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Driehaus Foundation Awards 'Transformational' $2.3 Million Endowment Grant to Preservation Chicago. Image credit: Preservation Chicago Tweet

"Two years after Chicago philanthropist Richard Driehaus died, his foundation is awarding more than $5 million in 'transformational' legacy grants to support the causes he cared about most — historic preservation, the arts and investigative journalism.

"The largest grants in the foundation’s 31-year history, announced Monday, will primarily benefit three Chicago-based organizations — Preservation Chicago, Arts Work Fund and the Better Government Association — providing a charitable windfall to sustain and expand their work.

"'The organizations that these grants are going to, for the most part, are ones with which there was a really long relationship with the foundation,' said Anne Lazar, executive director of the Driehaus Foundation. 'These are grants that establish an entirely different level of program work.'

"Preservation Chicago, a small nonprofit organization best known for its annual list of the city’s most endangered historic structures, tops the recipients with a $2.3 million grant — nearly five times its annual budget. The two-year grant, the largest in Preservation Chicago’s 21-year history, will be used to establish an endowment fund and hire a full-time development director.

"'Building up the endowment would give the organization more stability and longevity,' said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago. 'This is the beginning of a really amazing, transformative process.'

"The grassroots group — it currently has four full-time employees — has been punching above its weight since inception, working to save everything from historic churches and warehouses to early Chicago skyscrapers. Among the organization’s hundreds of victories was the 2021 Chicago landmark designation for the South Side home of Emmett Till, a monument to the Civil Rights Movement.

"Last week, Preservation Chicago helped get preliminary landmark recommendations for The Warehouse, the three-story West Loop birthplace of house music, as well as the Century and Consumers buildings, terra cotta skyscrapers facing demolition in the Loop.

"Miller said the Driehaus Foundation gave Preservation Chicago its first grant nearly 20 years ago, and has been supporting its work ever since. He is hoping the endowment fund will be the gift that keeps on giving, encouraging other donors to follow suit." (Channick, Chicago Tribune, 4/18/23)

"We are pleased to announce that on April 17th the Foundation’s Board of Directors approved four legacy grants in memory of our founder, Richard H. Driehaus. The legacy grants are the largest grants ever awarded by the Foundation in its 31-year history. They reflect Richard’s passion for architecture, historic preservation, the arts, investigative journalism, and love for his hometown Chicago," said Anne Lazar, Driehaus Foundation Executive Director in a written statement.

"We honor Richard’s extraordinary legacy in a special way that reflects his devotion and vision for equitable and vibrant communities through support of the arts, the built environment, and investigative journalism," said Lazar.

"We are delighted to announce the following four recipients and how the legacy grants will support the work of these organizations," said Lazar. "Most of the recipients have a long history with the Foundation and were admired by Richard for their impact and accomplishments. It is a privilege for the Foundation to continue Richard’s philanthropy and to honor him through these legacy grants."

"'Richard was our champion. He passionately believed in our mission to preserve historic buildings in every Chicago neighborhood. This grant will provide our organization long-term sustainability. It gives us the resources to grow,' said Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago Executive Director." (Driehaus Foundation Announces Special Legacy Grants in Memory of Founder Richard H. Driehaus, Driehaus Foundation Website, April 2023)

Read the full story at Driehaus Foundation website and the Chicago Tribune

"A campaign to save two historic buildings on State Street from the wrecking ball took a step forward today when a city panel unanimously approved proposals to assign landmark status to the properties.

"The federal government, which owns the two early 20th-century towers — the Century Building at 202 S. State St. and the Consumers Building at 220 S. State St. — wants to tear them down to create a security buffer zone to protect the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse next door. Federal legislation approved last year included $52 million to cover the cost of demolishing the buildings.

"But preservationists have been imploring federal officials to reconsider that plan, pushing a proposal to turn the buildings into an archives center, a use they say would pose little security threat.

"'To tear them down is a disgrace and an insult to the proud history of Chicago's architectural significance,' Chicago architect Dirk Lohan — who worked on the design of the Dirksen building with his grandfather, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe — said at a meeting today of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

"The commission voted unanimously to assign preliminary landmark status to the two Loop buildings, but the process is far from over. And even if the buildings do become official city landmarks, the federal government has the constitutional authority to raze them anyway. But a pressure campaign could persuade the feds to change their mind.

"'This is an important step because the federal government and (General Services Administration) have not really heard clearly from the city of Chicago that the buildings are significant,' said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, an advocacy group that has been leading the charge to save the structures.

"'It sends a clear message to the GSA and federal government that they should be looking for alternative uses for these buildings and how important they are for the cityscape,' Miller said.

"The GSA, the agency that oversees federal buildings, says it is 'formally neutral' about the landmark proposals. Because the properties sit within the Loop Retail Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the agency is required to hold a series of its own hearings on its demolition plans. That process began last fall and is expected to wrap up in early 2024.

"The Century and Consumers buildings have led Preservation Chicago's annual list of most endangered spaces two years in a row. Designed by Jenny, Mundie & Jensen, the Consumers Building, a 22-story structure at 220 S. State St., opened in 1913. The Century Building, a 16-story building at 202 S. State St. designed by Holabird & Roche, opened two years later. The two structures represent the final years of the Chicago School of architecture, before the sleek, art deco style became popular.(Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 4/13/23)

"The Century and Consumers buildings downtown are landmarks in every sense of the word.

"Built in 1913, the upswept 16-story Century at 202 S. State St. was designed by the prestigious firm Holabird & Root and gives an advanced glimpse of the Art Deco building style that would become popular a decade later.

"The Jenny, Mundie & Jensen-designed Consumers Building at 220 S. State St. is a terra cotta-clad tower built in 1913. It’s a surviving example of the early high-rises that helped give then-young State Street —and downtown itself — much of its prominence.

"All of that history and architecture would be wrecked and hauled to oblivion, if the buildings’ owner, the federal government, has it way. Judges in the nearby Dirksen Federal Building — along with the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies — want to wreck the 100-year-old skyscrapers and two smaller structures between them to make room for a secure plaza to protect the courthouse.

"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks is set to decide Thursday [April 13, 2023] whether to recommend preliminary landmark status for the Century and Consumers building. The vote would come as the U.S. General Services Administration conducts a series of required federal hearings designed to determine if the buildings are indeed historic.

"We strongly encourage the city commission to recommend preliminary landmark status for the buildings, an act that could set the towers on a path toward a permanent designation.

"While the federal government has the power to override such a designation and wreck the buildings anyway, it would risk the embarrassment of doing so in the face of a credible argument by the city that the Century and Consumers are not only worthy of preservation, but can be reused without endangering judges at the Dirksen.

"Redevelop, not raze - The vacant buildings have been in peril since they were bought by the federal government in 2005, then left to rot. But things worsened in March 2022 when U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., earmarked $52 million to replace the site with a landscaped security buffer for the courthouse.

"We’ve never been convinced that demolishing the buildings would make the courthouse safer. That’s because the Dirksen and the two other buildings that compose the Federal Center’s core are surrounded by busy streets and other buildings. Dearborn Street runs through the middle of the complex.

"And given that State Street — like most downtown commercial corridors and North Michigan Avenue — needs all the help it can get, wrecking rather than redeveloping the site makes little sense.

"Indeed, the Century and Consumers buildings were actually headed for reuse in 2017, when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel approved CA Ventures’ $141 million plan to rehab and redevelop the properties. Under the bid, the city would have acquired the site from the federal government and turned it over to CA Ventures. The company would’ve turned the Consumers into 270 micro-apartments, while converting the Century Building into 159 studio and one-bedroom units.

"But in one of her administration’s earliest blunders, Mayor Lori Lightfoot in December 2019 nixed the deal, citing the feds’ safety concerns. If that mistake can be corrected at all, the recommendation of landmark status for the Century and Consumers is a key first step.

"Seek landmark status now - City landmark status would hopefully force a showdown between the city and the feds that could be resolved — this editorial board feels — with a deal in which the GSA could contribute the $52 million demolition earmark toward a plan to redevelop and reuse the buildings, with an eye toward the judges’ safety concerns.

"That’s the only outcome that benefits the economic health of State Street and downtown.

"Meanwhile, the sidewalk on State Street is fenced off in front of the Century and Consumers — ordered so by the feds last month after inspectors found structural weaknesses in the two buildings between the towers.

"The federal GSA said razing the pair of smaller buildings could begin this week. And it certainly feels like a possible harbinger of the Century and Consumers buildings’ future if some kind of evasive action is not taken — quickly." (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 4/11/23)

"The battle to save downtown’s vacant Century and Consumer Buildings from the federal wrecking ball received some welcomed national attention Tuesday, when the influential nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation named the century-old skyscrapers to its yearly America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.

"It couldn’t have come at a better time. The preservation group Landmarks Illinois named the buildings to its own most endangered list last week.

"And city landmarks officials last month voted unanimously to grant a preliminary designation to the federally-owned buildings, located on the southwest corner of Adams and State streets.

"'As two iconic early skyscrapers along Chicago’s historic State Street, the Century and Consumers Buildings contribute to the architectural significance of the area known as 'the Loop,'' the National Trust said in a statement.

"The buildings are on the chopping block because judges in the Dirksen Federal Building — plus the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies — believe the structures would be a security threat to the nearby courthouse if redeveloped and reoccupied as once planned.

"It’s an argument this editorial board has questioned since 2019. If the skyscrapers were wrecked, the Dirksen and the federal center still sit in the middle of downtown, where it faces other buildings and is bisected by busy Dearborn Street.

"The federal General Services Administration — which owns the site — still has the power to overrule the city and the National Trust listing and wreck the buildings anyway.

"But with all this activity, the feds must reconsider its wrongheaded plan to wreck the Century and Consumers.

"That is, if there’s any justice at all." (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 5/9/23)

Saving Places GSA Letter Writing Effort

Chicago’s legendary nightclub “The Warehouse” was granted preliminary landmark status. Interview with Max Chavez, Preservation Chicago Director of Research and Special Projects. The Week, Telekom Electronic Beats Podcast (11 min) on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

"Barely a month after being named to Preservation Chicago’s annual list of the city’s 'most endangered' buildings, the Warehouse — aka, the 'birthplace' of House music — is on its way to becoming an official Chicago landmark.

