2021 Year-in-Review Newsletter

The Miracle on Randolph Street James R. Thompson Center, 1985, Helmut Jahn, 100 W. Randolph Street. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky “Governor Pritzker has the opportunity, after years of neglect by his predecessors, to lead through the sale of the Thompson Center by giving it new life.  "Repurposing the building the right way could go beyond what the building ever was, making it better, more public, and a place where you want to work, stay overnight, live or just visit and feel good. "Miracles and dreams can become real.” --- Helmut Jahn during 2020 interview

Preservation Chicago: Love Your City Fiercely

Miracles DO happen... But today they are people-powered

Lake Street Schlitz Tied House / La Lucé 1393 W. Lake Street LANDMARKED!

James R. Thompson Center 100 W. Randolph Street TO BE RENOVATED!

Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley House 6427 S. St. Lawrence Ave LANDMARKED!

Muddy Waters House 4339 S. Lake Park Ave. LANDMARKED!

Seth Warner House 631 N. Central Avenue PRELIMINARY LANDMARK!

Ramova Theater 3520 S. Halsted St. TO BE RESTORED!

Laramie State Bank 5200 W. Chicago Ave. TO BE RESTORED!

Monastery of the Holy Cross 3111 S. Aberdeen St. LANDMARKED!

Preservation Chicago is there... every step of the journey.

Your support makes it all possible.

Preservation Chicago seeks to nurture and support healthy, vibrant, diverse, and sustainable communities by leveraging the power of Chicago’s historic built environment. The path is long and steep, but we are making real and tangible progress.   We are deeply grateful for your donations. Your support has allowed us to successfully convert ambitious strategic goals into on-the-ground realities. Our results have been surprising, significant and substantial.   Thanks to your support, we can continue to make Chicago a better city. Your donation will provide us with the resources to protect the city; building by building, district by district, neighborhood by neighborhood.   Preservation Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit so your donation is tax-deductible as permitted by law.  Thank you for your support. Thank you for Loving Chicago Fiercely.

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CHICAGO 7 2022 Nominations

Last Call for Nominations for Preservation Chicago's 2022 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List

Washington Park National Bank Building, 1924, Albert A. Schwartz, 6300 S. Cottage Grove. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Last call for nominations for Preservation Chicago's 2022 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List. Worried about a great vintage building or house in your neighborhood...Please let us know! We need your help to identify neglected or threatened buildings for consideration for Preservation Chicago's 2022 Chicago 7 Most Endangered List.  To be eligible it must be: 1. Vintage 2. In danger 3. In Chicago 4. Too special to lose! Tell us through social media, the website, call us at 312-443-1000 or email us info@preservationchicago.org. Mark your calendar! The 2022 Chicago 7 Most Endangered presentation will be held virtually on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at high noon. We hope you will join us for this free, virtual event. Register early to ensure a spot. More details to follow. Since 2003, the Chicago 7 Most Endangered has sounded the alarm on imminently threatened historic buildings and community assets in Chicago to mobilize the stakeholder support necessary to save them from demolition.

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WINS

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WIN: State of Illinois Chooses Renovation Over Demolition for the Thompson Center (Chicago 7 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2020)

James R. Thompson Center, 1985, Helmut Jahn, 100 W. Randolph Street. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky

Save the James R. Thompson Center Rally held June 23, 2021. James R. Thompson Center, 1985, Helmut Jahn, 100 W. Randolph Street. Photo Credit: Matthew Kaplan

NBC 5 Chicago interview with Ward Miller regarding the surprise announcement of the restoration plans for the James R. Thompson Center on December 16, 2021. Image Credit: NBC 5 Chicago Thompson Center survival is glad tidings, But about that atrium plan . . ., Deanna Isaacs, Chicago Reader, 12/22/21 State Enters Talks With Developer for Thompson Center Sale; Illinois officials have started negotiations with a development group to sell the James R. Thompson Center for $70 million up front, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday, Mary Ann Ahern, NBC 5 Chicago, 12/16/21 Ward Miller Interviewed on WBEZ Chicago, Pritzker saves the Thompson Center in $70 million deal; The Helmut Jahn-designed building will be converted into a mixed-use property with office, retail and hotel space, Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons, Nereida Moreno, WBEZ Chicago 91.5, 12/16/21 (15:36 min) Helmut Jahn: In A Flash (a 19 minute documentary)

POTENTIAL WIN: Lakeside Center Bid Emerges as a Front-Runner in Race for New Chicago Casino (Chicago 7 2016 & 2021)

An architect's rendering of the Rivers Casino proposal for McCormick Place. Rendering Credit: JAHN Chicago Tribune Op-ed: Turning McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center into a casino would be a win for Chicago "If a casino is coming to Chicago, then adapting Lakeside Center at McCormick Place for that use is the ideal choice. "Lakeside Center is architecturally ambitious, innovative and massive. It’s also underused and has an uncertain future. Preservation Chicago considered it a “most endangered” structure in 2016 — and again in 2021 as part of the Chicago lakefront category. "In 2019, an end-of-session legislative maneuver in Springfield attempted to raise $600 million in additional taxes to demolish and replace Lakeside Center. Fortunately for taxpayers and architecture aficionados, this effort failed. But the risk persists, and the loss of Lakeside Center would be tragic for Chicago. "Alternatively, the Rivers Chicago McCormick plan would fully renovate the historical building at no cost to taxpayers, contribute about $200 million annually in additional tax revenue to pay down pension debt, generate hundreds of well-paid union jobs and create a dynamic south lakefront entertainment district. "Chicago is a city of architectural innovation. This makes for great architecture tours and attracts visitors, but more importantly, massive buildings such as the old main post office, Sears Tower, Merchandise Mart and the old Cook County Hospital are powerful economic engines. "Completed in 1971, Lakeside Center at McCormick Place was designed by Gene Summers and Helmut Jahn while they were at the C.F. Murphy Associates architecture firm. Both were students of world-renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and they applied many of Mies’ studies and design principles to Lakeside Center — on an enormous scale. "The result was an architecturally innovative and monumental achievement for Chicago that helped reinforce Chicago’s title of “convention city,” by featuring the largest roof, the largest convention hall and the largest space-frame structure in the world. To provide scale, a football field is 1.3 acres. Lakeside Center’s rooftop is 19 acres. "Lakeside Center is on a par with other legendary superstructures of that period. However, unlike the vertically oriented Hancock Center and Sears Tower, Lakeside Center is essentially “a horizontal skyscraper.” "In true Chicago form, Lakeside Center could easily become the world’s largest casino. The WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, with 370,000 square feet of casino floor, is currently the largest. Lakeside Center has 583,000 square feet of exhibit space, leaving plenty of room for restaurants, bars, food halls, and concerts and cultural events, anchored by a fully renovated Arie Crown Theater. "The Arie Crown is one of the largest theaters in Chicago with seating for more than 4,200 people. Additionally, the Arie Crown has been well-maintained, with a significant 1997 renovation. "A dynamic adaptive reuse presents a wonderful opportunity to return this prominent lakefront building and a portion of the lakefront to use by Chicagoans and compensate for decades during which it has been reserved largely for out-of-town conventioneers. "Additionally, the Rivers Chicago McCormick plan would likely help boost McCormick Place’s ability to attract and retain major conventions, which Las Vegas has slowly eroded over the past few decades. "Cafes and restaurants located at the northeast corner of the Lakeside Center, along with its enormous terraces and rooftop, would all have panoramic views of the lake and lakefront, likely becoming a must-see destination for locals and tourists alike. These are some of the greatest views of the city skyline that most Chicagoans have never experienced. "If a casino is coming to Chicago, Preservation Chicago strongly supports the adaptive reuse of Lakeside Center for it. The plan offers a once-in-a-generation chance to create a dynamic south lakefront entertainment and cultural district — and a way to embrace our past and strengthen our future." (Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago's Op-ed in the Chicago Tribune) Op-ed: Turning McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center into a casino would be a win for Chicago, Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago, Chicago Tribune, 1/3/22

WIN: Within Hours of Demolition in December 2020, Lake Street Schlitz Tied House Achieves Permanent Protection Through Chicago Landmark Designation

Lake Street Schlitz Tied House / La Lucé Building, 1892, 1393-1399 W. Lake Street. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago After Being Spared From The Wrecking Ball, Victorian Building Formerly Home To La Luce Receives Landmark Status; Built in 1892 as a Schlitz brewing saloon and tied house, the Queen Anne Victorian building was La Luce’s home from 1989 until the restaurant closed in 2016, Justin Laurence and Mauricio Peña, Block Club Chicago, 7/21/21

WIN: After Years of Advocacy, Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Home Finally Designated a Chicago Landmark!

