August 2018 Month-in-Review Newsletter
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LIKELY WIN: Chicago Union Station Developers “Completely Revise Their Vision for the Project” (Chicago 7 2018)
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Rejected Chicago Union Station Addition, Rendering Credit: SCB
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Revised Chicago Union Station Addition, Rendering Credit: Riverside Investment & Development
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Revised Chicago Union Station Addition Close-up (low-resolution), Rendering Credit: Riverside Investment & Development
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UPDATE: After the avalanche of negative press following the release of the proposed addition to the top of the Chicago Union Station, the developers Riverside Investment & Development and Convexity Properties have “decided to completely revise their vision for the project.”
Per 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly's newsletter, “After the first community meeting on June 25, the original proposal was deemed unacceptable by the community and the Alderman due to architectural and traffic concerns. As a result, the development team decided to completely revise their vision for the project. Their revisions respond directly to the community feedback gathered at the first community meeting. The proposal includes an amendment to Planned Development No. 376 to permit the Developer to build 400 hotel rooms at Union Station and build an office building on the corner of Clinton, Van Buren, and Canal Streets.”
In a rendering published by the Chicago Sun-Times, the seven-story addition has been replaced with a lower-profile rooftop deck, however, details are not clearly visible. It is also unclear which architect is responsible for the rendering, however, Goettsch Partners has been working on the new construction high-rise on the block south of the station, as reported by Chicago Tribune's Blair Kamin.
New updated design and details will be presented during the Tuesday, September 11 community meeting hosted by Alderman Reilly and Neighbors of the West Loop (NOWL) from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Chicago Union Station’s beautifully restored Burlington Room. This meeting is open the community and the general public. All are welcome to attend.
“Whatever the revised design turns out to be, the decision to jettison the original plan is a major victory for historic preservationists,” wrote Blair Kamin, the architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune.
During a well-attended community meeting on June 25, Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago Executive Director, received an enthusiastic round of applause when he said, “Rooflines, elevations, and interior volumes are protected under the landmark ordinance and we think you’re going to step over these lines. We’d like to see no building on top of this amazing station, and instead suggested transferring the additional floors to the new high-rise buildings proposed next door.” (Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, 6/26/18)
Ward Miller suggested an alternate approach might be to build out an extensive rooftop terrace on the existing Union Station rooftop, which would be directly above the proposed 330-room hotel within the historic office floors. Rooftop restaurants and lounges, with both indoor and outdoor spaces, have proved to be incredibly popular and highly valuable assets for developers and building owners throughout the Loop. In some cases, the rooftop lounges have become so successful that they have become a primary income generator for the entire building and a powerful draw for the hotels within the buildings below.
Coupled with a hotel below, a series of rooftop restaurants, lounges, and event spaces could become a destination unto itself and powerfully reactive one of Chicago’s greatest landmark buildings. Activating Union Station’s historic rooftop with a use or series of uses that would be open to all could become a huge draw. Examples of highly successful rooftop restaurant lounges include the Wit Hotel’s rooftop bar, Cindy’s rooftop restaurant at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, the London House rooftop restaurant, and the Peninsula Hotel’s newly opened bar.
Significant recent preservation-sensitive restoration work at Union Station by Amtrak has reversed the long-term trend of decades of demolition and deferred maintenance. Several important interior spaces and features have returned to public use, such as the Women’s Lounge, now known as the Burlington Room, the Dining Room/ Men’s Lounge and Barber Shop, which now form a series of passenger lounges. The restoration of the Great Hall/Waiting Room is nearly complete, along with a comprehensive restoration of the Great Hall Skylight. Preservation Chicago has played an active role as a consulting partner in this process with Amtrak, the City of Chicago, and design teams, and we both recognize the challenges and applaud these amazing accomplishments.
The decision to include Union Station as 2018 “Chicago 7 Most Endangered” proved prescient when at a June 25, 2018 community meeting, developers Riverside Investment & Development and joint-partner Convexity Properties presented architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz’s rooftop addition proposal. The conceptual addition was part of the Chicago Union Station Master Plan, along with the construction of five new high-rise towers estimated at over 1.5 million square feet on the blocks directly to the south of Union Station.
A robust conversation and wide opposition to the proposed seven-story addition made approval by the 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly and Mayor Rahm Emanuel more difficult without a significant rethinking. A sampling of the responses to the originally proposed design is below.
Blair Kamin, Pulitzer Prize winning architecture critic from the Chicago Tribune, laid out the existential challenge to Union Station, a Designation Chicago Landmark designed by Daniel Burnham and his successor firm in 1925 this way.