"A monumental show of support from 'Househeads' around the world brought the building at 206 S. Jefferson Ave. to the attention of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, which unanimously approved preliminary landmark status for the Warehouse on Thursday.

"'What a magical place,' said Commissioner Tiara Hughes. 'The cultural significance here is just mind-blowing.'

"Though it’s the building’s exterior that will be landmarked, it’s what went on inside the modest three-story structure that’s notable.

"The Warehouse opened in 1977, conceived as Chicago’s answer to New York City’s club scene. Owner Robert Williams recruited DJ Frankie Knuckles to make the move from the Big Apple to the Windy City, and the rest is history.

"Picking up elements of disco, soul, jazz, funk and gospel, and adding beats, Knuckles invented what came to be known as House music — “House” a reference to the Warehouse.

"'We didn’t know what we were witnessing,' said Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro and Smart Bar, who gravitated to the Warehouse in its heyday. 'Frankie was creating an entirely new genre ... a DJ who was shifting culture.'

"'It’s hard to overstate the influence of the Warehouse and Knuckles,' said Matt Crawford of the Department of Planning and Development, who prepared the landmark report.

"The Warehouse closed in 1982 and the building fell off the radar until it was recently sold, with the real estate listing referencing a “development” opportunity.

"It was that specter of demolition that led people like Michael Ball, who works in artist relations and runs a music studio, to rush to defend what he told the commission was like 'the Vatican, the Mecca of House music.'

"Avi Kamionski, an attorney, is one of the new owners and he assured the landmark commission that there’s no intent to tear down the building. The plan is to do an interior 'refresh' and use it for office space, including for his own legal practice. The appeal of the building, Kamionski said, is its location opposite his alma mater, the Kent College of Law.

"'We’d like to work with the commission on this issue,' he said. 'It’s cool to hear about all the history of the building.'

"While the perceived threat to the building’s existence may have been a false alarm, the attention Preservation Chicago brought to an overlooked piece of the city’s history was long overdue.

"'The Warehouse is that perfect Chicago story. Now is the time to honor Knuckles and House sound,' said Max Chavez, Preservation Chicago’s director of research and special projects.

"DJ Celeste Alexander, who counts Knuckles as one of her mentors, said Chicago is known around the world as the birthplace of House, but 'we do not have a building, a place to give a starting point of its origin. The history of House music and culture should have a designation where people can see where it all began.'" (Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 4/13/23)

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1891, designed by architect Frederick Townsend, with additions by Theilbar & Fugard, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. Photo credit:  Matt Gilbert / Chicago YIMBY

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1891, designed by architect Frederick Townsend, with additions by Theilbar & Fugard, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. Photo credit:  Matt Gilbert / Chicago YIMBY

If not for the preservation advocacy effort, Epworth Church would have been demolished.

Preservation Chicago has been working to find good preservation outcome for Epworth United Methodist Church for over two years with congregants, neighbors, the Edgewater Historical Society, and Ald. Harry Osterman (48th). Concern grew as the congregation shrank and it became increasing clear that the top priority of ownership was to maximize sale price. When Epworth was first listed for sale, Preservation Chicago found a Chicago-based foundation interested in purchasing the complex, conducting a full renovation, and maintaining a religious and homeless shelter use. The purchase offer was dismissed and the seller's priorities became more transparent.

The announcement of the closing of Epworth and a “demolition sale” sounded the alarm bells. Despite assurances from the developer that demolition was not being considered, the receipt of the demolition permit application by the City of Chicago confirmed the true intentions of the developer.

Due to extensive neighborhood advocacy, coordination and preparation, a rapid response took the developer by surprise and forced a withdrawal of the demolition permit application. Additionally, when the true intentions of the developer ran counter to previous verbal assurances, the formal Landmark designation process was accelerated.

"The 132-year-old Epworth Church, once slated to be demolished, is one step away from becoming a city landmark and being converted into affordable housing. The city’s Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted Thursday to approve a final landmark recommendation for the stone church at 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. The landmark proposal now goes for a vote before the City Council’s Committee on Zoning and then the full City Council.

"Epworth Church’s future was uncertain after the congregation held its final services in spring 2022. After a demolition scare, the landmarking process was started last year to preserve the church.

"Epworth’s owner said they plan to convert the church and a community building into 40-45 affordable apartments. The apartments would include a mix of studios and one-bedrooms, said Mike Jones, executive director of Church Properties Reimagined.

"Church Properties Reimagined leaders said they agreed to the landmark status for the property.

"The city’s review of Epworth Church showed the structure met four of seven criteria of a historic structure, enough to be classified as a landmark. That includes its heritage in the Edgewater neighborhood and its architectural significance, officials said.

"The church building was completed in 1891, with noted architect Frederick B. Townsend donating his services, according to the Edgewater Historical Society. In the 1930s, the building was expanded and a community house added to accommodate a growing congregation.

"The demolition request drew condemnation from neighbors. It also started the landmarking process.

"Because the church was rated “orange” in the city’s historical survey, any requests to demolish the structure automatically trigger a 90-day period to review the building’s historical significance.

"Church Properties Reimagined originally did not agree to the landmarking process, which required a public hearing, city officials said. That hearing was held March 30, when the owners said they would not object to the landmarking if it meant not having to preserve the windows and doors." (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 4/14/23)

2nd Annual Point Day at the Point, May 27, 2023 from 9 to 3. More information at Promontory Point Conservancy webpage. Image credit: Promontory Point Conservancy

"Promontory Point, Hyde Park’s beloved lakefront park and home to the last stretch of limestone shoreline barriers in the city, is officially a Chicago landmark.

"Promontory Point, which runs from 54th to 56th streets on the lakefront, features limestone revetments which protect the shoreline from erosion, 'council rings' of native stone, a French Eclectic-style pavilion, the David Wallach Fountain, a section of the Lakefront Trail and a central meadow.

"The landmark designation protects the Point’s limestone revetments, Alfred Caldwell’s landscape design of a central meadow surrounded by 'irregular groupings of plants and trees,' the pathways, the council rings, the fountain and 'all exterior elevations and roofline' of the pavilion.

"Specific plants and trees to include on the property are excluded from the designation, in case new plants must be grown to ensure the park’s resilience 'in the face of climate change,' according to the ordinance.

"Landmark status will ensure 'an extra step of oversight' toward preserving the Point’s iconic limestone steps as city and federal agencies reinforce Chicago’s shoreline, supporters say. The beloved gathering space was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

"The designation passed unanimously during the last City Council meeting for retiring Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th), who has been a vocal advocate for preserving the Point’s limestone since the early 2000s.

"The Promontory Point Conservancy, a nonprofit that grew from the Save the Point campaign of the 2000s, requested in November that the commission consider a landmark designation.

"Supporters of the landmarking effort sent hundreds of letters to members of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks ahead of the park’s preliminary designation in January.

"Wednesday’s vote 'makes me want to go out and celebrate,' conservancy president Jack Spicer said. 'This is a tremendous honor and a wonderment for the community.'

"For more than 20 years, advocates have demanded city and federal officials preserve Promontory Point’s limestone as they reinforce the lakefront through the Shoreline Protection Project.

The shoreline project is led by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Park District. Unlike the rest of Chicago’s lakefront, the Point’s limestone is still in place because the park hasn’t been renovated since the project was funded in 1996.

"Activists 'hope for the best' that city officials will stick to their word, Spicer said. He praised the landmark designation for creating “a shared preservation language” among everyone involved in the renovation process, which will be key to making upgrades everyone can be happy with, he said.

"The designation is far from the end for the Save the Point campaign, which is part of a wider South Side movement for park equity, Spicer said. Advocates will continue gathering community input on the Point, as well as on the futures of the South Shore Cultural Center, Jackson Park, the Midway Plaisance, Washington Park and others nearby, he said.

"There is a lot of pressure for all these parks to become commercialized and developed,' Spicer said. '… We don’t want [the Park District] to be making money in the parks at the expense of the community.'" (Evans, Block Club Chicago, 4/19/23)

Preservation Chicago applauds the Promontory Point Conservancy for their dedicated advocacy effort to 'Save the Point". Preservation Chicago has been working closely with the Promontory Point Conservancy to request to the Chicago Commission on Landmarks to designate Promontory Point as a Designated Chicago Landmark. Promontory Point Conservancy is responsible for the extensive report by preservation consultant Julia Bachrach detailing the historical significance of the Point which clearly established the need for Chicago Landmark designation.

There has been strong support for saving the Point from elected officials including Alderman Leslie Hairston, Cook County Commissioner William Lowry, State Representative Curtis Tarver, State Senator Robert Peters, and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly. Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a statement for the restoration of Promontory Point. In addition to Preservation Chicago, other organizations in support include Hyde Park Historical Society, Landmarks Illinois, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Friends of the Parks, Openlands Chicago, and the Cultural Landscape Foundation.

"A 137-year-old Near West Side church was granted landmark status Wednesday following a City Council vote.

"Greater Union Baptist Church, 1956 W. Warren Blvd., was named a city landmark at the same meeting in which alderpeople also landmarked Promontory Point on the South Side.

"The church has stood since 1886 after members of the Church of the Redeemer congregation established themselves there. The congregation was founded in 1858 by A. C. Barry and comprised mostly Union soldiers and volunteers from the Civil War, taking a staunch abolitionist stance, according to the city’s report on preserving of the church.

"Ownership changed hands in 1928 after a Black Baptist congregation bought it for about $37,400 and turned it into the Greater Union Baptist Church. The church was active during the Civil Rights Movement, staying active in the NAACP and raising funds for victims of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four Black girls in 1963, officials said. Church members also supported a boycott of Chicago Public Schools to oppose racial segregation and overcrowding of schools.

"The building was designed by William Le Baron Jenney, the creator of the skyscraper. It has been their place of worship for the last 94 years. (Arline, Block Club Chicago, 4/19/23)

Preservation Chicago strongly supported the Chicago Landmark Designation for Greater Union Baptist Church. Preservation Chicago has worked with the Greater Union Baptist Congregation, Board of Directors, and both Pastor Dr. McCray and former pastor Willie Morris of Church, for over seven years towards the designation of the church as a Chicago Landmark.