From Tragedy to Triumph: After yearslong effort, the childhood home of lynching victim Emmett Till and his mother is declared a Chicago Landmark just in time for Black History Month. January 28, 2021. Image Credit: Chicago Sun-Times Emmett Till childhood home now an official city landmark; The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House in West Woodlawn became an official Chicago landmark after an expedited City Council vote Wednesday. It culminates years-long efforts to landmark the home of the teen whose 1955 lynching sparked the Civil Rights Movement, Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, 1/27/21

WIN: Muddy Waters’ Kenwood Home Designated as a Chicago Landmark

Bluesman Muddy Waters and his home at 4339 S. Lake Park Avenue, built 1889. Photo Credit: Muddy Waters Mojo Museum City landmarks home of blues great Muddy Waters: The North Kenwood home where the musician lived when recording his biggest hits now carries official recognition of "who this man was and what he did," says his great-granddaughter, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 10/14/21

WIN: Approximately 33k Petition Signatures and a Round-the-Clock Advocacy Effort Defeats Proposed House Museum Ban Ordinance

Preservation Chicago Petition to Reject the Proposed House Museum Ban Ordinance with 32,677 signatures. Photo Credit: City of Chicago and Ward Miller Alderman’s bid to restrict ‘house museums’ draws outrage from emerging tourism sector; An ordinance introduced by Ald. Sophia King (4th) to restrict “house museums” in residential neighborhoods has drawn outrage from a small but passionate community of existing or planned operators of such museums — including projects honoring Black history icons Emmett Till, Phyllis Wheatley, Lu Palmer and Muddy Waters, Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, Mar 17, 2021

WIN: Final Landmark Recommendation for the Seth Warner House

Seth Warner House, 1869, 631 N. Central Ave. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer  Landmark Status a ‘Slam Dunk’ for Austin Neighborhood’s Oldest House, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 12/2/21 Oldest house in Austin up for Chicago landmark status; Seth Warner House on Central Avenue dates to 1869, Lacey Sikora, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park, 12/20/21

WIN: Perkins-Nordine House Landmarked

Perkins House / Nordine House, by Pond and Pond in 1902, 6106 N. Kenmore Ave. Photo Credit: Patrick Pyszka/City of Chicago  Edgewater’s Ken Nordine Mansion Made City Historical Landmark After Preservation Effort; The historical designation comes after the home was bought by a wealthy Chicago couple, saving it from the wrecking ball., Joe Ward & Justin Laurence, Block Club Chicago, 1/27/21

WIN: Landmark Status Approved for Cluster of Four Historic Buildings at Willow and Halsted

1730-1732 N. Halsted Street. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development These four Lincoln Park buildings could be landmarks soon; A city panel is considering a preliminary proposal to assign landmark status to historic properties at the corner of Halsted and Willow streets, Crain's Chicago Business, 12/3/20

WIN: Schlitz Tied House at 9401 S. Ewing Avenue Granted Landmark Status!

Schlitz Brewery-Tied House, 1907, architect Charles Thisslew, 9401 S. Ewing Avenue. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers East Side Schlitz Tied House Set To Become Landmark As Owners Prepare To Reopen Bar; Owners Mike Medina and Laura Coffey Medina plan to reopen the historic tavern as East Side Tap by mid-2021, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 6/11/21  Column: Let’s toast the architecture of Chicago’s beer buildings, even if this isn’t happy hour for some of them, Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 10/1/20

WIN: Morton Salt Redevelopment Receives Unanimous Support for Landmark Designation

Morton Salt Building Salt District, 1357 N. Elston Ave. Rendering Credit: Lammar Collaborative Morton Salt Factory Takes Another Step Toward Landmark Status; Developers turning the building into a music hall will keep the factory’s iconic sign, which shows a girl in a yellow rain jacket holding an umbrella, Hannah Alani, Block Club Chicago, 4/1/21

WIN: Landmarks Commission Recommends Landmark Designation for The Monastery of the Holy Cross!

Monastery of the Holy Cross/former Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1909, Herman J. Gaul, 3111 S. Aberdeen. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago Monastery of the Holy Cross Chicago Landmark Designation Report

WIN: Little Village Arch Receives Landmark Status

Little Village Arch, 1990, Adrian Lozano, 3100 W. 26th Street. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Beloved Little Village Arch Gets Preliminary Landmark Designation: ‘This Shines A Light On Our Community’; Built in 1990, the two-story structure features a tiled archway with two dome towers and a metal banner reading, 'Bienvenidos A Little Village.', Mauricio Peña, Block Club Chicago, 9/2/21

WIN: Pentecostal Church of Holiness, formerly Our Lady of Lourdes, Becomes Designated Chicago Landmark

Pentecostal Church of Holiness / formerly Our Lady of Lourdes, 1932, 4208 W. 15th Street, Louis Guenzel. Photo Credit: Google Maps West Side’s Pentecostal Church Of Holiness Is Now A Chicago Landmark, The landmark designation recognizes the cultural significance of the 90-year-old church and its historical architecture, Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago, 5/26/21

WIN: Pullman National Monument Celebrates Grand Opening

Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building, 1880, Solon S. Beman, 11057 S Cottage Grove Ave. Photo credit: Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building Historic Pullman Foundation Renovation of historic clocktower will help put Pullman — and Chicago’s far South Side — back on track; Pullman is enjoying success today because the historic places that make it special were preserved. That’s a lesson for the whole city, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 9/8/20

WIN: City of Chicago Awards $4.3 Million Adopt-a-Landmark Restoration Funds to 12 Designated Chicago Landmarks

Greenstone United Methodist Church, 1882, Solon Beman, 11211 S. St. Lawrence Avenue. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Greenstone United Methodist Church in the Pullman District, 11211 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Pullman — $1.08 million Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 4501 S. Vincennes Ave., Grand Boulevard — $900,000 Second Presbyterian Church, 1936 S. Michigan Ave., Near South Side — $250,000 Muddy Waters House, 4339 S. Lake Park Ave., Kenwood — $250,000 Gunnison Street Lofts in the Uptown Square District, 1215 W. Gunnison St., Uptown — $250,000 Stone Temple Baptist Church, 3622 W. Douglas Blvd., North Lawndale — $250,000 K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Temple, 5039 S. Greenwood Ave., Kenwood — $250,000 6901 S. Oglesby Cooperative Apartment Building, South Shore — $249,999 Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House, 6427 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Woodlawn — $249,541 Pentecostal Church of Holiness, 4208 W. 15th St., North Lawndale — $248,000 Former Schlitz Brewery-Tied House, 9401 S. Ewing Ave., East Side — 243,260 John J. Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Ave., Near South Side — $100,000  The owners of 12 Chicago landmarks could receive more than $4 million to help renovate their DPD to Recommend 12 Adopt-a-Landmark Grants Totaling $4.3 Million; Funding Would Support Planned Preservation Projects Citywide, City of Chicago Planning and Development, Historic Preservation Division, 11/22/21

WIN: 127-year-old Vautravers Building Moved 35 Feet Out of Path of New 'L' Tracks

WATCH! Time lapse video of the Vautravers Building relocation on August 2 and 3, 2021. The historic three-story Lakeview apartment building was moved about 26 feet to the west and 9 feet to the south to avoid the new elevated rail line. Vautravers Building, 1894, Frommann & Jebsen, Original address 947-949 W. Newport Ave. Video Credit: Chicago Transit Authority Historic Lake View building moving westward — literally — so Red Line tracks can be straightened; The entire Vautravers Building will be moved about about 30 feet west and four feet south by the end of Tuesday, Nina Molina, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/2/21 WATCH CTA moving historic Lakeview building for work on Red and Purple Modernization Project, Jessica D'Onofrio, ABC News 7, Monday, 8/2/21

WIN: Laramie State Bank to be Restored by INVEST South/West Program (Chicago 7 2019)

Laramie State Bank Building, 1929, Meyer & Cook, 5200 W. Chicago Avenue in Austin. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1995. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer

Austin’s Laramie State Bank Is Becoming A Museum. But First, It Needs Emergency Repairs To Fix Severe Water Damage; The building has rapidly deteriorated since it was foreclosed in 2012. In the coming years, it will be transformed into a museum, a business incubator and a café, Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago, 11/11/21

WIN: City of Chicago Approves INVEST South/West Program Development Proposal which includes Renovation of Landmark Pioneer Bank

Pioneer Trust and Savings Bank Building, 1924, Karl M. Vitzthum, 4000 W. North Ave. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2012. Photo Credit: City of Chicago City taps developers for Humboldt Park, South Shore projects; The latest batch of Invest South/West proposals pushes the program over $300 million in development plans in blighted corridors, Danny Ecker, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/18/21

WIN: Driehaus Museum Acquires the Murphy Memorial Auditorium

Samuel M. Nickerson Mansion and the John B. Murphy Memorial Auditorium. Photo Credit: Alex Brescanu / Driehaus Museum Richard H. Driehaus Museum Acquires Chicago's Historic Murphy Memorial Auditorium, Driehaus Museum press release, 6/31/21 Driehaus Museum buys ornate Murphy Auditorium next door; Built in 1926 to honor a pioneering Chicago surgeon, the six-story, 32,000-square-foot building will become the fifth on a short stretch of Erie Street to be owned by Driehaus entities, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/30/21

WIN: Lincoln Park Zoo Kovler/Pepper Lion House Renovation Beautifully Blends Historic Building and Creative Innovation