“When the City of Chicago granted [Union] Station official landmark status in 2002, it buttressed its case by noting that the station is the last great historic railroad terminal still in use in Chicago; that it’s one of the nation’s most architecturally and historically significant passenger railroad stations, and that its soaring Great Hall is one of the country’s great interior public spaces.”
So the stakes for this forlorn but beloved Landmark, designed by Chicago architects Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and completed in 1925, couldn’t be higher. Which begs this question: Are we stuck with this fourth-rate design or are Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, in whose ward the station sits, going to exercise their considerable clout and push for something better?”
In his column, Blair Kamin described the proposed rooftop addition as one that
“would plunk a squat modernist box atop the existing structure’s neo-classical pedestal. They go together as well as Rauner and Pritzker, the City Council and ethics reform.”
“The seven-story addition and its 404 rental apartments would bring to the forlorn but grand train station all the grandeur of a Holiday Inn.”…. “Worse, its exterior, a skeletal metal and glass grid is at odds with the station’s carefully-composed classical aesthetic. Despite the architects’ best efforts, it’s as though one era of architecture had been piled, willy-nilly, atop another.”… “The juxtaposition of past and present isn’t as violent as the spaceship-like seating bowl that’s plopped atop the classical colonnades of Soldier Field. It’s just banal, which Burnham buildings never are.”… “[The] addition design for Union Station does not inspire confidence. A building that’s part of the Burnham legacy deserves better, especially when it forms a gateway to Chicago.”…
Additionally, Blair Kamin included some of the more colorful reactions to the proposed rooftop addition on social media and in response to his earlier column.
“On the web, architecture critics and sidewalk superintendents have been piling on with nasty metaphors: An ice cube for a colossal architectural headache! A self-inked address stamper! A suburban office building lifted off its foundations by a tornado and dropped atop the neo-classical station!” … According to prominent architect Edward Keegan in his review published in Crain’s Chicago Business, “The SCB scheme looks like a banal government-issue office building of the 1960s has been plunked down on top of the original. And it’s not the contrast that’s the problem…The fact that this design has been publicly unveiled is an insult to Chicago’s alleged position as a place that takes architecture seriously. It requires a complete do-over.”
Out-spoken architecture critic Lynn Becker released the following review on his twitter feed which is reprinted in its entirety,
“How can people with a proven track record of striking towers and graceful restorations come up with such a stinking rotten fish of a design?
Done by SCB in a style best described as Plop Architecture Revival, it perches atop the Burnham Company’s iconic Union Station like a gigantic vulture spaceship of mediocrity. It’s the poster child refutation of the increasingly unjustifiable old saw about Chicago as the city that “cares about architecture.”
It should be called “The Viable” since that’s the justification for the design that came up several times in last night’s unveiling. The donut of space that exists along the perimeter of the Great Hall’s giant skylight just wasn’t wide enough for double rows of pricey apartments along a central corridor. More depth. We need more depth! Hence, “The Viable” which has absolutely no justification as architecture, only as the rawest economics.
Which is doubly sad as the building it desecrates is given a masterful renovation in the SCB plan, preserving the grand entrances along Jackson and Adams and their view into the Great Hall even as they’re repurposed them as entrances to a new hotel and the apartments, respectively. The deadened Clinton Street facade is opened up, the stoned-up spaces returned to windows, and a new entrance inserted into the long ago incinerated Fred Harvey restaurant at the mid-point of the Great Hall. New lighting would accentuate the building’s best visual qualities.
Its great stuff. It’s like they spent all their talent on reviving the original building, and were left running on empty when it came to designing the addition. The Elbphilharmonie it’s not. It’s what you’d see in a dying, middle-tier rustbelt city desperate for development.
Are we that desperate? If the Landmarks Commission doesn’t reject this design, they should fold up shop and put a big “Just Kidding” sign next to their mission statement.”
According to architecture reviewer Elizabeth Blasius in her column in The Architect’s Newspaper,
“In 2004, Chicago watched historic Soldier Field become a toilet bowl. In 2019, Union Station will become a self-inked address stamper….If approved, the addition on Union Station could cause a paradigm shift in the way Chicago Landmarks are approached by potential developers, broadcasting a message that cultural and architectural resources are only of value if they are monetized to their fullest extent, and that the Landmarks Ordinance can soften in the face of economic motivators. The proposed addition is not only an imbalance in terms of design; it’s also condescending to the station itself, the architectural equivalent of a head patting, or worse. Ringing out like the 2004 renovation of Soldier Field (a project that curiously won an award for design excellence by the AIA the same year it was recommended to be stripped of its National Historic Landmark designation), this is new bullying old.”