We were grateful to assist the City of Chicago’s Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Planning and Development to capture oral histories of the Pastor and many of the longtime members of the Congregation. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to assist with the Preliminary and later Final Landmark Recommendation and bring this great honor to this amazing West Side institution.

Special thanks to the DPD-Historic Preservation Staff, Pastor Dr. McCray and the many members of Great Union Baptist Church for their help, commitment, dedication and stewardship towards this important moment in our collective history.

Preservation Chicago Letter of Support on May 4, 2023 to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks regarding Greater Tabernacle Cathedral/Former Holy Rosary Church Complex, 11300-11312 S. King Drive, Chicago

Dear Chairman Wong and Members of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks,

We are writing to express our strong support for the “Preliminary Landmark Recommendation” of Greater Tabernacle Cathedral, formerly known as the Holy Rosary Catholic Church Complex and located at 11300 to 11312 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in the Roseland Community of Chicago.

This church structure and complex has been a community landmark since its construction in 1890, as it was designed by architect, Solon S. Beman, who was also the architect of the Town of Pullman, now known as the Pullman National Park.

The church, with its tall iconic tower and steeple, was constructed on “Pullman Lands,” once owned by industrialist, George Pullman, and prior to the construction of the tall railroad embankment and viaduct, must have appeared to be part of the larger Town of Pullman, directly to the east and across Cottage Grove Avenue. This was a very important feature and aspect to Mr. George Pullman as the vistas of his newly created factory town from various vantage points was meant to be overly impressive and beautiful to visitors, especially upon arrival by railroad.

The church building’s deep-rich red brick, gabled façade, arched windows and entry, in addition to its primary façades and monolithic tower, are a great compliment to the many of the designated Chicago Landmark buildings of architect Solon S. Beman, and the Pullman National Park nearby. We therefore view this church and the adjoining Olmsted-designed, Palmer Park, along with Elam Lutheran Church (now said to be vacant), also by Solon S. Beman, along with the former Pullman Manuel Training School/now Gwendolyn Brooks Academy, as an extension of the original Town of Pullman. And therefore, perhaps also an extension of the Pullman National Parklands, which we hope will continue to attract many visitors in the future, noting its rich history.

We also realize the great significance of the church, now Cathedral building and rectory to the career and accomplishments of former President Barack Obama, as this was the site of one of his early offices as a community organizer.

In 2020, Preservation Chicago, listed Roseland’s South Michigan Avenue Commercial District as one of

our Chicago 7 Most Endangered sites. Located several blocks to the west of Greater Tabernacle Cathedral, we encouraged the possibility of a new Chicago Landmark District, extending from King Drive westward to Michigan Avenue and including the buildings, structures and parklands along 111th and 113th Streets.

This was envisioned to co-join the Pullman National Monument, now Pullman National Park, and once

again tie together their shared histories, and encourage sensitive reuse, restoration and reinvestment of the historic buildings of Roseland and South Michigan Avenue. The recognition and designation of the Greater Tabernacle Cathedral Complex, may be the first step towards this idea and vision, looking to the future.

With all of this noted, we at Preservation Chicago wish to strongly support the Preliminary Landmark

Recommendation for the Greater Tabernacle Cathedral, formerly known as Holy Rosary “Irish” Catholic

Church in the Roseland Community of Chicago. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Ward Miller, The Richard H. Driehaus Executive Director of Preservation Chicago

"A local real estate titan received a permit from the city’s Department of Buildings to wreck and remove a historic Lincoln Park home built soon after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, ending a monthslong effort by preservationists to save it.

"Thaddeus Wong, the Co-CEO of @properties | Christie’s International Real Estate, bought the home at 2240 N. Burling St. late last year for $2 million from his neighbor Judy Blatherwick, a 79-year-old Chicago Public Schools retiree. Wong filed for a demolition permit in November. But city planners in the 1990s rated the Italianate wood frame historically significant, automatically putting a 90-day hold on the permit.

"Activists from Preservation Chicago, along with local community organizations, launched a petition drive to save the nearly 150-year-old home. The groups also asked the Chicago Commission on Landmarks to further delay the demolition or officially landmark 2240, but commissioners denied that request in February.

"'It’s really tragic, and we hoped the owner would have second thoughts,' said Ward Miller, president of Preservation Chicago. 'I don’t know of anyone in the community opposed to saving it.'

"Wong declined to comment for this story. Demolition was underway Monday morning.

"The tear down of Blatherwick’s longtime home is another sign the city’s 90-day rule can’t fully protect Lincoln Park’s historic buildings, added Miller, and without stronger safeguards, wealthy buyers will continue demolishing the community’s graceful architecture, including its few remaining affordable units.

"The national Sheffield Historic District covers much of Lincoln Park, including 2240 N. Burling St., but the designation doesn’t protect individual buildings. Between 1993 and 2019, more than 350 buildings, roughly one-third of the Sheffield district’s stock, was either demolished or significantly altered, often transformed from three-flats or other multifamily properties into single-family homes or new condominiums, according to an analysis by Landmarks Illinois.

"Residents are already mourning the loss of 2240 Burling, which Blatherwick’s mother-in-law purchased in the 1950s.

"'I understand some people don’t want the expense of preserving wood buildings, but 2240 is a very early post-Fire building that certainly deserves to be saved, and I think it’s a travesty it’s being torn down,' said Diane Gonzalez, a resident of nearby Old Town. 'There is not enough protection, and that’s especially important for Lincoln Park, because its real estate is valuable, and some people want to put up fancy new buildings.'

"Preservation Chicago did explore several options to save 2240, he added, such as moving or disassembling the house and placing it elsewhere, much like the Harriet F. Rees House at 2110 S. Prairie Ave. was moved in 2014 to make way for Wintrust Arena, but the plans proved impractical. Instead, the group carefully photographed the exterior and interior of 2240, to at least preserve its memory.

"Gonzalez said Lincoln Park may need the stronger protections given by local landmark status. She helped lead the fight to get the Old Town neighborhood designated a city landmark in 1977, a move that saved much of its Victorian-era architecture.

"'Old Town is a gem that was saved, thank God,' she said." (Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 4/25/23)

"The Obsidian Collection received zoning approval to convert the historical Palmer mansion at 3654 S. King Drive into a digital archive center and members-only coworking hub for Black journalists and creators.

"Obsidian Collection founder Angela Ford is behind the $3.8 million plan for the famed Lu and Jorja Palmer mansion, which landed on Preservation Chicago’s 'Most Endangered Buildings' list four years ago after falling into disrepair.

"Completed in 1888 for Justice D. Harry Hammer, the mansion was bought by local journalist Lu Palmer and his wife, Jorja, in 1976. Palmer remained in the house until his death in 2004.

"Ford wants to transform the mansion into a three-story facility where members can enjoy small bites and non-alcoholic beverages. Two apartments on the top floor would serve visiting scholars, and the space would host events like film screenings and panel discussions, Ford said at a community meeting earlier this year. (Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 4/19/23)

Preservation Chicago strongly supports Angela Ford and The Obsidian Collection’s effort to adaptively reuse the Palmer Mansion for a nonprofit digital archive for photographs, video and documents to focus on making Black history more available and accessible. This is an incredibly exciting development. Despite a series of exasperating delays and obstructions, we continue to do everything we can to support this effort.

Preservation Chicago had been concerned about the deteriorating condition of the Justice D. Harry Hammer Mansion/Lutrelle ‘Lu’ & Jorja Palmer Mansion for years. To help raise awareness and to pressure stakeholders, it became a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2019. We have played an active role working with community organizations, local leaders, and decision-makers to help bring about a preservation-sensitive outcome for this building.

"Two more proposals to create affordable housing on LaSalle Street could get city funding.

"The proposals are part of an initiative to revitalize LaSalle Street in the Financial District by turning office buildings into residential units. Developers pitched ideas, and the city initially chose three in March — but two semi-finalists resubmitted their proposals and have been chosen to move forward and possibly get tax-increment finance funding.

"The final two picks are for 105 W. Adams St. and 30 N. LaSalle St.

"The five proposals need City Council approval to get the funding and move forward. If approved, they’ll create more than 1,600 housing units, with more than 600 of them affordable.

"The conversions could reduce upper-story commercial vacancies along the corridor by nearly 50 percent, officials said.

"'As LaSalle Street continues to evolve as one of the most distinguished and storied corridors in the Midwest, these conversions reaffirm the city’s support for innovative projects and improvements that reinforce its economic vitality for all Chicagoans,' Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a news release.

"The three other proposals are for projects at 111 W. Monroe St., 135 S. LaSalle St. and 208 S. LaSalle St. They are slated to create 1,059 apartments, 317 of them affordable, and will get $188 million in tax-increment finance funding.

"All five proposals will go through a review process with the city’s planning and housing departments, according to a news release. They will then move to the Community Development Commission and then City Council for final approval." (Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 5/9/23)

"The winning proposals total 1.6 million square feet of space and include:

Preservation Chicago encourages Chicago Landmark Designation for the LaSalle Street buildings that are not currently landmarks, including 111 W. Monroe and 105 W. Adams. Landmark designation would require a higher quality adaptive reuse, retention of the historic building features, and would help ensure these buildings qualify for millions of dollars of Historic Tax Credits.

"The Hotel Florence in the Pullman neighborhood has been in a kind of limbo since the state bought the Victorian-era landmark 32 years ago.

"Built in 1881 by railroad car manufacturer George M. Pullman to welcome guests to his new self-contained company town, the state in 1991 had plans to restore the hotel and make it a tourist attraction for the historic neighborhood.

"But the effort faced fits and starts — mostly fits — over the next three decades and was never completed.

"That could change Wednesday. That’s when the Illinois General Assembly’s Executive Committee is set to hear a bill that would allocate $21 million toward the hotel’s restoration. The bill also calls for the state to seek a private operator that would handle the hotel’s redevelopment and run the facility afterward.

The Far South Side Pullman community has seen plenty of long-awaited successes lately. There’s the U.S. National Park Service turning the once-vacant former Pullman train factory at 11101 S. Cottage Grove Ave. into a beautifully restored visitors’ center in 2021, and the current commercial redevelopment of vacant industrial land on the north side of East 111th Street.