Lincoln Park Zoo Kovler Lion House / Pepper Wildlife Center, 1912, Dwight Perkins, with his partners William Fellows and John Hamilton. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2005. Photo Credit: Tom Harris Historic lion house at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo shines in new light, Nathaniel Bahadursingh, Archinect, 11/19/21 (Block Club Chicago, 10/14/21)

WIN: Double Door Renovation of Wilson Theater Building Moves Forward

Wilson Avenue Theater, 1909, Henry L. Ottenheimer, 1050 W. Wilson Avenue. Photo credit: Google Maps Double Door Plans To Open Next Year In Uptown, But Some Lucky Fans Have Been Getting A Sneak Peek; Double Door's co-owner said the beloved rock club will open in Uptown "within the year." The club will have a basement lounge in an 85-year-old bank vault, Joe Ward, Block Club Chicago, 11/9/21

WIN: The Ramova Theater Will Be Restored and Reopened After 37 Year Closure (Chicago 7 2012)

The Ramova Theater, 3518 S. Halsted Street, Meyer O. Nathan, Built 1929. Rendering Credit: Tyler Nevius Ramova Theater In Bridgeport, A ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ Readies For Its Comeback After Decades Of Sitting Empty; A $28 million restoration project will transform the crumbling theater into a live entertainment space, restaurant and brewery, Amy Qin, Block Club Chicago, 10/12/21

WIN: New Developer's Congress Theater Restoration Plan Gaining Momentum After Earlier Foreclosure

Congress Theater, 1926, Fridstein and Company for Lubliner and Trinz, 2135 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer Long-Vacant Congress Theater Could Reopen In 2023 With New Developer On Board; After a previous move to revitalize the historic venue fell through, Baum Revision is stepping in to finally bring the 1920's theater back to life, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 6/29/21

POTENTIAL WIN: Increased Support For Central Park Theater Restoration (Chicago 7 2012)

Central Park Theater / House of Prayer Church of God in Christ, 1917, Rapp & Rapp, 3535 W Roosevelt Road. Photo Credit: Tom Harris The push to rehab this historic Chicago theater is gaining renewed traction; The latest effort to save Balaban & Katz's first movie palace in North Lawndale could cost up to $25 million and would incorporate a community center. But will it go the way of other floundering theater preservation projects? Elyssa Cherney, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/10/21

WIN: Historic Chicago & North Western Railway Headquarters Building to Reopen as Dual Hotel

Former Chicago & North Western Railway Company Building, Frost and Granger, 1905, 226 W. Jackson Boulevard. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Landmarks Division Historic Loop office building prepares to reopen as dual hotels, The 135-room Hilton Garden Inn and 215-room Canopy by Hilton will welcome guests in September, Jay Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago, 7/29/21

WIN: Ludlow Typography Company Building / Anixter Loft Building Granted Preliminary Landmark Designation Before Residential Conversion

Former Ludlow Typography Company Building / Anixter HQ, 1913, Alfred Alschuler, 2028 N. Clybourn Avenue. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development Apartments planned next to Lincoln Yards; The team that recently converted a former industrial building next to Sterling Bay's planned megaproject hopes to replicate that success with a 136-unit project a block away, Danny Ecker, Crain's Chicago Business, 9/23/21

WIN: Vacant since 1990, St. Boniface Church Adaptive Reuse Finally Moving Forward (Chicago 7 2003 & 2009)

St. Boniface Church, 1904, Henry Schlacks, 1358 W Chestnut Street. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer Stalled St. Boniface residential conversion in new hands; The Noble Square church, out of service for three decades, will contain condos that incorporate its rose windows, limestone doorways and empty tower tops into their living space and terraces, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 4/5/21

WIN: Epiphany Center for the Arts Opens its Doors

Epiphany Center for the Arts/ former Church of the Epiphany, Francis M. Whitehouse, 1885, 201 S. Ashland Ave. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Chicago’s Newest Music Venue, Epiphany Center For The Arts, Is Staging Live, Social-Distanced Indoor Shows; Developer David Chase and his wife, Kimberly Rachal, converted the former church and adjacent property into a $15 million venue to host live music, art exhibits, weddings, galas and private events, Bob Chiarito, Block Club Chicago, 3/15/21

WIN: Despite Continued Aldermanic Delays, Obsidian Collection Pushes Forward with Purchase and Restoration of Palmer Mansion (Chicago 7 2017)

The Obsidian Collection / Justice D. Harry Hammer Mansion / Lutrelle ‘Lu’ & Jorja Palmer Mansion, 3654-3656 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Chicago 7 Most Endangered 2019. Photo Credit: Angela Ford / The Obsidian Collection Obsidian Collection buys Lu Palmer Mansion at $1.25 M, now needs zoning change; On April 22, Angela Ford of The Obsidian Collection closed on a $1.25 million loan to become new owner of Bronzeville’s historic Lu Palmer Mansion. Ford is free to establish a museum there but needs a zoning change from the alderman to rent space or otherwise make money, Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/17/21

WIN: Renovation Underway for Long Stalled IIT Main Building Adaptive Reuse (Chicago 7 2015)

IIT’s Main Building, 1893, Patton & Fisher, 3300 S. Federal St. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Plan to turn historic Armour Building into apartments gets city boost, The Community Development Commission OK'd $5.5 million in TIF money for the near south side project, Jay Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago, 4/20/21

WIN: Adaptive Reuse Project Completed at Sears on Lawrence (Chicago 7 2016)

Sears, Roebuck & Company Store, George Nimmons, 1925, 1900 W. Lawrence Avenue. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago. Adaptive Reuse Project Completed at Sears’ First Ground-Up Store, Paul Bubny, ConnectCRE News, 3/5/21

WIN: Shuttered Harper High to be Reused as Englewood Community Center (Chicago 7 2018)

Harper High School, 1911, Dwight Perkins, 6520 S. Wood Street. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers In Englewood, Closed Harper High School Becomes Community Hub For Young People; Students can play basketball, practice yoga or connect with peers during Saturday programs organized by Teamwork Englewood, Atavia Reed, Block Club Chicago, 10/21/21

WIN: Chicago Vocational High School Alumni Launch Effort to Landmark and Restore School Building and to Reestablish the once Vibrant Vocational Programs

Chicago Vocational High School, 1940, John C. Christensen, 2100 E. 87th St. Photo Credit: Lee Bey Could preserving school’s regal architecture help CVS regain status as ‘the pride of the South Side’? Some grads of Chicago Vocational High School say their alma mater is in a state of disrepair. As enrollment declines, they hope designating the school as an official Chicago landmark can save the building — and the community, Jason Beeferman, Chicago Sun-Times, 11/11/21 Change.org Petition to Landmark Chicago Vocational School

WIN: Adaptive Reuse of the Jewel Laundry Building Completed

The Jewel Laundry Building after adaptive reuse and addition, built circa 1915, Aroner & Somers, 1730 Greenleaf Ave. Photo Credit: Stephanie Barto @balinesecat Historic Rogers Park building to be preserved and expanded into apartments, Jay Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, 11/22/17

WIN: Englewood Fire House to be Restored by INVEST South/West Program

Englewood Fire House, former Chicago Fire Department Engine Co. 84, Truck 51, at 62nd and Green. Built in 1929, with Flemish architectural touches. Landmarked in 2003 as part of the Fire House Landmark Thematic District. Photo credit: Colin Boyle / Block Club Chicago Business Hubs, Housing And Public Plazas: Developers Make Their Pitches For 2nd Phase Of Englewood Square; Four proposals center around repurposing the former firehouse near 63rd and Halsted. Residents can share feedback on the proposals through online surveys until Thursday, Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 2/1/21

WIN: Marshall Field Warehouse Stable to be Transformed into Performing Arts Theater and Museum

Marshall Field & Company Warehouse Stable, 1904, William Ernest Walker, 4343 S. Cottage Grove Avenue. Photo Credit: Google Maps Performing arts complex planned for former Marshall Field warehouse; The Bronzeville project will house two theater spaces and the African American Museum of Performing Arts, Jay Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago, 7/13/21

WIN: Guinness Chicago Taproom to Renovate Fulton Market Vintage Industrial Building

Guinness Chicago Taproom to Renovate Vintage Industrial Building at 375 N. Peoria Street & 375 N. Morgan Street in Fulton Market. Photo Credit: Google Maps  Guinness taps Chicago as site of 2nd U.S. brewery, taproom; The iconic Irish brewer plans to open a beer house and brewery in the former Pennsylvania Railroad Terminal Building, 375 N. Morgan St., in the Fulton Market area, Madeline Kenney, Chicago Sun-Times, 9/21/21

WIN: Chicago Cultural Center G.A.R. Room and Art Glass Dome Restoration Progressing

Restoration work on the ceiling of the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall (G.A.R.) and Rotunda at the Chicago Cultural Center. Photo credit: Harboe Architects Get a Sneak Peek at $15M Cultural Center Restoration in Progress, Returning Tiffany Design to Original Glory, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 4/22/21

WIN: After Six Years, Goldblatt Building Window Renovation Finally Nearing Completion