Chicago Curbed editor Jay Koziarz questioned what the precedent of the potential rooftop addition construction would mean for the future of Chicago’s landmarks.
“Looking beyond the initial knee jerk reactions and pithy comments, the Union Station overhaul will be a key battle for preservationists with the potential to set future precedents with regards to what can be done to Chicago’s protected, historically significant buildings. The decision to move ahead ultimately lies with the city, so if you’re truly horrified give Alderman Brendan Reilly and the Chicago Landmarks Commission a call.” (Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, 6/27/18)
Preservation Chicago strongly opposes any large, multi-story, rooftop addition to Chicago Union Station that doesn’t step-back and conform to landmark standards. The development team can easily build the additional square footage across the street without adversely affecting a world-class Chicago Landmark. Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Chicago Union Station Master Plan contemplate five new construction high-rise towers equaling over 1.5 million square feet on the blocks directly to the south of Union Station. So by transferring the buildable air rights from Union Station, the development team could recover any lost square footage. In his column, Blair Kamin endorsed this as a possible solution to this problem.
Additional Reading
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WIN: Alderman and East Andersonville Homeowners Support Downzoning to Protect Neighborhood from Demolition Pressure
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1436 W. Berwyn, Rendering Credit: Redfin
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In 2017, the beautifully ornamented limestone historic greystone at 1436 W. Berwyn Avenue in East Andersonville was threatened by demolition. A developer had purchased the double lot with plans to replace the building and garden with a six-flat. The lot site was particularly attractive to the developer because the underlying RT-4 zoning allowed for a higher density and more FAR (Floor-area-ratio) than the existing building. Because the developer was planning to build “as-of-right”, or within the permitted zoning allowance, he would be able to proceed over the objections of the alderman and neighborhood.
Despite the highly challenging "path to preservation" surrounding 1436 W. Berwyn Avenue, widespread opposition to the demolition and a sustained preservation effort resulted in a preservation victory and the home has been saved. The developer agreed to sell the property, at a significant profit, to a new preservation-sensitive buyer who is deconverting the two-flat to a single family home and is restoring its historic features. Additionally, the landscaped side yard and mature American elm tree will be preserved.
Preservation Chicago is thrilled that the preservation efforts resulted in a great win for the building, the Andersonville and Edgewater communities, and Chicago. The neighborhood preservation coalition of owners, community partners, Alderman Osterman, and Preservation Chicago created the circumstances which allowed a preservation-oriented outcome to emerge. However, this extraordinary effort is neither sustainable nor realistic for the hundreds of homes and buildings within this neighborhood. So far in 2018, four historic homes in the neighborhood have been demolished for new construction.
Unlike other historic neighborhoods whose historic fabric has been permanently impacted by frequent and widespread demolition, Andersonville and Edgewater are largely intact. So steps are urgently needed to empower the community and alderman regarding planning and development matters.
Fortunately, immediate steps are being taken by 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman who will introduce an ordinance at the September 20, 2018 Chicago City Council meeting. This ordinance will downzone an eight-square-block area known as East Andersonville as a way to protect historic two-flats and houses by reducing the zoning imbalance between what exists and what current zoning allows. Additionally, downzoning in this area from RT-4 to RS-3 will make it consistent with zoning in all adjacent neighborhoods. Proposed boundaries are from Foster to Gregory, the alley east of Clark Street to both sides of Glenwood, Bryn Mawr to Foster.
According to Alderman Osterman's August 29, 2018 statement,
"This effort was initiated by the East Andersonville Residents' Council in the aftermath of the successful effort to save 1436 West Berwyn from demolition by a developer and concerns about recent teardowns of two-flats in the area. The support for this rezoning is grounded in many neighbors' desire and commitment to preserve and protect the unique character of East Andersonville and its housing stock, half of which are two flats and single family homes.”
“As part of the 48th Ward Zoning process, last week I [Alderman Osterman] held a culminating meeting at Peirce School to discuss this important issue and take a vote to gauge the community support for rezoning from RT-4 to RS-3. At this meeting, neighbors living in East Andersonville, both owners and renters, voted in favor of this rezoning 98 to 26." [Approximately 80% in favor]
"Additionally, the East Andersonville Residents' Council collected over 225 signatures from neighbors in support of the rezoning. Many neighbors contacted my office by email, phone, or stopping by to share their views on the issue. The East Andersonville Residents' Council and the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce have also sent letters supporting the rezoning. The vote taken at the meeting and the large majority of feedback from residents represents a consistent, broad base of support for this rezoning.”