Given those successes, the executive committee must follow suit and give the thumbs-up to the Hotel Florence bill, followed by the Senate and then Gov. J.B. Pritzker granting the measure quick passage and a signature.

"The Illinois Department of Natural Resources owns the Hotel Florence, 11111 S. Forrestville Ave. The state bought the building in 1991 from the Historic Pullman Foundation, which purchased the structure in 1975 to save it from demolition.

In addition to the 1881 building, the hotel has a four-story annex that was built along 111th Street in 1914.

"The hotel has been open for tours on occasion. But if this latest effort is successful, guests could once again stay in the hotel, and its first floor restaurant — which had been operational off and on since the 1990s — would be revived as well. The state would retain ownership of the property.

“With every administration, they promised and nothing gets delivered,” Smith said. “Here we are now with an incredible opportunity.”

If the bill becomes law, the state’s Department of Natural Resources would have the power to issue a request-for-proposals within six months, seeking a developer/operator for the hotel — including the annex — and the restaurant.

But the end result would be a new, historic hotel and restaurant that is also a self-sustaining tourist destination that would complement the National Park Service’s efforts in Pullman.

That’s good for the neighborhood, the South Side and the city itself. (Chicago Sun-Times, Editorial Board, 5/2/23)

Preservation Chicago has long advocated for the restoration and reactivation of the Hotel Florence. With all of the success of boutique hotels in historic buildings, Preservation Chicago would encourage the Hotel Florence to be faithfully restored and reopened as a highly authentic hotel or museum.

"Chicago will soon have a new mayor. At this renaissance moment, we have an extraordinary opportunity to throw out Chicago’s old and worn playbook based on backroom deals, and to assemble a new one based on equity, justice and transparency.

"Here’s an example happening right now: Despite community opposition, the misguided, top-down designation of the eastern end of the Midway Plaisance — a historic park designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted — as a “replacement” for parkland taken for the Obama Presidential Center continues its slow crawl forward.

"The Chicago Park District notified nearby residents of its application to the Chicago Plan Commission to be heard at its April 20 meeting at 10 a.m. The park district’s intent is to use the Midway site to fulfill the city’s legal responsibility to replace recreational park space lost in adjacent Jackson Park.

"The application includes a proposal to reconfigure that portion of the Midway by draining an existing wetland and installing water-diverting piping to try to replicate its natural functions, and by constructing an expansive, universally accessible playground as the central feature.

"We believe the City of Chicago and the park district need to reverse course — to reclaim their responsibility to protect and enhance Chicago’s public parks by choosing a different location for the required replacement parkland. This choice could provide new parkland in a neighborhood that lacks adequate access to open space.

"At a time when many mature trees in Jackson Park have been removed and when alarming predictions about the accelerating rate of climate change continue to escalate, environmental priorities should be paramount. The Midway Plaisance Advisory Council has endorsed an alternative plan to incorporate the existing wetland into a space landscaped for sustainable, low-maintenance use and centered on the restored Cheney-Goode Memorial, the first monument (1932) to women erected in any Chicago park, which has been long neglected and is overdue for attention.

"We heartily support the goal of the park district to serve Chicago’s special-needs community with an ambitious and innovatively-designed playground. However, the existing parkland at the eastern tip of the Midway is ill-suited as the location for this use. The location is inappropriate for three reasons: the lack of barriers between the Stony Island Avenue traffic next to the Midway, and children and adults who would be using the playground and have a wide range of needs and experiences; the lack of adequate parking close to the site; and the lack of adjacent restroom facilities." (Lodato, Nelms and Seidel, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/18/23)

"In 2017 the Chicago Park District proposed a plan to redevelop the Jackson Park 18-hole golf course and the South Shore 9-hole course, combining them into a single 18-hole course. The new design was presented by Tiger Woods and his company TGR Designs.

"The proposal calls for the destruction of the existing holes at South Shore and a majority of the holes at Jackson Park, in addition to removing roadways that connect the neighborhood to South Lake Shore Drive. While Openlands agrees that these historical golf courses deserve a restoration to make them more enjoyable to play, we OPPOSE any plan that would destroy the South Shore Nature Sanctuary, take down thousands of trees unnecessarily, not provide diverse golfing opportunities, and increase the cost to play beyond reach.

"A true restoration of Jackson Park and South Shore Courses would create equitable and enjoyable opportunities for all residents and visitors to enjoy playing the two courses while protecting important habitat for wildlife, migratory birds, and humans alike.

"We need your help to make sure that a true restoration of the Jackson Park and South Shore Golf Courses that also protects the South Shore Nature Sanctuary is prioritized over the proposed TGR Golf Course. Please use this form to contact your Alderperson and Mayor Lightfoot to request their action on this issue."

"Long-discussed plans to rehab the deteriorating Congress Theater are back on track, with a key city panel expected to vote on the proposal as early as next month.

"Developer Baum Revision is asking for $27 million in tax-increment financing to support the $88 million renovation.

"The funding request was introduced to City Council last month, but staunch union supporter Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10th) temporarily blocked further consideration of the ordinance over labor concerns.

"Sadlowski Garza sent the proposal to Rules Committee — sometimes referred to as legislative purgatory. Alderpeople voted Wednesday to bring the ordinance out of its standstill, and it will now be considered by the council’s Finance Committee before a final vote before the full council.

"In a text message, project champion Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said AEG, the theater operator, and labor union UNITE HERE Local 1, have reached a labor agreement to resolve Sadlowski Garza’s concerns. La Spata declined to comment further.

"The historical Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave., is in a dire state after sitting vacant for a decade and years of negligence.

"Baum plans to fully restore the 2,900-seat, 1920s music venue as well as the surrounding retail shops and apartments.

"Baum is the second developer in recent years to endeavor an extensive rehab of the Congress Theater, which was shut down by the city in 2013 for code and safety violations after embattled former owner Eddie Carranza defaulted on $4 million in loans.

"Built in 1926 by Fridstein & Co., the Congress is one of the last-remaining theaters associated with famous “moving picture theater” operators Lubliner & Trinz. It is a city landmark with an impressive number of original architectural details.

But the historical theater has crumbled in recent years as redevelopment efforts have stalled. Baum officials previously said the theater’s worsening condition — combined with higher construction costs — have made the renovation project challenging." (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 4/19/23)

The Congress Theater was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002 in large part due to the strong advocacy and dedication of Preservation Chicago and Logan Square Preservation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Over the past 20 years, Preservation Chicago and Logan Square Preservation have continued to advocate for its restoration and reactivation. There have been many challenges and false starts, but we are optimistic that this renovation effort will prove successful.

"The Lillian Marcie Center is being built on the site of an old Marshall Field warehouse built in 1915.

"The council approved $6 million in tax-increment financing to support the construction of the Lillian Marcie Center for the Performing Arts, 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

"The 22,500-square-foot, two-story space is the centerpiece of a larger initiative that includes plans for a Black performing arts museum, studio space, a restaurant and jazz club.

"The center is planned to have a 350-seat, multi-level auditorium and a 100-seat space for more intimate performances, along with rehearsal space, dressing rooms and offices. An outdoor gathering area would offer neighbors space to meet, officials have said.

"Construction is estimated to cost $25 million. The state is providing funding via a grant from the Build Illinois Bond Fund. (Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 4/19/23)

“The Lillian Marcie Center for the Performing Arts, 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave., will be on the site of an old Marshall Field warehouse built in 1915. The 22,500-square-foot, two-story space is the centerpiece of a larger initiative that includes plans for a Black performing arts museum, studio space, a restaurant and jazz club.

“Local developer Keith Giles and investor Mike Wordlaw will oversee construction, working with Bronzeville native and actor Harry Lennix to bring his vision of a ‘Black Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ to life.

“The center will complement other efforts to revitalize the 43rd Street corridor, including 4400 Grove — a mixed-use development now home to Bronzeville Winery — and restoration of The Forum, which owner Bernard Loyd hopes to transform into a cultural destination.

“‘Where government has fallen short, and where the church has failed, that’s where culture can come in. I believe it’s an excellent third way, but we need both the church and the state in order to support the culture. I’m especially grateful to all of those who agreed with that sentiment,’ Lennix said." (Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 4/20/22)

William Ernest Walker Walker was a well-known architect of the period who started his career as a draftsman for Henry Ives Cobb for five years. He also served as Superintendent of Construction for the City of Chicago’s Board of Education. Walker designed many types of buildings across Chicago, including a few luxury apartment towers along Lake Shore Drive. However, large scale warehouses and fireproof apartment buildings were his specialties.

In addition to the Marshall Field & Company Warehouse Stable at 4343 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, William Ernest Walker designed other stables for Marshall Fields, including:

– 3133-3137 N. Halsted Avenue – (Briar Street Theater, converted in 1993) permit issued in 1902

– 858-860 E. 63rd Street (SW corner of St. Lawrence Ave; Demolished), 1902

"The renovation of CircEsteem’s Uptown headquarters is moving forward after the City Council approved $5 million for the project Wednesday.

"The circus arts nonprofit is planning a massive overhaul of its complex at 4730 N. Sheridan Road, the Lakeside Theater building that opened in 1914 as a movie house.

"Plans call for a renovation of the building and an expansion of its performing arts hub and youth center. The project received $5 million from the city through a community development grant and through tax-incremental financing, which were approved Wednesday by the City Council.

"CircEsteem decided to remove an expansive mosaic mural from its building’s facade to renovate the building.

The mural, titled 'I Will …,' was installed in 2006 under the building’s previous owner and with help from neighborhood kids. It covers much of the front facade.

"The organization plans to add windows to the building’s facade, similar to how it looked in its earliest days. That required the removal of the mural, created by artist Tracy Van Duinen.

"The decision to remove the mural was not an easy one, said Patty Aikonedo, director of community outreach at CircEsteem. But it will help the group restore its building to its 1910s movie-house roots while creating a state-of-the-art performance center and neighborhood attraction, she said.

"'It doesn’t entirely encapsulate the excitement and energy going on in CircEsteem,' Aikonedo said of the building’s facade. 'We want the community to know what is going on behind the scenes at CircEsteem, to see how talented our kids are.'