Goldblatt's Building in West Town, 1922, Alfred S. Alshuler, 1615 W. Chicago Ave. Photo Credit: Hannah Alani / Block Club Chicago After 6 Years Of Scaffolding, Window Work At Goldblatt’s Building Might Finally Be Finished Soon A scaffolding canopy lining the ground floor of the Goldblatt's Building has been up since 2015 and cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, Hannah Alani, Block Club Chicago, 2/25/21

WIN: Restoration Nearly Complete for Louis Sullivan Designed Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, 1903, Louis Sullivan, 1121 N. Leavitt St. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Restoration Of Louis Sullivan-Designed Orthodox Cathedral Nears Finish Line; Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral leaders have made smaller fixes and updates over the past few decades, but they said the latest restoration is the property’s biggest facelift so far, Quinn Myers, Block Club Chicago, 8/24/21

WIN: Minnekirken Receives $250,000 Adopt-a-Landmark Restoration Grant

Minnekirken Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 1912, Charles F. Sorensen, 2614 N. Kedzie Ave. Photo Credit: Colin Boyle / Block Club Chicago Logan Square’s Historic ‘Red Church’ Getting $250,000 City Grant For Restoration; Restoration work will likely begin next month, but the city money only covers a portion of the overall work, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 3/5/21

WIN: City Council Vote Gives The Forum Access to $250,000 Rehab Grant

The Forum, 1897, Samuel Atwater Treat, 318 E. 43rd St, Photo Credit: Bernard Loyd Bronzeville’s The Forum, Once The Epicenter Of Black Life In Chicago, Will Be Restored After City Council Approval; Now, the team behind the $20 million rehab is fundraising to bring the storied venue on East 43rd Street back to life, Jamie Nesbitt Golden and Justin Laurence, Block Club Chicago, 5/26/21

WIN: Roberts Temple Awarded $150k African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grant

Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, Edward G. McClellan, 1922, 4021 S. State Street. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Bronzeville Church That Held Emmett Till’s Funeral Gets $150K Grant For Renovations, The $150,000 grant will help church leaders fix water damage and cracks in the foundation of a building that's only been renovated twice in the past century, Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 7/21/21

PARTIAL WIN: Pilgrim Baptist Church Receives $200k Stabilization Grant from the Chicago Adopt-A-Landmark Fund

Pilgrim Baptist Church / KAM Synagogue, Adler & Sullivan, 1890, 3301 S. Indiana Ave. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago Historic Walls, But Far More Needed For Rebuild; The landmark Adler & Sullivan-designed building at 3301 S. Indiana Ave. burned in 2006 and partially collapsed in August's vicious storm, Bob Chiarito, Block Club Chicago, 1/8/21

PARTIAL WIN: $1.5 Million Stabilization Effort Stock Yards Bank Building Complete, but Comprehensive Restoration and Reuse Remain Elusive

Stock Yards National Bank, 1925, Abraham Epstein, 4150 S. Halsted St. Designated a Chicago Landmark on October 8, 2008. Photo credit: Colin Boyle / Block Club Chicago  The Stock Yards Bank Building, A Back Of The Yards Cornerstone, Is Ready For An Overhaul 50 Years After It Closed; The Stockyard Bank Building was born when Chicago ruled the meatpacking industry. Nearly a century later, some hope it can reshape the community, Colin Boyle, Block Club Chicago, 8/17/21

WIN: Adaptive Reuse of Jefferson Park Fire Station Into Brewery Approved

Rendering of the Jefferson Park Tap Room at the former Jefferson Park Firehouse, built 1906, 4841 N. Lipps Ave. Rendering credit: Ambrosia Homes Lake Effect Brewing and nine apartments coming to former Jefferson Park firehouse after legal battle ends, Sarah Freishtat, Chicago Tribune, 4/7/21

WIN: Former South Side Chicago Synagogue to Become Mixed-Use Creative Space

B'nei Bezalel Synagogue, 1923, 6028 S. Champlain Ave. Photo Credit: Courtesy Frederick J. Nachman A law professor and artist are transforming a decrepit former South Side Chicago synagogue into a green community space, Naomi Waxman, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 7/13/21

WIN: Hollander Warehouse Building Adaptive Reuse Moving Forward

Fullerton Avenue Facade of Hollander Storage Building, 1912, 2418 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Historic Photo Credit: Hollander Storage Company Logan Square’s Hollander Building To Become Lofts, Retail, Day Care After City Council Vote Developer GW Properties wants to rehab and redevelop the nearly 110-year-old building at 2418 N. Milwaukee Ave., a project years in the making; Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 7/21/21

WIN: Earle School to Be Adaptively Reused for Affordable Housing

The Charles Warrington Earle School, William August Fiedler, in 1897, with William Bryce Mundie designed Renaissance Revival style addition in 1900, 6121 South Hermitage Avenue. Photo Credit: Google Maps Closed Earle Elementary School Could Become Affordable Housing With Park In West Englewood The $22 million development will create 63 units of affordable housing. Residents will have access to recovery support and recreational activities, Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 2/2/21

WIN: Long-Vacant Fullerton State Bank Converted to Condos

Fullerton State Bank, 1425 W. Fullerton Avenue, Karl Vitzthum, 1923, Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2008 as part of the Neighborhood Bank Building Landmark District. Photo Credit: RD Precision  In this new Lincoln Park condo, the wine room is an old bank vault; The five-bedroom unit, priced at just under $2 million, is in a Fullerton Avenue building that's been vacant since at least 2013, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 1/29/21

WIN: After Gut Renovation, Wilson Men's Hotel Emerges as Micro Apartments

Wilson Club Apartments / formerly Wilson Men’s Hotel, 1124 W. Wilson Avenue, Built in 1914. Photo Credit: Wilson Club Apartments Wilson Club Apartments open in former Uptown SRO, The 100-plus-year-old building finds new life as 76 micro apartments, Jay Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago, 7/1/21

WIN: $9 Million Approved for Garfield Park and Garfield Park Fieldhouse Renovation

Garfield Park Fieldhouse / West Park Administration building, 1928, by architects Christian Michaelsen and Sigurd Rognstad. Photo credit: Gabriel X. Michael Purchase Gabriel X. Michael photo art prints at https://society6.com/gxmphoto Nearly $9M in TIF Money OK’d to Help Restore Garfield Park to Its 'True Glory', Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 6/25/21

WIN: Adler Planetarium's Copper Dome Fully Restored

Adler Planetarium, 1930, Ernest A. Grunsfeld Jr, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. Photo Credit: Zachary Whittenburg @trailerpilot Adler Planetarium finally getting new roof, The 81-year-old copper dome leaks is being replaced along with the other roofing structures covering the main building, Stefano Esposito, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/1/21

WIN: After Renovation, Pendry Hotel Opens Rooftop Bar on Carbide & Carbon Building

Pendry Hotel Opens Chateau Carbide Rooftop Bar on Carbide & Carbon Building. Photo Credit: Barry Brecheisen / Eater Chicago After Nearly a Century, the Carbide & Carbon Building Opens a Rooftop Bar; Chateau Carbide is open on the 24th floor of the historic Loop building, Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago, 6/25/21

WIN: Neighbors Pool Resources to Buy and Renovate Historic South Shore Apartment Building

Brian Kurtz, Hubert Thompson, Stephen Stern, Geralyn Thompson and Michael Kelley pose for a photo at 7051 S. Bennett Ave. on Nov. 15, 2021. Photo Credit: Colin Boyle / Block Club Chicago  South Side Neighbors Unite To Restore Huge Vacant Apartment Building, Hoping To Revitalize 71st Street And Beyond; "It's a real testament to the power of community, and our community especially," said Michael Kelley, one of 27 South Shore residents who bought and renovated a vacant building at 7051 S. Bennett Ave, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 11/16/21

POTENTIAL WIN: Bill Introduced to Designate Bronzeville a National Heritage Area

Spectators assembled in porches and balconies to view the Bud Billiken Parade, 4239-4243 South King Drive, Chicago circa 1960. Photo Credit: Chicago History Museum, Raeburn Flerlage Photo Collection, CHi-112390 Bronzeville, a hub of Black culture in Chicago, would become one of three National Heritage Areas in Illinois under plan in Congress, Alice Yun, Chicago Tribune, 3/24/21 Bill Introduced Would Create Bronzeville National Heritage Area, Ian Achong, Chicago Yimby, 1/4/22

WIN: Workers Cottage Initiative Grows To More Chicago Neighborhoods

Logan Square Workers Cottages. Image credit: Tom Vlodek / Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative  With Workers Cottages Vanishing In Logan Square And Other Neighborhoods, Preservationists Roll Out Plan To Save Them; Developers are tearing down workers cottages to make way for single-family homes and condos, a practice preservationists hope to stop with a project that launched this week, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 4/15/21

WIN: 30 Vacant Homes In North Pullman to be Rehabbed Into Affordable Housing

Historic row houses in North Pullman to be rehabbed and sold under a new project. Photo Credit: Maria Maynez / Block Club Chicago 35 Historic But Vacant Pullman Row Houses To Be Rehabbed And Sold; The homes are part of the Pullman railroad company's historic neighborhood but have fallen into disrepair, Maria Maynez, Block Club Chicago, 7/22/20