The difference between the size of many of the existing historic homes and the underlying higher density zoning, which allows for bigger buildings and more units, creates a constant structural challenge. Developers and brokers actively seek out properties with a large zoning differential and then seek to monetize the difference through demolition and new construction. In these circumstances, developers are consistently willing to out-spend prospective home-owners. The full value to the developer is in the land and zoning, so other than the demolition cost, the building itself becomes irrelevant, no matter how beautiful, historic, or significant it may be.
The proposed downzoning ordinance will better harmonize the underlying zoning to the existing historic buildings. This will reduce the profitability for as-of-right development and make this neighborhood less attractive for “slash and burn” development. Better harmonized zoning will make the neighborhood more stable and “level the playing field” for prospective homeowners who wish to renovate historic homes and live in the neighborhood.
Preservation Chicago strongly applauds 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman for his leadership, his process, and his efforts around this issue. It is far simpler for elected officials to avoid, delay or postpone addressing complicated neighborhood matters. Alderman Osterman and his office have consistently demonstrated strong leadership, listened to a wide range of voices within his ward, considered a variety of possible solutions to address the challenge, and took a stand to actualize the desires of the community.
Preservation Chicago also wishes to recognize the tireless efforts of Kathy Klink-Flores of the Lakewood Balmoral Residents Council, Julie Wlach, Leslie Ames of the East Andersonville Residents Council, LeRoy Blommaert of the Edgewater Historical Society, Maureen Murnane of the Lakewood Balmoral Residents Council, and the many other community members and community organizations who helped to make this preservation effort a success.
Additional Reading
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LIKELY LOSS & POSSIBLE WIN: Iconic Chicago Avenue Bridge Demolition Imminent, while Historic Division Street Bridge Could be Moved and Reused as Pedestrian Bridge.
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Chicago Avenue Bridge, Photo Credit: James Pillips
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Chicago Avenue Bridge, Photo Credit: ChEyeBall/Twitter
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Dvision Street Bridge Move Aerial, Photo Credit: Google Earth Pro and Chicago Tribune Graphics
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Dvision Street Bridge, Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Dvision Street Bridge, Photo Credit: Google Street View
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The Chicago Avenue Bridge is in immediate danger of demolition. The demolition of the Chicago Avenue Bridge is scheduled for September, 2018. Preservation Chicago has advocated to restore or move this iconic bridge for use as a pedestrian bridge elsewhere on the river. However, the historic Division Street Bridge may be a more likely candidate for reuse.
A group called "Friends of Goose Island", comprised of large Goose Island based companies and property owners, approached the City of Chicago’s Department of Transportation to explore saving the Chicago Avenue Bridge and relocating it to Blackhawk Street. This would create a pedestrian and bike pathway across the Chicago River to the west of Goose Island and to connect it with the 606, the elevated 2.7 mile linear pedestrian and bike trail. Unfortunately, the initial costs estimates and timing were prohibitive.
According to Zack Cupkovic, a Friends of Goose Island board member and director of special projects for R2 Company, based on a conversation with Luis Benitez, chief bridge engineer for the Chicago Department of Transportation, the Chicago Avenue Bridge is in “very, very bad shape” and that relocating and reassembling that bridge could cost $6.5 million, including $4.5 million to fix it up enough to be able to move it.
Cupkovic told the Chicago Tribune’s Mary Wisniewski that the conversation with CDOT's Luis Benitez was product as “he understood why we wanted to save an historic element of the area”. Friends of Goose Island believes that the pedestrian and bike bridge would integrate Goose Island with pedestrian and bike traffic near Elston Avenue and would encourage economic development in the area.
The 114-year-old Division Street Bridge appears to be a better candidate for relocation. The Division Street Bridge is a riveted steel, double-leaf bascule bridge. Division Street Bridge is scheduled for demolition and replacement in 2020 and CDOT will offer the historic bridge for donation in 2019.
“Remarkably, the original first Division Street bridge at that location, built in 1869, was removed in 1902 and reused at Blackhawk Street, according to the book “Chicago River Bridges” by Patrick McBriarty. That bridge was removed in 1910, after being declared an obstruction to navigation in an order from the U.S. secretary of war, and the location has since been without a bridge.” (Wisniewski, Chicago Tribune, 8/13/18)
Costs for the relocation would be significant, however the Friends of Goose Island plans to fund the bridge relocation project through a public campaign sponsored and supported by local businesses and landlords. R2 published an ambitious conceptual masterplan in 2015 called Goose Island Vision 2025 which envisioned a Blackhawk Street bike way across the river. R2 Company is an active developer and property owner on Goose Island. They are also the developer of the historic Morton Salt warehouse at 1329 N. Elston Avenue, which they are converting into an office, retail and entertainment venue complex called "The Salt District", and which is just west of the Chicago River and south of Blackhawk Street.