"CircEsteem, founded in 2001, helps kids learn self-esteem and artistic expression through circus arts. It holds after-school programs and workshops throughout the city, as well as programs and performances from its Sheridan Road headquarters.

"For most of its existence, CircEsteem shared space in the building at 4730 N. Sheridan Road with youth empowerment agency Alternatives Inc. Thanks to an anonymous donation, CircEsteem was able to buy the building from Alternatives in August.

"CircEsteem learned last summer it would receive a community grant from the city to renovate its building. The group will try to raise $2.2 million in a capital campaign to support the remainder of the project, city records show.

"The renovated building is slated to debut summer 2024." (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 4/19/23)

"A preliminary permit for interior demolition has been granted in preparation for the revitalization of the Cameron Building at 240 N Ashland Avenue in the Near West Side. Situated on the southwest corner at the intersection with W Fulton Street, the historic clocktower building has been vacant for several years and is now proposed as the new headquarters for local incubator mHUB. The non-profit organization is driving the initiative, while Gensler is now confirmed as the project architect.

"Constructed in 1926, Cameron Building was designed by Thielbar and Fugard in the Prairie Style and functioned as a manufacturing plant for the Cameron Can Company for many years. It later housed the headquarters for Crate & Barrel’s CB2 until 2019.

"mHUB plans to relocate from its current 63,000-square-foot facility at 965 W Chicago Avenue in River West to the larger 80,000-square-foot building as its existing lease is set to expire next year. The manufacturing-centric incubator has been responsible for 410 patents, 3,900 new jobs, and millions in capital raised for its affiliated companies. Today the structure remains a prominent focal point when looking west along Fulton Street.

"mHUB is expected to invest approximately $32 million in purchasing the property and an additional $14 million in adapting it to suit its requirements. This will allow for the relocation of nearly $6 million worth of prototyping equipment, 10 labs, a micro-factory, and other facilities that host over 50 entrepreneurial and technical classes for more than 600 members.

"The approved plan will allocate $17.5 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) from the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, as well as $9.5 million in state funds, to help realize their vision for the three-story building, including the restoration of the clock tower as reported by Crain’s Chicago.

"The interior demolition permit has listed Executive Construction as the general contractor, with this initial stage reported to cost $250,000. With mHUB having just purchased the site, the project is anticipated to be completed later this year, allowing the incubator to move in before the expiration of their current lease." (Crawford, Chicago YIMBY, 5/4/23)

"As part of this significant investment of public funds, Preservation Chicago strongly encourages the City of Chicago to consider Chicago Landmark designation for the Cameron Building / Cook Brothers Building. This building is a strong candidate for designation considering its design by notable architects and significant building history.

This is an excellent use of for this historic loft warehouse building. Preservation Chicago strongly encourages the use of city funds to restore and reactivate Chicago Landmarks and landmark-eligible buildings. We additionally encourage Chicago Landmark designation status be a requirement for eligibility for the significant investment of public funds.

"Chicago still has its mojo in the data center business.

"Data centers aren’t the sort of real estate development that get much glory. There’s typically no reason for the public to visit them and their appearance can be drab. They are distinguished by the large quantities of space they require and the vast quantities of power they need.

"They provide space for the equipment that does the work of all things in technology, allowing us to put documents in the cloud, execute financial trades in a flash and stream the latest goofiness on TikTok. Experts believe that as artificial intelligence gains acceptance, it will increase demand for data centers.

"Chicago is well positioned for this. A 2023 report by Cushman & Wakefield said among global markets, Chicago is tied for 5th place in its appeal for data centers. The ranking is based on factors such as land costs, reliable utilities and state-authorized tax incentives.

"40 E. Garfield Blvd. - It’s far from any nexus for these things, and that may be its problem. The building at the northwest corner of Garfield and Wabash Avenue is the old Schulze Baking Co. property, with floors designed for heavy equipment. A data center seems natural and news stories from a few years ago said one was planned.

"But nothing has moved forward and much of the building remains shrouded in tarp. South Siders say it’s been that way for months. Its owner is 1547 Critical Systems Realty, based in Matawan, New Jersey. A spokesperson for the company had no information about what it has marketed as the 230,000-square-foot Midway Technology Center.

"The building dates from 1914 and is on the National Register of Historic Places but could be torn down. Preservation Chicago previously put it on its 'most endangered list.'" (Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/3/23)

Vacant and suffering deferred maintenance since 2004, the Schulze Baking Company building needs to be renovated. 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.

The renovation and adaptively reused data center plan announced in 2018 was received with great enthusiasm by the Chicago preservation community. Despite being of landmark quality, the Schulze Baking Company building was never designated as a Chicago Landmark. While it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, a National Register of Historic Places listing does nothing to prevent demolition.

"The city has signed off on a developer’s plan to replace a Wilson Avenue retail building with an apartment complex, the third time a developer has tried to build on the site.

"The Zoning Board of Appeals on Friday approved plans to replace the single-story retail strip at 1359 W. Wilson Ave. with a 28-unit apartment building. With the vote, the project has final approval after years of developers eyeing the property.

"Plans call for a five-story building to be erected at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Dover Street. There will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units and a first-floor parking garage with 25 parking spots and 18 bike racks.

The project did not need a rezoning, but developers Ayman Khalil and Kareem Musawwir sought zoning variances to build closer to the property lines and increase the maximum height allowed from 60 feet to 66 feet, records show. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved those variances Friday.

"Because the project did not need a rezoning, it will not be required to include affordable units. The city’s affordability requirement only kicks in when a rezoning is required, if it was a former city-owned lot or if the project gets financial support from the city.

"The existing building at 1359 W. Wilson Ave. — known to neighbors as the Happy Wash building — is home to The Mukase African Restaurant." (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 4/26/23)

Preservation Chicago and community preservation partners strongly oppose the demolition of the ornate terra cotta building at 1359 W. Wilson Ave. In return for the zoning approval, the developer should have been required to retain and incorporate the historic one-story terra cotta façade into the new construction.

"Our Lady of Victory, located at 5212 W. Agatite Ave, is the oldest Catholic parish on the Northwest Side, said Susanna Ernst, the president of the Northwest Chicago Historical Society. She is also the president of Save OLV, the organization that fought to overturn the archdiocese’s decree.

"Ernst, who has been a parishioner at Our Lady of Victory since 2006, said the deep community ties to the church and the fact that the church was solvent and not in debt made the decree “a hard pill to swallow.

"'There were people that were sobbing' when the church closed, Ernst said, 'because they’d been going to the church for generations — their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, sometimes their great-great-grandparents.'

"When the archdiocese decreed Our Lady of Victory would be closed, parishioners began appealing to save their church as they knew it. First, they appealed the consolidation of Our Lady of Victory with other local churches, which was denied by both the Archdiocese of Chicago and later the Vatican.

"The last Mass at Our Lady of Victory Church was celebrated in November 2021.

"After the later decree that the church would be deconsecrated in addition to being closed, the parish tried again. They were denied by the Archdiocese of Chicago, but were ultimately successful at the highest level — the Vatican.

"'We went through the decree, and we refuted every line,' Ernst said of the appeal to the Vatican. The decree cited factors like declining attendance and financial woes.

"On April 11, the archdiocese announced the initial decree was revoked for now. Archdiocese spokesperson Susan Thomas told the Sun-Times the matter will be revisited next month. The decree was revoked because the meetings to discuss the fate of the church took place over Zoom, not in-person.

"Ernst added that Our Lady of Victory, which was built in 1906, is more than just a house of worship. It is a historical landmark in a neighborhood that has few remaining.

"'The idea that one of the few beautiful, wonderful historic spaces that we have could see the wrecking ball, that is devastating to me,' Ernst said.

"If the decree is reinstated, Ernst said, the historical society will pursue landmark status for the building." (Odom, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/24/23)

"The Sears department store at 4712 W Irving Park Road in Portage Park continues to undergo a significant transformation, as the $90 million, six-story mixed-use redevelopment project takes shape. Led by Novak Construction as both developer and general contractor, the project will offer 50,000 square feet of retail space and 206 residential units. According to a February article by Block Club Chicago, Target will be the anchor tenant for the retail component.

"The reimagined building will feature various residential layouts, ranging from studios to two-bedroom units. Many of these units will boast high ceilings and loft spaces. In compliance with the city’s ARO guidelines, Novak will provide six on-site affordable units and contribute $2 million to the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund. Additional amenities include a rooftop lounge, an outdoor pool deck, and 275 parking spaces for residents and retail patrons.

"The original Sears department store, built in 1938, was designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm Nimmons, Carr & Wright. To maintain the building’s historical character, Novak Construction and architecture firm MG2 have worked together to preserve many of its Art Deco elements. The updated exterior design will incorporate glass, brick, metal accents, and refurbished concrete paneling, along with the addition of a fifth floor and new ground-up wings of the building. A revamped pentagonal glass enclosure at the six corners intersection will also provide greater structural integrity. (Crawford, Chicago YIMBY, 5/1/23)

"A project with affordable housing, space for local businesses and a federally qualified health care center got a funding boost from the City Council on Wednesday.

"Alderpeople approved $5 million in tax-increment financing funds for United Yards, which will transform the lot at 1515 W. 47th St.

"Part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Invest South/West initiative, the development broke ground last month after years of planning. It is estimated to cost $58 million.

"Celadon Partners, Blackwood Group and the team behind Back of the Yards Coffeehouse are developing the project. It spans three blocks and will have a particular focus on providing a home for and boosting local businesses.

"The development will be done in phases, with the focus on revitalizing the Goldblatt’s building at the southwest corner of 47th Street and Ashland Avenue into a 15,000-square-foot, federally qualified health center and 7,200 square foot of locally owned retail space.

"The project’s second phase focuses on building affordable housing, with 51 apartments and a pair of three-flats at 1515 W. 47th St. and 4706-08 S. Marshfield Ave. There will also be a 7,000-square-foot technology training facility inside the 47th Street building.

"The first and second phases are expected to wrap by the end of 2024.

"The old Rainbow building at 4701 S. Ashland Ave. will be converted into independent senior living apartments in the project’s third phase.