WIN: Saved from Demolition, Former Industrial Building Reused as Parchment Studio

Parchment Studio, 2902 W. Armitage Avenue. Photo credit: Bob Coscarelli  120-Year-Old Warehouse In Logan Square Sees New Life As Food Prop Stylist’s Studio After Alderman Says No To Condos: The adaptive reuse project is an example of how aldermanic prerogative can benefit neighborhoods if used correctly, the new property owner and Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 10/13/21

WIN: Demolition Application Withdrawn for Seminary Avenue Victorian Home After Strong Community Engagement

1932-34 N. Seminary Avenue, built 1894. Photo Credit: Google Maps Victorian-Era Home In Lincoln Park Will Not Be Demolished After Developer Pulls Out Of Sale; 'It's clear that the community is very attached to the house, sees its historical value and how it adds to the character of the neighborhood,' the property owner said, Jake Wittich, Block Club Chicago, 4/14/21

WIN: Preservation-Oriented Buyer Outbids Developers for Fannie May House

Former home of Mildred King-Archibald-Hyde, founder of Fannie May Candies, built c.1898, 854 W. Castlewood Terrace. Photo Credit: Dennis Rodkin Fannie May founder’s house saved from demolition; To fend off developers, the buyers paid $15,000 over the asking price for the Uptown home that belonged to the pioneering business woman behind the iconic candy brand, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/17/21

WIN: Ryerson Mansion Completes Comprehensive Renovation

Emily Ryerson Mansion, David Adler and Henry Dangler, 1917, 2700 Lakeview Avenue. Photo Credit: Foster Design Build Titanic survivor's Lincoln Park mansion becomes pair of condos; Built in 1917 for Emily Ryerson, the property hasn't been a residence since the 1940s but is being rehabbed into two units, with one just listed, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 1/6/21

WIN: 'We are excited to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore the Blair Mansion to a single-family home."

Blair Mansion / formerly International College of Surgeons Headquarters, 1914, McKim Mead & White, 1516 Lake Shore Drive, Photo Credit: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago Mansion to become a home again on Lake Shore Drive; The buyers who paid $4.25 million today will make a single-family residence out of the property, which since 1951 has been one of a pair housing the International College of Surgeons and its museum, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 7/2/21

WIN: Austin's Pink House to Be Sold and Restored

The Anderson family standing in front of the Pink House in Austin, built 1894, 556 N. Central Ave. Photo credit: Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune Austin’s Iconic Pink House Will Be Sold And Saved, Longtime Owners Say; The former owners held onto the pink house for years trying to raise money for the repairs needed to keep it standing. After several offers to demolish the house, the family found a buyer who wants to restore it instead, Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago, 12/10/21

WIN: Kay Shoes Building Will Be Adaptively Reused for Residential, Not Demolished for New Construction

Kay Shoes building, 2839 N. Milwaukee Ave. Photo Credit: Google Maps Avondale’s Kay Shoes Building Is Coming Back As Apartments, Ground-Floor Retail; The project will inject new life into a building that has sat vacant for two years, and it will enable the shoe store's owner to continue her family's legacy, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 7/20/21

WIN: Historic Morse Avenue Building Will Be Renovated, Not Demolished, with 16-Unit Rear Addition

1415 W. Morse Ave. Photo Credit: Google Maps Rogers Park Apartment Building Getting 16 More Units After City Council Approval; The addition would bring 16 relatively affordable units near the Morse Red Line station and help modernize the four-story building, Joe Ward and Justin Laurence, Block Club Chicago, May 26, 2021

WIN: Long Neglected Iowa Building in Jackson Park to Finally Be Restored

The limestone Iowa Building in Jackson Park, built by the Works Progress Administration in 1936. Photo Credit: Hyde Park Herald  Iowa Building renovation, new baseball fields and dog area in works for next year, Marc Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 12/1/2021

WIN: St. Hedwig's Long Vacant Convent to be Reused as Housing

St. Hedwig Convent, 2200 N. Hamlin. c.1910. Photo Credit: Google Maps Old Convent At St. Hedwig Church In Bucktown Could Become Apartments; A zoning change would allow a developer to build 21 units inside the old convent, including two affordable housing units, Hannah Alani, Block Club Chicago, 6/25/21

WIN: Decorative Terra Cotta Façade Saved by Preservation Chicago With Hope for Future Installation

Distinctive celadon-green terra cotta façade removed from the orange-rated Szykowny Funeral Home at 4901 S. Archer Avenue in 2016. Photo credit: Google Maps

Distinctive celadon-green terra cotta façade from the Art Deco/Art Moderne orange-rated Szykowny Funeral Home at 4901 S. Archer Avenue in storage. Photo credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago

WIN: Commission on Chicago Landmarks Recognizes and Celebrates the Best Chicago Preservation Projects of 2021

Watch the full presentation of "The Commission on Chicago Landmarks today honored 12 exceptional development projects at the 2021 'Preservation Excellence Awards', 10/28/21 (1:07 hr)

"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks today honored 12 exceptional development projects at the 2021 'Preservation Excellence Awards,' including the restoration of Union Station, the adaptive reuse of the former Cook County Hospital, the rehabilitation of two 19th century homes in the Old Edgebrook District, and the adaptive reuse of the former West Pullman School. Union Station, 500 W. Jackson Blvd.  Former Cook County Hospital, 1835 W. Harrison St. Old Chicago Main Post Office Building, 404 W. Harrison St. Former West Pullman School, 11941 S. Parnell Ave. Jewelers Building, 15 S. Wabash Ave. Givins Castle, 10244 S. Longwood Drive (Longwood Drive District) 2245 S. Michigan Ave. (Motor Row District) 6203 N. Lundy Ave. (Old Edgebrook District) 6219 N. Lundy Ave. (Old Edgebrook District) 4649 N. Broadway (Uptown Square District) 1134 E. 44th St. (North Kenwood Multiple Resource District) 4404 S. Berkeley Ave. (North Kenwood Multiple Resource District) Watch the full presentation of "The Commission on Chicago Landmarks today honored 12 exceptional development projects at the 2021 'Preservation Excellence Awards', 10/28/21 (1:07 hr)

WIN: New Hope for Cook County Land Bank Under Eleanor Gorski's Leadership

Eleanor Gorski to lead Cook County Land Bank. Photo Credit: Anna Cillan Photography Cook County Land Bank gets new leader, City planning veteran Eleanor Gorski is taking the reins at the agency meant to revive decaying, tax-delinquent housing and other properties in blighted neighborhoods, Danny Ecker, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/22/21

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LOSSES

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LOSS: Bulldozers Clear 20 Acres of Jackson Park for OPC Construction, including the Woman's Garden and 800 Old-Growth Trees, (Chicago 7 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021)

20 acre site of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park after 800 old-growth trees were cleared. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

One of approximately 800 old-growth trees cleared from the 20 acre site of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park in September 2021. Photo Credit: Barbara Koenen Remembering the Jackson Park Trees: A Photo Essay, Jacqueline Serrato, South Side Weekly, 9/30/21

LOSS: ADM Mill Building Demolished (Chicago 7 2021)

Eckhart & Swan Company Mill/ B.A. Eckhart Mill/ ADM Wheat Mill, Flanders and Zimmerman, 1897 with later additions, 1300 West Carroll Avenue in West Loop/Fulton Market District. Demolished February 2021. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky Sterling Bay is taking down a late-1800s flour mill in Fulton Market, despite efforts by preservationists, Ryan Ori, Chicago Tribune, 2/12/21

LOSS: Lake View Bank/Belmont National Bank Demolished Despite 2,000+ Petition Signatures to Save It

Lake View State Bank / Belmont National Bank Building, 1921, Ivar Viehe-Naess, 3179 N. Clark Street. Demolished August 2021. Photo credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago Preservation Group Fights To Save Lakeview Bank After Developer Starts Demolition To Make Way For Mystery Tenant; Crews began demolishing the Lakeview Fifth Third Bank building on Friday, but preservation advocates said the permit should have never been approved, Jake Wittich, Block Club Chicago, 8/17/21

LOSS: Despite Being a Designated Chicago Landmark District, Motor Row's Rambler Building Demolished After Extreme Neglect

Rambler Automobile Co. Showroom, 1912, Jenney, Mundie & Jensen, 2246-58 S. Indiana Ave. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2000. Emergency Demolition due to extreme neglect in 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

Rambler Automobile Co. Showroom, 1912, Jenney, Mundie & Jensen, 2246-58 S. Indiana Ave. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2000. Emergency Demolition due to extreme neglect in 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

LOSS: Hollenbach Building Demolished

The Hollenbach Building, 808 W. Lake Street, by Worthmann & Steinbach in 1912. Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael Hollenbach Building, Wikipedia Page

LOSS: St. Stephenson Church Demolished

St. Stephenson M.B. Church/former Zion Evangelical Lutheran, Theodore Duesing in 1905, 1321 S. Ashland Avenue, built 1905, demolished February 2021. Photo Credit: Noah Vaughn

