owns the theater, has announced his intention to rename the Oriental Theatre in memory of his late father, James M. Nederlander. Preservation Chicago does not oppose the proposed name change for the historic theater, but encourages the Nederlander Organization to preserve the historic blade sign which has been a core visual element of the Randolph Theatre District for nearly a century. Perhaps the name change could be handled in a more historically sensitive way which could both honor the memory of James M. Nederlander and the building’s history by reworking the lower horizontal marquee and by changing out the current “Ford” lettering on the blade sign. Even when the theater was renamed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in 1997, the historic neon blade sign was maintained. Many of the great neon signs along Randolph Street have been lost over time and the reinstallation and restoration of the historic Oriental Theatre neon blade sign marked a significant step towards reactivating and re-illuminating the dynamism of Chicago’s Theater District.

THREATENED: Demolition Threat for John Nuveen House

John Nuveen House, 3916 N. Tripp Avenue, Historic Photo Credit: Ted Stipp Jr. and Evelyn Stipp Sullivan Collection, Irving Park Historical Society

The Nuveen House is a graceful, Queen Anne style house in the historic Old Irving Park community. Located at 3916 N. Tripp Avenue, it was built by John Nuveen as his primary residence in 1892. Nuveen founded The John Nuveen Company, a financial investment firm which became a major underwriter of municipal bonds around the turn of the 20th century. The firm became a primary source of capital for the public works projects undertaken by the country's cities, counties, and states. Accordingly, John Nuveen figured prominently in the massive effort to build the nation's infrastructure during the 20th century.   The John Nuveen House was recently purchased by a developer with plans to demolish the house and replace it with new construction. Preservation Chicago is working with Cathey Curley and leadership within the Old Irving Park community, along with 45 th  Ward Alderman John Arena and the City of Chicago to save this house from demolition. Ideally, the house would be sold to a preservation-oriented buyer and designated as a Chicago Landmark.

THREATENED: Timber Frame Lincoln Park Butcher Shop from 1892 Being Sold as Land!

Historic butcher's shop at 1800 N. Hudson Avenue circa 1892 threated with sale and demolition. Photo Credit: Redfin

“ Extremely rare opportunity to purchase one of East Lincoln Park's last developable corner lots . Quiet location with bright southern exposure along the length of the lot. RM-5 zoning allows for a 4 story building with 7000+ sf. Reduced south setback allows for additional width vs a mid-block lot. Brand new alley with permeable pavers just completed. Currently a 4 unit building with a 3 car garage generating $6,620 / month income. BROKER OWNED.”    A Brief History of The Schmidt Metzgerei, 1800 N. Hudson Avenue in Old Town With special thanks to Diane Gonzalez for her research and writing     “Homemade sausages and smoked meats are our specialty” read an advertisement for Schmidt’s Metzgerei in the Old Town Art Fair program from 1958. Schmidt’s Metzgerei is the circa 1892 butcher shop built in the classic German "fachwerk" style with timber framing at 1800 N. Hudson Avenue at the intersection with Menomonee and old Ogden Avenue. The "Schmidt's Mitzgerri" sign is still visible on the building's facade. This relic of Chicago's German history has survived for over 120 years, but it is now threatened with sale and demolition.

THREATENED: Charming Lincoln Park Home to be Cleared for Mega House

Historic brick home built in 1873, one of the oldest remaining in the neighborhood, at 1822 N. Howe Street, threatened with demolition. Photo credit: Dennis Rodkin

If developer Environs Development has its way, the 1873 home at 1822 N. Howe Street will be demolished to make way for a 15,500-square-foot mega house. Built two years after Chicago’s Great Fire, the Lincoln Park home is actually comprised of two brick structures. With close proximity, similar brick, and a similar roofline, they were later connected and renovated into a single home. This interesting home is approximately 5,400 square feet and includes five full bathrooms and two half baths.   Tear-down developers are often willing and able to outspend buyers looking to live in and restore historic homes. The triple wide Howe Street lot has 77 feet of street frontage and is 125 feet deep for a total of 9,625 square feet. This site is of particular interest to developers as it is over three times wider than a standard 25-foot lot. Because of the large lot size, the proposed development can be designed “as-of-right” within the permitted zoning envelope. If no zoning change is required, aldermanic approval is not required, and almost no oversight or planning tools are available to the alderman or community.   The location is just west of the boundaries of the highly sought after Old Town Triangle Landmark District, so the Landmark District provides no protections for this building. Additionally, developers know that properties in protected historic Landmark Districts are highly desirable and add value, so if they develop close to but just outside of those districts, they can benefit from the high-desirability without restrictions.   The building was not protected by any Landmark designation, and it was not included in the Chicago Historic Resource Survey (CHRS). Had it been orange-rated on the CHRS, it would have required a demolition delay. Downzoning historic properties so that the zoning more closely corresponds to the current existing building would help to encourage reuse of existing buildings and homes. An extension of the nearby Chicago Landmark District would have provided the greatest protection and oversight for historic homes like 1822 N. Howe Street.

SUPPORT

OPEN CALL FOR NOMINATIONS for Preservation Chicago's 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List

Ashland Sixty-Third Street Bank Building, 1536 W. 63rd Street, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Open call for nominations for Preservation Chicago's 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List.   Worried about a great historic building or home in your neighborhood...PLEASE let us know!   Must be… Historic In Danger In Chicago TOO SPECIAL TO LOSE! Email us at info@preservationchicago.com or through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or call us at 773-334-8800.

If You Value Preservation In Chicago... Please Support Preservation Chicago !

Demolition of Chicago Machinery Building, 1217 West Washington Boulevard, designed by D.H. Burnham & Company in 1910, Photo Credit: Ward Miller

Be Generous! Donate to Preservation Chicago to support our tireless advocacy! Spread the Word! Read and repost Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram posts!   Be Informed! Sign up to receive and read the Month-in-Review eNewsletter!   Be Heard! Attend community meetings and make your voice heard!   Be Counted! Take a moment to sign our online petitions!   THANK YOU! from your friends at Preservation Chicago Your financial support allows Preservation Chicago to advocate every day to protect historic buildings throughout Chicago. For a small non-profit, every dollar counts. Preservation Chicago is a 501c3 non-profit so your donation is tax-deductible as permitted by law. Donatng is fast, easy and directly helps the efforts to protect Chicago’s historic legacy.  www.PreservationChicago.org

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