"The Chicago Department of Transportation will also kickstart $44 million in upgrades along Ashland Avenue from 43rd to 49th streets and along 47th Street between Loomis Street and Hoyne Avenue to make the area more pedestrian-friendly, city leaders said." (Savedra, Block Club Chicago, 4/20/23)

"A Mediterranean house in South Shore has survived two developers’ demolition plans in recent decades" but may not survive this third attempt.

"In 2007, a developer planned to replace the house and another building on the site with a 19-story, 128-condo building and three attached townhouses, a plan that was scaled down from the developer’s initial plan to build a 30-story tower on the site.

"That plan fizzled, and in 2017 a different development firm proposed a seven-story building with 24 units. That plan also failed to move forward.

"In March, city officials made two related moves on the property, at 6740 S. South Shore Drive, across the street from the South Shore Cultural Center’s golf course.

"On March 16, the city’s law department began foreclosure proceedings against the owner, citing code violations. Then on March 29, when the owner submitted a demolition application, the planning and development department put it on the 90-day delay list for review of potential historical or architectural value.

"Empty for an unknown number of years, the house is on about three-tenths of an acre, built in the early decades of the 20th century, when the cultural center was the South Shore Country Club, a golf and socializing playground for an elite crowd. Little is known about the architect, Roy Stott, other than that he designed homes and a town hall in Evergreen Park and a church in Barrington.

"At some point, Harold and Edith Meitus became the home’s owners. Harold Meitus was a business innovator, reportedly the first manufacturer of cigarette matchbooks to sell ad space on them.

"Old newspaper articles put the couple at this address as early as 1960. They later donated the house to the Akiba South Side Jewish Day School, which in a later merger became Akiba-Schechter, in Hyde Park. The boxy brick school building that Akiba built on the site is still standing and was also part of the past demolition plans.

"The development firm that pitched the 30-story and then 19-story projects paid $3.45 million for the site in 2006, according to the Cook County clerk. Public records do not indicate that the next developer to pitch the site ever purchased it.

"In 2019, the present owner, a legal entity headed by Orland Park real estate agent Naser Odeh, bought the property for $650,000 from an arm of PNC Bank, which had taken the property back from the $3.45 million purchaser." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 4/18/23)

Since being added to the 90-Day Demolition Delay in late March, Preservation Chicago has been working with urgency to advocate for the building. We have conducted historic research, outreached to community partners, contacted elected and city officials, and are working towards a preservation-oriented alternative that could spare 6740 S. South Shore Drive from the wrecking ball.

The foreclosure proceedings and building code violations suggest that the owner is seeking to demolish the historic building in an effort reduce holding costs while land banking this large parcel with potential for a tall building with lake views.

Preservation Chicago strongly opposes demolition of historic structures for land banking. We have long advocated for the City of Chicago to issue demolition permits simultaneously with construction permits.

"Edgar Miller’s Kogen-Miller Studios is one of Chicago’s most idiosyncratic and astonishing architectural sites. Lately, though, it has been ensnared in a disagreement that has shut down public access and programming, as one set of owners of the condo complex in the Near North Side Old Town neighborhood are pushing for landmarking as a way to protect its historic integrity. Founded in 2014, Edgar Miller Legacy (EML) for years hosted tours, residency programs for artists, and other public programming at the Kogen-Miller Studios, one of the best works of Chicago artist and architect Edgar Miller. Designed and built by a rotating cast of early-20th-century bohemian designers, artist, and craftspeople, the Kogen-Miller Studios showcase Miller’s virtuosity across nearly every design medium: stained glass, painting, sculpture, architecture, interior design, and more. The mélange is indicative of a richly representational and often overlooked countercurrent to the dictates of the International Style that were seeping across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe in the 1920s and ’30s.

"The Kogen-Miller Studios feature nine units arranged around an internal courtyard. One, the Glasner Studio (restored in late-1920s period-appropriate detail and the main focus of EML’s past programming), is owned by Zac Bleicher, executive director of Edgar Miller Legacy, and his mother, Julie Bleicher. Julie inherited the unit from her brother, Mark Mamolen, who was a close friend of Edgar Miller. Two units are owned by Ronald Cieslak (who declined to comment for this story), and six units are owned by Glenn Aldinger.

"'[Edgar Miller Legacy’s] goal was, first, to try to secure the building like my uncle had hoped from these other people and, if it were under one ownership, convert it to a cultural site, like a museum or artist residency,' Zac Bleicher told AN. But much of this has been on hold since 2020, when Zac filed suit against Cieslak and Aldinger for ignoring maintenance needs at the condo complex. Cieslak and Aldinger made the counterclaim that Zac was illegally operating a business from his unit after having soured on the public access offered by EML.

"Zac initially felt that his co-owners were allies in EML’s mission. A letter of intent signed by Aldinger and Zac in late 2017 laid out a process and timetable for a sale of Aldinger’s units to EML. The years of tours and events EML hosted seemed to indicate that the complex’s other owners had waived the prohibition against running a business in the condo bylaws. At times, they seemed supportive and even enthusiastic about the public programming. In 2017, Aldinger arranged for the condo association to be added to EML’s insurance policy as an additionally insured party. Also in 2017, emails reviewed by AN show Aldinger telling Zac that he would be willing to forgo a rent hike for one tenant (who had concerns about tours and public programming) to keep that person onboard with public access.

"But over time, Aldinger said, he objected to the tours because of their 'intrusion, frequency, [and] volume.'

"Zac told AN that Aldinger’s support of EML diminished after a 2018 appraisal of the condos by Property Valuation Services. The estimate returned was $3.1 million, which Aldinger said was 'so low it was laughable,' and the appraisal couldn’t accurately judge the value of the complex because the appraiser never entered any of Aldinger’s units, since 'I was never asked,' said Aldinger. However, in emails from January 2018, a personal assistant to Aldinger told Zac and Aldinger that they could show Aldinger’s units to the appraiser, and Aldinger told Zac that he had informed tenants about the upcoming appraisal.

"A sale to EML never materialized. By July 2018, Zac said the organization had moved its offices out of the Glasner Studio (where he still lives), and the final tour of the Kogen-Miller Studios was in February 2020. Meanwhile, Zac grew concerned about the lack of maintenance at the complex.

"For Zac, an acceptable end to this legal drama would be for the Kogen-Miller Studios to 'be preserved and shared with the public,' he said. Aldinger has a different take: “The building’s lost its joy,' he said. 'I’m ready to sell now. I just want to make sure I sell at market rate.'

"But EML and Zac may be the only interested buyer until the dueling lawsuits are resolved. 'The building has a ton of deferred maintenance, hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more,' Zac said. 'It’s totally dysfunctional. I’m not sure who would want to buy into a condo association in the middle of litigation.'" (Mortice, The Architect's Newspaper, 4/7/23)

Chicago’s vernacular architecture faces a threat that collectively has an impact at least as significant as losing a grand ballroom or downtown building.

Workers cottages are being lost at an alarming rate across the City of Chicago as some buyers prefer large homes that fill a city lot instead of the charming character of a late 19th Century/Early 20th Century workers cottage.

A group of Logan Square neighbors, who are also workers cottage owners, formed the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative intent on elevating the status of these historic, vernacular homes. A 10-year data analysis of Logan Square demolitions revealed 40% of demolitions in that neighborhood were workers cottages. Direct actions were needed to have a positive impact.

When Tom Vlodek moved into his 127-year-old workers cottage in Logan Square in 2011, they began a renovation of their home that was one of a row of eight, all built in the same era. They loved the handsome roof line the houses produced and the neighborhood character they represented.

Shortly after moving in, they heard the groan of an earthmover across the alley. It was tearing down a workers cottage on the next block, in another long row of cottages. It was a terrible loss, compounded by the fact that this character-rich, humble home was replaced by a single-family house the size of a typical Chicago three-flat.

A year later, the process was repeated on another home on the block. In time, several more workers cottages in the immediate vicinity were torn down, each replaced by an ostentatious, single-family home.

“Americans enjoy the right of property but destroying the character of a neighborhood to build a $1.5M home where a far more affordable home once stood, was too much to bear,” said Vlodek, Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative co-founder. “It was then that I felt had to do something.”

Surveying is being conducted in areas with concentrations of workers cottages to identify their location, assess their condition, and work with communities to develop neighborhood-focused strategies to protect and reinvest in their revitalization.

Preservation Chicago is an active member of the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative. Using Preservation Chicago's subscription to Regrid, a web-based program that allows for data extraction, surveying and spatial analysis, teams of volunteers have surveyed sections of Logan Square, McKinley Park, Southeast Chicago, and now Back of the Yards.

Students from the School of the Art Institute, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago have been integral to conducting the surveys. Once the survey data is collected, a summary of the findings is presented to community members for input and action steps.

“It is rewarding work to connect with workers cottage owners and highlight the importance of saving these uniquely Chicago homes,” said Mary Lu Seidel, Director of Community Engagement for Preservation Chicago. “Having the data accessible about their location, size, and condition helps make the case for preservation solutions.”

If you'd like to get involved with the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative or learn more about the effort, please visit workescottage.org or email contact@workerscottage.org.

"The prevailing image of Chicago public housing is that of blocks of big, grim brick-and-concrete towers. It didn’t start out that way, though.

"The first public housing developments, built under CHA Executive Director Elizabeth Wood, were humane, nicely designed, low- and mid-rise dwellings and townhomes with gardens and open space.

"For instance, the former Jane Addams Homes opened on Taylor Street in the Little Italy neighborhood in 1938 with a pool, a fountain and a play area where children could climb on giant Art Deco limestone animal sculptures designed by Chicago’s noted modernist artist and designer Edgar Miller.

"Most of all that is gone now, wiped away under the CHA’s Plan for Transformation, right along with much of the city’s old-school public housing.

"Most — but not all. A surviving portion of the Addams Homes at Taylor and Ada streets is slated to open next year as the National Public Housing Museum. And as part of the reactivated buildings, those limestone animal sculptures — now undergoing a $300,000 restoration — will return to their old home.

"'The animals were important,' said National Public Housing Museum Executive Director Lisa Yun Lee. '[They] were kind of the guardian angels of the space.'