St. Stephenson M.B. Church/former Zion Evangelical Lutheran, Theodore Duesing in 1905, 1321 S. Ashland Avenue, built 1905, demolished February 2021. Photo Credit: Noah Vaughn Century-Old St. Stephenson Church Slated To Be Demolished On Near West Side;Preservationists fought to save the church. A company managed by billionaire Steve Sarowitz aims to level it and replace it with a four- or five-story building, according to city documents, Mauricio Pena, Block Club Chicago, 1/26/21

LOSS: Midcentury Modern Sapphire Building on Peterson Demolished

The Sapphire Building / Business House, 1960, by architect Henry L. Newhouse II. 2800 W. Peterson Avenue. Demolished November 2021. Photo credit: Google maps Preservationists balk at proposed demolition of building once home to real estate giant Rubloff They argue the Sapphire Building would have been protected — at least for 90 days — if Chicago had an updated Historic Resources Survey, Bob Chiarito, Chicago Sun-Times, 12/24/20 Preserve — don’t demolish — Peterson Avenue’s unique modernist streetscape; Peterson Avenue’s nearly 2 miles of postwar modern buildings is well worthy of attention. And preservation, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 12/27/20

LOSS: Developer Moves Forward with Plan to Demolish Cenacle Sisters Building Complex and Subdivide for Huge Single Family Homes

Cenacle Sisters Building, 1967, Charles Pope Jr., 513 W. Fullerton Parkway. Photo Credit: Lynn Becker Lincoln Park site of nuns’ retreat sold to be redeveloped as apartments and houses; To fund sisters' retirement, an order focused on "awakening and deepening faith" sells to a developer focused on high-end residential, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/8/21

LOSS: Blessed Sacrament Catholic School Demolished

Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, North Lawndale, 2134 S. Central Park Ave. Demolished April 2021 Photo Credit: Noah Vaugh

Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, North Lawndale, 2134 S. Central Park Ave. Demolished April 2021 Photo Credit: Noah Vaugh

LOSS: Built in 1860 Before the Great Chicago Fire, Developers Demolish 116 N. Willard Court

Italianate home at 116 N. Willard Court, built circa 1860. Demolished December 2021. Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael Say goodbye to this 1860s West Loop home; The home, which predates the Great Chicago Fire, sold for a little over $2 million to developers who got a demolition permit last week, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 12/7/21 Details emerge on replacement for demolished pre-Fire home; A building permit issued last week by the city offers a few tidbits on the seven-unit residential building that will replace the building that stood on Millard Court for more than a century and a half, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 12/14/21

LOSS: Cornelius Sheehan Home and Coach House Built in 1877 Demolished

Cornelius Sheehan Home and Coach House, built 1877, 1021 W. Polk Street and 1021 S. Miller Street. Demolished September 2021. Photo credit: Google Maps

LOSS: St. Brendan Convent Demolished

St. Brendan Church Convent / recently the Charlesetta Lewis homeless shelter was demolished in June 2021. 1223 W. Marquette Road, across from Ogden Park. Photo Credit: Google Maps

LOSS: Car Wrecks Beautiful Terra Cotta Façade of WGN Flag Building

WGN Flag Building, 7987 S. South Chicago Avenue. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

Car Crashes into WGN Flag Building, 7987 S. South Chicago Avenue. Wrecked August 27, 2021 Photo Credit: Sarah Jindra / WGNTV @SarahJindra

LOSS: Stop-Work Order Issued After Decorative Terra Cotta Ornament Stripped Without Permit from New Devon Theater Façade

New Devon Theater Façade Ornament, 1912, Henry J. Ross, 1618 W. Devon Avenue. Demolished October 2021. Photo Credit: Belli @bellisaurius Historical Terra Cotta Removed And Thrown Out From Protected Rogers Park Building, Leading To Stop Work Order; City officials say workers removed historical façade features from the 1912 movie house at 1618 W. Devon Ave. without proper permits. The new owner said she didn't know it was protected, Joe Ward, Block Club Chicago, 10/28/21

LOSS: Northwestern Medicine Demolishes Old Irving Park Home for Temporary Construction Office and Stormwater Retention Tank

3936 N. Kenneth Ave. purchased by Northwestern Medicine with plans to demolish for a temporary construction office. Demolished October 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps Irving Park Neighbors Blast Northwestern Medicine Plans To Tear Down 120-Year-Old Home: ‘It Feels Like A Poke In The Eye'; Northwestern plans to use the property as a temporary office space during construction or to build a stormwater detention basin for its $150 million medical facility, Alex V. Hernandez, Block Club Chicago, 7/14/21

LOSS: Edgewater’s Motor Row McNitt Building Demolished for Future Development

McNitt Building Garage, 1911, 5654 N. Broadway. Demolished November 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps Howard Brown Health Demolishes 100-Year-Old Building On Edgewater’s Motor Row, Angering Preservationists; Howard Brown Health bought the former garage at 5650-56 N. Broadway in April and received a demolition permit last week. It has not publicly announced plans for the site, Joe Ward, Block Club Chicago, 11/8/21

LOSS: The Demolition of Unprotected Pilsen Buildings Resumes

1730, 1732, and 1734 W. 18th Street. Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps Pilsen demolitions resume with anti-gentrification fees attached; The owners of a trio of buildings on 18th Street are the first to pay the $15,000-per-building surcharge, with the money going toward affordable housing, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 5/10/21

LOSS: Iconic Art Deco R.V. Kunka Drug Store Sign Destroyed

RV Kunka Drug Store Building with Storefront intact, 2897-2899 S. Archer Ave. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

RV Kunka Drug Store Building with storefront removed, 2897-2899 S. Archer Ave. Demolished July 2021. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers After being overpainted with black paint in October 2020, the iconic and beloved R.V. Kunka Pharmacy art deco storefront has been fully removed. While the paint could have potentially been reversed and restored, the destruction of this historic storefront eliminates this option. It is unclear why the owner made this unfortunate decision, but it can be assumed it was an effort to make the building look more generic to attract a new tenant. Read the full 2008 blog and see photos at Chicago Sojourn Blog

IN MEMORIAM: Richard H. Driehaus; Philanthropist and Preservationist

Richard H. Driehaus. Photo Credit: La Chambre Noire Photography / Architect Magazine "The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation announces with deep sadness the unexpected passing of its founder, Richard H. Driehaus, of natural causes on March 9, 2021 at the age of 78. "Mr. Driehaus established his eponymous foundation in 1983. A devoted philanthropist, he saw philanthropy as a form of inquiry, and a way of learning about the world. "Reflecting on nearly two decades in philanthropy, Richard wrote, 'I have devoted my professional life to the field of financial management and have been blessed with remarkable success. I recognize, however, that the measure of one's personal holdings is of less importance than the impact of our collective aspirations made real. I have further come to understand that maximizing the impact of donated dollars can be considerably more challenging than earning those dollars in the first place. "Philanthropy enriched Richard's life immeasurably, and he would often paraphrase Winston Churchill's quote: 'We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.' "'Richard was a dear friend, my professional mentor, and a lifelong philanthropist,' said Anne Lazar, executive director of the Driehaus Foundation in their news release. 'He spent decades making an impact in Chicago and his legacy will live on through his foundation. He was a true gentleman of grace and humility, and it is the foundation's honor and privilege to continue Richard's legacy of support.'" (Driehaus Foundation statement) Richard H. Driehaus, 1942-2021, Driehaus Foundation Website, March, 2021

IN MEMORIAM: Helmut Jahn; Architect

Architect Helmut Jahn at his Chicago offices in 2000. Photo Credit: Rich Hein / Chicago Sun-Times Helmut Jahn carried on Chicago’s legacy of architectural greatness; He was bold, inventive and prolific, designing memorable buildings across the nation and around the world, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial, 5/10/21 Helmut Jahn: In A Flash, a documentary by Nathan Eddy. (19 Min)

IN MEMORIAM: Timuel Black; Civil Rights Leader and Chicago Historian

Timuel Black spent decades working as an activist and educator on Chicago’s South Side, impacting the lives of countless people. He is pictured in 2014 standing near his Hyde Park home. He passed away in October 2021 at the age of 102. Photo credit: Robert Kozloff Timuel Black, historian, civil rights activist, dies at 102; Mr. Black, a political and civil rights activist, educator, historian, prolific author and revered elder statesman and griot of Chicago’s Black community, died Wednesday, Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/13/21

IN MEMORIAM: Robert Meers; Chicago Real Estate Developer

Monadnock Building, north half in 1891 by Burnham & Root, and south half in 1893, by Holabird & Roche, 53 W. Jackson Blvd. Restored by Robert Meers and Bill Donnell in the late 1970s. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Robert Meers, Monadnock Building savior and North Pier developer, dies at 70, He also restored Howard Van Doren Shaw's Market Square in Lake Forest, Steven R. Strahler, Crain's Chicago Business, 7/12/21

LOSS: Lost to Fire in 2021

Morticians Building, 1902, Anton C. Charvat, 1125 W. 18th Street. Lost to fire September 2021. Image credit: Google Maps Extra-Alarm Fire Rages In Historic Pilsen Building, CBS2 Chicago, 9/20/21

Bo Diddley’s Childhood Home After Fire in September 2021, 4746 S. Langley Ave. Image Credit: Chicago Fire Media Bo Diddley’s Childhood Home In Bronzeville Badly Damaged In Fire; The fire broke out at an apartment on Langley Ave., Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 9/21/21

LOSS: “Spotlight on Demolition” Highlights from the 895 Demolitions in Chicago in 2021

“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.