"The Addams Homes, along with the still-surviving Julia C. Lathrop Homes on the North Side and the Southeast Side’s Trumbull Park Homes, were the city’s first public housing units.

"At each development, children’s playgrounds were important. The broad play area at Addams featured the Animal Court, with Miller’s large whimsical sculptures of various animals, including a buffalo, a lion, sheep, a bear and a bull.

"Pitted and worn from 70 years of play and Chicago weather, the animal sculptures were put in storage 16 years ago, awaiting restoration funding, Lee said. A grant from the Alphawood Foundation finally got the project started.

"Andrzej Dajnowski, founder of Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio, is handling the job. Among other work, his shop is responsible for last year’s refresh of the famed bronze lions outside the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Dajnowski said the animal sculpture restoration includes resculpting missing and worn parts and the equally painstaking task of making sure the colors of the fixes and the original portions match.

“What we do will last for years to come,” he said.

Lee said the sculptures should be ready for their return by summer. (Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/9/23)

"For real estate developers and investors around Chicago, the best-laid plans often involve warehouses.

"It is a humble use and not without controversy, but the push for shipping and storage across the metropolitan area has been the hottest thing in property development in years. It’s led to a proliferation of mega-sized buildings, often 1 million square feet, in the suburbs and developers scouring the city for well-placed parcels.

"Size matters.

"In the Back of the Yards community is a large parcel ticketed for a warehouse and distribution complex. The address on the zoning application is 4435 S. Western Blvd., but the property runs mostly behind commercial sections along Western, including a Home Depot at 47th Street and Western. At more than 30 acres, the development site is larger than some Chicago parks. For an industrial user, it backs up conveniently against the Norfolk Southern Railway right-of-way.

"The property, however, is fully occupied by a company that’s been there for years. It’s Wheatland Tube, a manufacturer of pipes, electrical conduit and other products.

"Wheatland is part of Chicago-based Zekelman Industries. Executives did not reply to messages about plans at the site. Craig Chico, president and CEO of the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, said Wheatland will be leaving the area, although when isn’t certain.

"Last December, Brookfield submitted to city authorities its zoning proposal for the Wheatland site. It is due for a Chicago Plan Commission hearing Thursday. The company wants to replace what’s there with three buildings totaling 589,000 square feet. The plan for 721 vehicle parking spaces and 82 loading docks suggests the large scope of the project. (Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/17/23)

"Construction continues on the mixed-use development at 1954-1956 W North Avenue in the heart of Wicker Park. Located at the heart of the neighborhood on the six-corner intersection with N Damen Avenue, the historical preservation and redevelopment will revitalize the corner structure which has sat vacant for many years now. The team at Ernst Development is working with local architecture firm Hirsch MPG on its design, which aims to bring back some of the building’s original details after buying it in 2021.

"Dating back to around the 1870’s, the two-structures were built to serve the quickly growing neighborhood, though they looked much different than they do today. After many of its neighboring pieces were demolished, the two had their decorative cornices, mansard roofs, and corner turret removed in the 1960’s as the area continued to change. Most recently they held Wicker Park Tavern and Cafe Absinthe but have sat vacant since 2017 when a Capital One cafe that never materialized was announced.

"Now construction is in full swing combining the two into nine-residential units with over 5,000 square-feet of commercial space at the base. While the unit mix isn’t known, the work will also include a new elevator, stairs, roof deck, and rebuilding missing floors that were demolished over the years. Perhaps the most exciting piece of the project is the reconstruction of the corner turret and cleaning up the existing cornices, unfortunately due to the recent cell towers on the roof the missing final floor with ornate dormers cannot be rebuilt." (Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 5/5/23)

"The Chicago City Council has approved the residential development at 3731 N Sheffield Avenue in Wrigleyville. Located just north of the intersection with W Waveland Avenue and Wrigley Field itself, the proposal will replace an empty lot and incorporate the adjacent existing three-flat. Originally revealed in February, developer Mangan Builders is moving forward with the Jonathan Splitt Architects-designed structure.

"The existing building at 3733 N Sheffield Avenue was originally erected in 1900 with a stone facade and black ornamentation on its parapet, all of which will be preserved in the new development. Units will be rehabbed and new openings created along the northern wall to create a connection to the adjacent expansion. The expansion will include a one-floor addition to the existing structure as well as the new adjacent four-story, 49-foot-tall development." (Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 5/1/23)

Preservation Chicago applauds the developer for incorporating the historic facade into the new construction. This maintains the historic material, scale, and streetscape, while investing in a new, higher density residential building.

"The third-generation owner of Margie’s Candies died last month, ushering in a new chapter for the beloved neighborhood institution.

"Peter George Poulos died of cancer April 26, his family said. He was 86.

"Poulos had run the old-fashioned ice cream and confectionary shop for decades, hand-dipping candy and joyfully helping customers just as his mother, Margie, had for years before him.

"Now, Poulos’ son, George, is taking the reins as fourth-generation owner and operator, carrying on the family legacy.

"George Poulos said he plans to keep Margie’s the exact same, from the menu to the old-school kitschy decor. He sees himself running the ice cream shop for years and passing the business down to his children when he’s older. He has a 5-month-old son, Kai.

"The plan applies to both Margie’s: the original shop along the Logan Square-Bucktown border at 1960 N. Western Ave. and the Ravenswood outpost at 1813 W. Montrose Ave.

“My dad’s wish was always to keep everything the same that his mom had it, so I’m just following the way,” George Poulos said.

"Peter Poulos’ father and grandfather opened Margie’s Candies — then called Security Sweet Shop — in the 1920s at Armitage and Western avenues. The shop was known for its homemade ice cream and candy, and as the kind of place the whole family could cram into a booth and share a massive sundae.

"Peter Poulos’ mother took over the restaurant some 30 years later after her husband died of an ulcer.

"Margie Poulos was a “visible figure” at Margie’s for years, according to an old Reader story. When she wasn’t helping make ice cream and candy, she sat in back and watched a little Magnavox TV.

"The family renamed the business after the matriarch.

"'In 1933, when I got married, everything in the neighborhood was 'Security,'' Margie Poulos told the Reader in 1987. 'The real estate people used to be called Security Real Estate, the bank used to be Security Bank. Since 1933, we’ve been Margie’s. After my husband and I bought it from my father-in-law, we thought for candy a woman’s name would be best.”

"Margie’s has a long and storied history: Al Capone, The Beatles and Aretha Franklin have all reportedly patronized the old-school ice cream spot.

"'Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure. I still want to make sure I live up to my dad’s expectations,' he said. 'I’m excited about it. I just want to keep everything going.'" (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 5/5/23)

"The former Sears headquarters in Homan Square and other buildings and land around it are up for sale.

"Indianapolis-based Royal Pine Properties is selling the properties — which amount to almost 1 million square feet — though it has not shared a selling price. It bought them in 2018 for $3.25 million.

"The properties include the former Sears Administration Building at 3333 W. Arthington St., the former Allstate office building at 3245 W. Arthington St., a large parking structure at 3240 W. Arthington St. and a developable land site 3201 W. Arthington St. It does not include the 14-story Sears Tower at 906 S. Homan Ave., renamed Nichols Tower, which was redeveloped into a community hub for nonprofits and economic enterprises in 2015.

"Chicago-based real estate company SVN Chicago Property Management is facilitating the sale of the Sears properties. Assistant Vice President Adam Thomas said they hope to find a buyer to redevelop the buildings, with the most realistic proposition being to convert it to housing. Other potential uses are for office and commercial property development, Thomas said.

"'It’s hard to put a price on it, because how do you put a price on history?' Thomas said. 'This company was basically what Amazon was 100 years ago. It is an incredible, huge project, but it is one of a kind.'

"The Sears building was built in 1905 and was the company’s headquarters until 1973, when it moved into Sears Tower. It was designated a Chicago landmark in 2002 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The Administration Building is five stories, 239,000 square feet and takes up the majority of its block. It has a classive revival face but has 'undergone extensive demolition and is ready for new interior buildout,' according to listing information.

"The former Allstate Headquarters is an 11-story shell building with 292,000 square feet of space, while the land at 3201 W. Arthington St. covers 167,000 square feet. The parking structure is a 3.5-story garage with 247,000 square feet.

"Thomas said the designation of the building means its historic features and facade must be preserved regardless of who buys it." (Arline, Block Club Chicago, 4/24/233)

"The U.S. Soccer Federation has listed two adjacent South Loop mansions that it long has owned and used as its headquarters for a combined amount of $4.2 million, with one of them — the historic and French Chateauesque 14,734-square-foot William W. Kimball House — available for $2.3 million. The four-story, 12,648-square-foot brown sandstone mansion next door has an asking price of $1.9 million.

"The official governing body of soccer in the U.S. has been based in Chicago since moving from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to the South Loop in 1991. At that time, it moved its offices into the two adjoining mansions — the Kimball House, at 1801 S. Prairie Ave., and the house right next door at 1811 S. Prairie.

"The mansions were part of South Prairie Avenue 'millionaire’s row,' which was the most exclusive and fashionable neighborhood in Chicago in the late 1800s and early 1900s. For more than 75 years, however, the mansions have been used as office space, and with the soccer federation’s decision last year to vacate the two mansions and move its headquarters to the downtown high-rise office building at 303 E. Wacker Drive, the opportunity exists to convert the mansions back to single-family homes.

"Built between 1890 and 1892 at a reported cost of $1 million and designed by Pullman architect Solon S. Beman, the Kimball house, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, stands three stories tall and has a Bedford limestone exterior, a slate mansard roof, a variety of steeply sloping roof shapes, dormer windows, and tall slender chimneys. The mansion was modeled after the 12th-century Chateau de Josselin in Brittany, France, and inside it has carved woodwork, onyx-adorned walls, a black onyx fireplace and leaded glass windows.

"The mansion was built for Kimball, a piano-manufacturing magnate. He died shortly after moving in, and his wife sold it in the 1920s. It later was a rooming house and then was owned by an architectural club and a group care home before it became office space, starting in the late 1940s. Publisher R.R. Donnelley donated both mansions to the Chicago Architecture Foundation in 1991, which leased them to the soccer federation. The group bought the mansions outright from the architecture foundation in 1996.