See all 895 Chicago 2021 demolitions at Chicago Cityscape "Spotlight on Demolition" is sponsored by

1939 N. Orchard Street, Lincoln Park. Demolished Sept 2021. Photo Credit: Realtor.com

1947 N. Fremont Street, Lincoln Park. Demolished September 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

St. Cecelia's School, 220 W. 45th Place, Canaryville. Demolished March 2021 Photo Credit: Nick Anderson

5100 N. Kedzie Avenue, Albany Park. Demolished July 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

Little Jim's, 3501 N. Halsted Street, Lake View. Demolished August 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

4545 N. Clark Street, Uptown. Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

3634 N. Marshfield Ave., Roscoe Village. Demolished May 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

7443 S. Kimbark Avenue, Grand Crossing. Orange-Rated. Built 1875, Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

Commonwealth Edison Substation, by Hermann von Holst, 747-751 W. 82nd St., Auburn Gresham. Photo Credit: Google Maps

1300 W Randolph Street Detail, Fulton Market. Demolished Nov 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

2044 N Fremont St., Lincoln Park. Demolished April 2021. Photo Credit: Peter M / @fynmere

462 N. Morgan St, West Town Demolished April 2021. Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael

1135 W. Lill Avenue, Lincoln Park. Demolished September 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

4515 S. Wells Street, Fuller Park. Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

2303 S. Kildare Ave. Lawndale. Demolished April 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

4008 W. Grenshaw St., Lawndale. Demolished March 2021 Photo Credit: Google Maps

1353 N. Oakley Boulevard, Wicker Park. Demo August 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

5341 S. Wood Street, Back of the Yards. Demolished Sept 2021. Credit: Google Maps

1636 S. Millard Ave. North Lawndale. Demolished April 2021. Photo: Google Maps

2655 S. Harding Avenue, Little Village. Demolished Sept 2021. Credit: Google Maps

1936 W. Crystal St., Wicker Park. Demolished April 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

3930 W. Gladys Ave., Garfield Park. Demo August 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

4441 W. Monroe St., West Garfield Park. Demolished March 2021. Photo: Google Map

1506 S. Sawyer Ave., North Lawndale. Demolished March 2021 Photo: Google Maps

4607 N. Magnolia Avenue, Sheridan Park. Demo June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

1723 N. Wolcott Avenue, Wicker Park. Demo June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

2154 N. Stave Street, Logan Square. Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

113 E. Oak Street, Near North Side. Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

7341 S. Rhodes Ave., Greater Grand Crossing. Demolished March 2021 Photo: Google Maps

2334 W. Lyndale Street, Bucktown. Demo May 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

842 W. Garfield Boulevard, Garfield Park. Demo Oct 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

1520 N. Elston Avenue, Lincoln Yards. Demolished February 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

2709 W. Division Street, Humboldt Park. Demo May 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

2713 & 2715 W. Division Street, Humboldt Park. Demo May 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

1833 W. Berenice Avenue, St. Ben's. Demolished June 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

6801 S. Union Ave., Englewood. Demolished April 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

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THREATENED

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THREATENED: Parkway or Highway? What will the future be for DuSable North Lake Shore Drive?

DuSable North Lake Shore Drive’s in Line for an Overhaul. Image credit: WTTW Chicago Big, green rebuild of North Lake Shore Drive moving forward; the $3 billion project includes beach space and an eye-catching new park, but it still needs funding and is years away from completion., Greg Hinz, Crains Chicago Business, 9/24/20

THREATENED: Archway Standard Oil Station and North Federal Savings Building Threatened By New Development

Archway Standard Oil Station /Amoco/BP, 1971, George Terp, 1647 N. LaSalle Drive. Photo Credit: Google Maps

North Federal Savings Bank / Wintrust Bank Building, 1961, Naess & Murphy, 100 W. North Ave. Photo Credit: Google Maps As Old Town Prepares For Major Changes At Prime Locations, Developers Want To Hear From Neighbors; Development firm Fern Hill launched a website Thursday that neighbors can use to share feedback on the firm's plans to redevelop properties in Old Town, Jake Wittich, Block Club Chicago, 11/12/21

THREATENED: New Residential High-Rise Tower Tower Approved to Replace Cassidy Tire Building by Architect Henry Schlacks (Chicago 7 2021)

Wm. J. Cassidy Tire Building / Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory, 1902, Henry J. Schlacks, 344 N. Canal Street. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky Rendering reveals 33-story apartment tower replacing Cassidy Tire warehouse; The Fulton River District proposal calls for 343 rental units, Jay Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, 11/27/19

THREATENED: CMD's Iconic Clock Tower and Three Historic CMD Warehouses Listed For Sale (Chicago 7 2014 & 2020)

Central Manufacturing District Clock Tower. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Clock Tower For Sale as McKinley Park Industrial Properties Make Moves in Marketplace, McKinley Park News, Justin Kerr, 11/13/21

THREATENED: Uptown Theatre Restoration Stalled Again

Uptown Theatre, Balaban & Katz theatre, designed by Rapp and Rapp in 1925, 4816 N Broadway, Landmarked in 1991. Photo Credit: Max Chavez Developer Drops Out Of Uptown Theatre Project, But Owner Says Plan Still On To Rehab Historic Venue: ‘It’s Got A Bright Future’; Farpoint Development no longer is attached to the project to rehab the historic Uptown Theatre, which hasn't hosted shows since 1981, Joe Ward, Block Club Chicago, 3/22/21

THREATENED: Demolition Permit Released for Jeffery Theater and Spencer Arms Hotel (Chicago 7 2014)

Jeffery Theater Building and Spencer Arms Hotel, 7054 S. Jeffery Blvd/952 E. 71st Street, by William P. Doerr in 1923. Photo Credit: Ward Miller/ Preservation Chicago City Lifts Hold On Tearing Down Jeffery Theater, But Developer Doesn’t Plan To Demolish Immediately. City law delays permits to tear down historically significant structures, but the hold on Jeffery Theater expired in late May, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago 6/9/20

THREATENED: Promontory Point's Historic Limestone Revetments at Risk...Again (Chicago 7 2006)

Promontory Point Conservancy, Promontory Point, 1938, Alfred Caldwell. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Rep. Kelly calls for 'true preservation approach' to Promontory Point in Army Corps letter, Marc Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 12/10/21

THREATENED: Defending the Lakefront for Centuries of Chicagoans (Chicago 7 2021)

The Chicago Lakefront. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Defending the Lakefront for Centuries of Chicagoans, Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, 3/12/21

THREATENED: A Jackson Park landmark was destroyed — is the South Shore Nature Area next? (Chicago 7 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021)

South Shore Nature Sanctuary. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers A Jackson Park landmark was destroyed — is the South Shore Nature Area next? Every foundation stone from the 1893 World’s Fair Women’s Pavilion was removed. Every plant from the May McAdams-designed garden was ripped out. Every tree was cut down, Lyletta Robinson, Chicago Sun-Times, 9/15/21

THREATENED: Built in 1888, John Ramcke House at 2028 N. Seminary Avenue to be torn down for a side yard

John Ramcke House, 1888, 2028 N. Seminary Avenue. Image credit: Preservation Chicago Twitter / E. Talen Should the wealthy be allowed to demolish real estate to create their own open space? Cities should be getting denser and more diverse, not demolishing their housing stock so that the rich can have larger yards, Emily Talen, Chicago Sun-Times Op-Ed, 12/21/21 Homeowner’s yen for a yard revives debate in Lincoln Park; Property owners in the federal Sheffield historic district have butted heads on preservation, and now a resident wants to tear down an 1880s building for open space, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 12/13/21

THREATENED: Neighbors Launch Effort to Landmark Epworth Church Before Being Listed For Sale to Highest Bidder

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1890, designed by architect Frederick Townsend, with additions by Fred J. Thielbar of the architectural firm of Theilbar & Fugard, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. Photo credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago Historic Edgewater church for sale; neighbors worry about what will come next; Unable to afford upkeep, Epworth United Methodist is looking for a new owner for its 130-year-old building, which also is home to a homeless shelter, Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/20/21 Petition to Landmark Epworth United Methodist Church, 1890, designed by architect Frederick Townsend, with additions by Fred J. Thielbar of the architectural firm of Theilbar & Fugard, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. Photo credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago

THREATENED: Final Mass Held at St. Michael the Archangel Church Before Being Closed by Archdiocese of Chicago (Chicago 7 2019)

St. Michael the Archangel Church, St. Michael Archangel Catholic Church, 1909, William Brinkmann, 8237 S. South Shore Dr. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers WATCH: St. Michael the Archangel Church celebrates a final mass, Sean Lewis, WGN Chicago 9, 10/30/21

THREATENED: Last Mass for Bronzeville’s Corpus Christi Church Before Permanent Closure (Chicago 7 2021)

Corpus Christi Church, 1915, Joseph W. McCarthy, 4900 S. Martin Luther King Drive. Photo Credit: Frederick J. Nachman Gazing upon the glory of an architectural gem, Bronzeville’s Corpus Christi Church, one last time before its final Sunday service; After services Sunday, the architecturally significant church will lock its bronze doors and close the grounds’ ornate wrought-iron gates for the last time, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/26/21

THREATENED: Neighborhood Effort Fails to Prevent Closure of Our Lady of Victory Church, But Advocacy Continues (Chicago 7 2021)

Our Lady of Victory, 1910, Hermann J. Gaul, 5200-5240 W. Agatite Avenue, Jefferson Park. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Ahead Of Last Mass At Our Lady Of Victory Church, Jefferson Park Community Vows To Preserve Historical Building; After the Archdiocese of Chicago announced the closure of Our Lady Of Victory, parishioners appealed to the Vatican but lost their bid. Its last Mass is Sunday, Ariel Parrella-Aureli, Block Club Chicago, 11/18/21

THREATENED: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Threatened by Closure (Chicago 7 2021)

Our Lady of Lourdes, 1916, Worthmann and Steinbach, 1601 W. Leland Avenue. Photo credit: Photo credit: Eric Allix Rogers Our Lady of Goner? Historic Ravenswood church may face closure. Peter Von Buol, InsideBooster, 12/16/20

THREATENED: Shrinking Membership Threatens Chicago Loop Synagogue Faces Uncertain Future

Chicago Loop Synagogue, 1957, Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett, 16. S. Clark St. with stained glass by Abraham Rattner and "Hands of Peace" sculpture by Henri Azaz. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Downtown Synagogue Hopes Worshippers Return Soon To Save Building — And Its Famed Stained Glass Window; Leaders of Chicago Loop Synagogue say the 92-year-old institution might not last another 18 months unless regular worshippers return, Bob Chiarito, Block Club Chicago, 5/17/21

THREATENED: Uptown's Preston Bradley Center/ People's Church with its 1,300-Seat Auditorium Listed for Sale

Preston Bradley Center / Peoples Church, J.E.O. Pridmore, 1925, 941 W. Lawrence Avenue. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Uptown’s Historical Preston Bradley Center, With 1,300-Seat Auditorium, For Sale; The Preston Bradley Center was built in 1925. It has housed the Peoples Church and social service groups ever since, Jay Ward, Block Club Chicago, 10/21/20

THREATENED: Chicago Park District Buildings Continue to Crumble

Daniel Burnham Designed Pavilion in Jackson Park on Marquette Drive in extreme state of neglect. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Looking for better judgment at the Chicago Park District; From its mishandling of a sexual abuse scandal to allowing Amazon lockers in public parks, it’s clear the park district needs a reset in its mission, and possibly in its leadership, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 8/24/21

THREATENED: Phyllis Wheatley Home at Risk for Emergency Demolition (Chicago 7 2021)

Phyllis Wheatley Home, 5128 S. Michigan Avenue, by Frederick B. Townsend, built in 1896. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky Demolition Court Looms For Chicago’s Last Phyllis Wheatley Home, Which Sheltered Black Women During The Great Migration; Researchers and residents are calling for the preservation of "a tangible place that holds the heritage and spirit of Black women" as the building's owner — and its longtime resident — seeks funding to restore her crumbling home, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 1/29/21

THREATENED: Avalon Regal Theater is Stable, but Needs Significant Funding Support To Continue Restoration Efforts (Chicago 7 2012)

The Avalon Regal Theater, 1927, John Eberson, 1641 East 79th Street. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers Driven by dreams but strapped for cash, owner strives to restore Avalon Regal Theater; Jerald Gary has been the landmark building’s steward, but he needs reinforcements to bring the onetime center for African American performers back to glory, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 9/20/21

THREATENED: Residential Tower Proposed for Second Church of Christ, Scientist in Lincoln Park (Chicago 7 2019)

Second Church of Christ, Scientist, by Solon S. Beman in 1901, at 2700 N. Pine Grove Avenue. A Chicago 7 Most Endangered 2019. Photo Credit: Ward Miller

THREATENED: TimeLine Theatre Decides to Scrap Reebie Building Historic Façade

Reebie Company Warehouse Building historic facade, 5033-35 N. Broadway. Photo Credit: Max Chavez / Preservation Chicago TimeLine Theatre Pitches Plans To Move From Lakeview To Uptown, Renovate Warehouse Into Arts Center, The plan to move to a bigger space in Uptown and renovate the building at 5033 N. Broadway has been in the works since 2018, Joe Ward, Block Club Chicago, 6/16/21

THREATENED: Following Petition Drive with 31K Signatures, Amtrak Signals Willingness to Consider Adaptive Reuse of Union Station Power House (Chicago 7 2017 & 2020)

Chicago Union Station Power House, Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, in 1931. Photo Credit: Darris Lee Harris http://darrisharris.com/industrial

THREATENED: Washington Park National Bank Threatened with Demolition (Chicago 7 2016)

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

THREATENED: After 150 Years, The Standard Club Closed on May 1, 2020

The Standard Club, 320 S. Plymouth Court, by Albert Kahn in 1926, (Dearborn Street Facade). Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers The Standard Club, long the social nexus for Chicago’s Jewish leaders, is closing May 1 amid financial struggles, Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 3/5/2020

THREATENED: No Potential Reuse Plans On Horizon for Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. Photo Credit: Rickdrew at English Wikipedia Feds to city: Give us back Chicago Harbor Lighthouse; The city of Chicago has been unable to do anything with the deteriorating lighthouse in a decade of ownership, Mitch Dudek, Chicago Sun-Times, 11/1/20

THREATENED: Wayman AME Church for Sale Again as Land

Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church, 509 W. Elm Street, Photo Credit Google Street View  Historic church that served Cabrini-Green for sale again: The listing for the Wayman Church parcel says the 'highest and best use is to replace it with a more modern residential development,' Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 10/8/21

THREATENED: Merrick-Culver House, One of Austin's Oldest Houses, Close to Emergency Demolition Order

710 N. Lotus Ave. Coach House, c.1860s or 1870s. Photo Credit: Debbie Mecer A West Side Homeowner Is Fighting To Save One Of The Oldest Houses In Austin From Being Demolished; The coach house behind Linda Culver's home has languished. Now she's working with preservationists to save the building, which could be up to 160 years old, Pascal Sabino, Block Club Chicago, Jun 7, 2021

THREATENED: Home to the Roy Boyd Gallery for 42 years, 739 N. Wells is Now Targeted for Demolition

Three-story Italianate Building, formerly Roy Boyd Gallery, at 739 N. Wells threatened with demolition. Photo Credit: Google Maps 21-story apartment tower looks to join booming Wells Street in River North; Developer Vista Property Group filed a zoning application to build 178 rental units, retail space, and parking for 53 cars, Jay Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago 5/25/21

THREATENED: Chicago Residents Fighting To Save Navy Pier’s Crystal Gardens

Chicago Residents Fighting To Save Navy Pier’s Crystal Gardens, One of City’s Only Indoor Green Spaces. Image Credit: WTTW Chicago Chicago Residents Fighting To Save Navy Pier’s Crystal Gardens, One of City’s Only Indoor Green Spaces; CNN and WTTW Chicago, 10/4/21

THREATENED: Happy Wash Building Threated By New Construction

Happy Wash Building, 1359 W. Wilson Ave. Photo credit: Google Maps 2 Apartment Buildings Proposed For Happy Wash Retail Strip On Uptown’s Wilson Avenue, Developers Ayman Khalil and Kareem Musawwir are asking to build to the property line, without a rear or front property-line setback, drawing criticism from neighbors, Joe Ward, Block Club Chicago, 10/21/21

THREATENED: 3339 N. Ridgeway Avenue at Risk of Demolition and Replacement with Luxury Condos

3339 N. Ridgeway Avenue at risk of demolition and replacement with luxury condo building. Photo credit: Google Map Avondale Neighbors Question Another Area Condo Project: ‘We Don’t Want To See Our Neighbors Pushed Out’; A property owner wants to tear down the brick three-flat he owns and build a six-unit condo building in its place, Mina Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 8/19/21

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Chicago Town and Tennis Club / Unity Church, built 1924, George W. Maher & Son, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, Demolished June 2020. Photo Credit: Joe Ward / Block Club Chicago

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Preservation Chicago seeks to nurture and support healthy, vibrant, diverse, and sustainable communities by leveraging the power of Chicago’s historic built environment. The path is long and steep, but we are making real and tangible progress. We are deeply grateful for your donations. Your support has allowed us to successfully convert ambitious strategic goals into on-the-ground realities. Our results have been surprising, significant and substantial. Thanks to your support, we can continue to make Chicago a better city. Your donation will provide us with the resources to protect the city; building by building, district by district, neighborhood by neighborhood. Preservation Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit so your donation is tax-deductible as permitted by law. Thank you for your support. Thank you for Loving Chicago Fiercely.

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