"The three-story Romanesque Revival-style mansion at 1811 S. Prairie was built in the mid-1880s, and early owners included Miner T. Ames and Joseph Fish, who was the president of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. — now known as Brunswick Corp. The mansion was sold to a textbook publisher in 1921 and has been used as offices ever since.

"The mansion at 1811 S. Prairie was designed by noted architects Henry Ives Cobb and Charles S. Frost. Features include carved woodwork, cast plaster, leaded glass windows and a billiard room with built-in cue holders.

“They are connected to essentially have close to 30,000 square feet of flexible space,” she said. “We believe that the end buyer may convert to luxury condos or rental apartments, create two separate single-family homes, (become) an Airbnb (or) VRBO, (become) an event space or continue with another office building with little work considering the … U.S. Soccer Federation was running at this building for over 30 years.” (Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 1/21/23)

"In the 1930s, when a Marshall Field’s executive tapped an innovative Chicago architect to design apartments for a site on North State Parkway, he very likely didn’t suspect that what resulted would be one of the city’s finest examples of Art Moderne architecture. But he did reserve the biggest unit for himself.

"At the Frank Fisher Studio Houses, as they were known when they opened in 1938, architect Andrew Rebori used curving white plaster walls, modern designs in stained glass and carved wood and a building material that was futuristic for its time — glass block — in artful ways that still stand out today.

"'It’s really magical,' says Greg Gochanour, who with his wife, Lynne Gochanour, bought the unit Frank Fisher originally kept for himself. Set at the rear of the lot, with views over the courtyard that the other units line, Fisher’s former home has a curvaceous staircase, hand-carved wood ceiling beams and walls of glass block, one of them two stories high.

"The Gochanours, who are both attorneys, bought a package of Fisher’s unit and a smaller one above it, and connected them with a new staircase that matches the sensuous curve of the original.

"Now looking for 'another architecture adventure,' as Greg Gochanour puts it, the couple will put the three-bedroom unit on the market in the next few weeks. Priced at a little over $1.28 million, it’s represented by Brad Lippitz of Compass." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 2/16/23)

"One of the city's finest pre-World War II modern designs, this is an exceptional-and rare-example of the Art Moderne style of architecture, which was influenced by European modernism. The unique layout of the 12 units and their common courtyard--which, together, occupy an extremely narrow site running perpendicular to the street--has contributed to their desirability as residential apartments. Further distinguishing the building is its handcrafted ornamentation by prominent artist Edgar Miller. The building was commissioned by Frank Fisher, Jr., an executive of Marshall Field & Co." (Chicago Landmarks)

"This one-of-a-kind property is a work of art by Edgar Miller and Sol Kogen at Carl Street Studios.

Nestled behind a secure iron gate in a picturesque courtyard in the heart of historic Old Town, Studio 2 of Carl Street Studios stands out as an artistic gem. This property, one of only thirteen condos converted from a Victorian home in 1927, is a true masterpiece that has been carefully modernized for contemporary living, while still preserving its original artistic charm.

"The property boasts a dramatic two-story living room and a wealth of intricate embellishments, including mosaic and stained glass windows, Art Deco tiles, carved doors, parquet floors, and painted ceilings.

"The property also features a tremendous hosting kitchen and breakfast room, a spacious dining area, three bedrooms, two full baths, two half baths, a second-floor sitting room, and a large private roof deck. Just off the main living space sits a separate 745 square foot duplex studio, makes for a perfect guest suite or in-home office, is also available for purchase. With its unique blend of contemporary comfort and timeless artistry, Studio 2 of Carl Street Studios is truly a one-of-a-kind property, a work of art in its own right."

155 West Burton Place 2 at Carl Street Studios

$1,095,000

3 Beds 4 Baths 4,500 SqFt

This One-of-a-kind Property Is A Work Of Art By Edgar Miller And Sol Kogen At Carl Street Studios..

"Arthur Shigeo Takeuchi (June 16, 1931 - October 28, 2022), architect, pupil of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and former faculty member of the College of Architecture of the Illinois Institute of Technology dies at 91.

"For Chicagoans, Takeuchi’s most familiar work is probably the Chicago Civic Center, now known as the Richard J. Daley Center. Takeuchi represented Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) as Assistant Chief Architect on that project.

"As a project architect at Skidmore, he became responsible for the design of several office buildings. The Central Motor Bank in Jefferson City, Missouri, won an award from the American Institute of Architects, and the BMA Tower in Kansas City, Missouri, won awards from both the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Steel Construction. As Assistant Chief of Design on the Chicago Civic Center project, Takeuchi collaborated with Jacques Brownson of C.F. Murphy Associates and was responsible for the building's unprecedented wide structural bays intended to house over one hundred twenty courtrooms along with numerous elevators to service the offices and courthouse. Takeuchi was initially devastated when he was given the assignment, and the many difficulties posed by the project meant that the partners were reluctant to be involved. The three buildings were redesigned into a single building with a plaza, which would later become the site of the celebrated sculpture by Pablo Picasso. Over the years, Takeuchi shared many stories with his family, friends, students and colleagues about the unexpected twists and turns entailed by the numerous challenges of the project.

"Bruce Graham of SOM subsequently invited Takeuchi to work on the John Hancock Center and later the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower). But Takeuchi elected to open his own architectural firm with Louis Johnson, also a former Mies pupil and Walter Peterhans's right-hand man at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Takeuchi & Johnson Architects opened in the Rookery Building, later moving to 37 S. Wabash Avenue. In 1965, as the Illinois Institute of Technology's architectural program grew in national prominence, Takeuchi was recruited to teach by George Danforth, head of the architecture department. That was the beginning of a distinguished teaching career at IIT.

"Takeuchi established his own firm in 1970. Projects included the Central Bank corporate headquarters, Central Bank West, a branch facility, as well as its expansion, renovation work on the Central Motor Bank in Jefferson City, Missouri; preliminary studies on the Charles Bronfman Residence in Montreal; the P.B. Lambert Apartment in Chicago; preliminary studies on the Stenn Residence in Chicago; alterations to the Central Trust Bank; the Wendell Smith Elementary School (formerly the Gately Park School) on Chicago's South Side; and the Modular Schools Program, a prefabricated, rapidly erectable system for the Public Building Commission of Chicago and the Chicago Board of Education.

"He also worked on preliminary plans and cost studies for the Republic of the Philippines of Prefabricated Plastic Houses for Warm-Humid Countries; preliminary phase studies for the Bank Headquarters Building in Jefferson City, Missouri; and renovation work for the Malcolm X College Curtainwall. He served as Consulting Architect to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago, designing for the latter the Gunsaulus Hall for European decorative arts including glass and chinaware, ceramics, gold and silverware and medieval armor.

"Takeuchi played the cello, had a deep appreciation for classical music, and enjoyed reading and watching films by Yasujiro Ozu. He was good friends with other Mies students such as John Heinrich, architect of the Lake Point Tower in Chicago, as well as the architect/artist Alex Corazzo. He continued to work with and visit his mentor and colleague, Alfred Caldwell, in Bristol, Wisconsin, whose house he helped build as a student, until Caldwell's death in 1998. Takeuchi was registered in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and New York and was certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

"A resident of Hyde Park, Chicago, IL for the past 78 years, Takeuchi died at home on October 28, 2022. His siblings Richard, Beatrice and Austin are all deceased. He is survived by his wife, Toki; daughter Tokiko Catherine Takeuchi; and son Edward Kenji Takeuchi. The Illinois Institute of Technology is planning a memorial service in the spring of 2023." (Hyde Park Herald, 12/19/22)

The Demolition Delay Ordinance, adopted by City Council in 2003, establishes a hold of up to 90 days in the issuance of any demolition permit for certain historic buildings in order that the Department of Planning and Development can explore options, as appropriate, to preserve the building, including but not limited to Landmark designation.

The ordinance applies to buildings rated red and orange in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS), but it should be modified to include all buildings included in the survey. These buildings are designated on the city's zoning map. The delay period starts at the time the permit application is presented to the department's Historic Preservation Division offices and can be extended beyond the original 90 days by mutual agreement with the applicant. The purpose of the ordinance is to ensure that no important historic resource can be demolished without consideration as to whether it should and can be preserved.

Preservation Chicago is advocating to extend the existing Demolition Delay Ordinance to at least 180 days or longer, in order to create the time community members, stakeholders, decision makers, and elected officials need to conduct robust discussions regarding the fate of these historic buildings and irreplaceable Chicago assets. The support of the Mayor and City Council is necessary to advance this effort.

Address: Harold Meitus House, 6740 S. South Shore Dr., South Shore

#101010607

Date Received: 03/29/2023

Ward: 5th Ald. Leslie Hairston

Applicant: Precision Excavation, LLC C/O Estefania Enriquez

Owner: South Shore & 67, LLC C/O Naser Odeh, Manager

Permit Description: Wreck and removal of a 3-story masonry, single-family residential building.

This South Shore house has survived two demolition plans and may beat a third, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 4/18/23

#101011966

Date Received: 04/11/2023

Ward: 44th Ald. Thomas Tunney

Applicant: Castleview Holdings, LLC C/O William Broderick, Manager

Owner: Castleview Holdings, LLC C/O William Broderick, Manager

Permit Description: Demolition of a two-story, masonry, two-unit residential building and detached garage.

Address: 2240 N. Burling Street, Lincoln Park

#100994354

Date Received: 11/18/2022

Ward: 43rd Ald. Timmy Knudsen

Applicant: Evergreen Solutions, LLC C/O Ewelina Chojniak

Owner: 2224 N Burling, LLC C/O Thaddeus Wong, Manager

Permit Description: Demolition of a two-story frame, multi-family residence.

Address: Burnham Designed Pavilion in Jackson Park, 2241 E. Marquette Drive (A Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021)

#100995228

Date Received: December 5, 2022

Ward: 4th Ald. Sophia King

Applicant: Bauer Latoza C/O Ed Torrez

Owner: Chicago Park District C/O Heather Gleason, Director of Planning and Construction

Permit Description: Stabilization and weatherproofing of the golf shelter including partial demolition of the collapsed roof structure.