Preservation Chicago applauds R2 Company and Friends of Goose Island for their interest, initiative, vision and demonstrated leadership in making big ideas happen. A pedestrian bridge at Blackhawk Street would be a benefit and economic stimulant. Additionally, the reuse of a historic Chicago bascule bridge would be visually and historically interesting and a tourist draw.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Community Pushes Back Against Crawford Station Demolition and Truck Cross Dock Proposal. (Chicago 7 2014)
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Crawford Station, Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Crawford Station, Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Crawford Electrical Generating Station, Historic Photo Credit: Library of Congress
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UPDATE: For over a decade, a coalition of community activists fought to close two coal burning power plants that contributed significant air pollution into Chicago and created significant health impacts for individuals living close to these facilities. Finally, in 2012, the plants were closed down and the source of pollution was stopped. Mayor Rahm Emanuel promised that any new development would be environmentally-sustainable and that the community would be involved. According to a news release from the mayor’s office,
“when we closed down Chicago’s last two coal plants, we committed to creating a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future for Chicago’s neighborhoods."
What has been proposed for the 72-acre site Crawford Station site is a massive 1 million square-foot diesel truck staging, cross-dock facility by developer Hilco Redevelopment Partners. This industrial reuse plan is tragically ironic, considering the extraordinary 12-year effort to close the Crawford Station to eliminate the toxic pollution it generated. The massive truck staging facility will produce high levels of exhaust pollution, noise pollution, and restrict an extensive stretch of water frontage to an industrial use as opposed to converting this valuable water-front acreage to cultural uses, green space and a riverwalk. It is even more tragic as the North Branch of the Chicago River is currently being activated reimagined for a dynamic mix of park space, residential, offices and transit.
“There have long been serious concerns about heavy trucks and diesel emissions near schools in Little Village. The fine particulate matter released by diesel trucks is linked to several threats to health including increased risk for cardiac and respiratory disease and cancer. For an organization that closed a coal plant, an increase in diesel emissions produced by trucks would reverse a major community victory on air quality.” (Bayne, Social Justice News, 8/28/17)
In recent community meetings following the closing of the Crawford Plant and with regard to the proposed cross-dock facility, Preservation Chicago was instrumental in helping to empower residents to speak and be heard. In a recent “divide and conquer style” community meeting, Preservation Chicago redirected the meeting towards a single, large circle conversation to empower the voices of the
community. Given this different forum, the community spoke out and strongly opposed a new use that would create another source of dangerous pollution. They also supported the idea of preservation and reuse of the complex of buildings with the possibility of including cultural, environmental and educational programs.
The new proposed use is highly contrary to the wishes of the community and the plan calls for the existing buildings to be demolished, including the architecturally significant Crawford Station buildings. The building is orange-rated on the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS) which requires a 90-Day Demolition Delay to provide an opportunity for alternate plans to emerge that might protect the historic building from demolition. A request for a demolition permit was submitted on Monday, March 26, 2018. The demolition permit was released the following day on Tuesday March 27th, precisely one day later.
“Orange-rated buildings are supposed to have a 90-day hold for this reason. Expediting the demolition of historic buildings really defeats the purpose of having the Chicago Historic Resources Survey,” said Ward Miller.
The Crawford Station was designed by architects Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, the successor firm to D. H. Burnham & Company. The firm’s others commissions included many large scale and important buildings such as Chicago’s Union Station, Soldier Field, The Field Museum, the Merchandise Mart, Shedd Aquarium, and Chicago’s Main Post Office. Many of their designs have become cherished Chicago landmarks and world-class cultural attractions.
Preservation Chicago strongly encourages the adaptive reuse of the historic building into a redevelopment plan, with new construction located elsewhere on vast the 72-acre site.
The historic Graham, Anderson, Probst and White buildings, along with its incredible Turbine Hall is an asset that should be recognized, valued and protected. The Crawford Station is comprised of red-brick, stonework masonry, modern gothic forms and renaissance-revival detailing to create an eclectic mix of historic styles, now termed “Industrial Gothic.” The main Turbine Hall is a stately, massive red-brick building, resembling the front façade of church or religious structure with its large flanking towers dominating the front facade. A mammoth three-story-arched window opening is divided with slender brick piers.
In London, a once shuttered coal-fired plant built in 1947 was adaptively reused and is now the celebrated Tate Modern. This river-front art museum has become the third most visited attraction in the UK with 5.8 million visitors in 2016. Prior to its reuse in 2000, the structure repeatedly threatened with demolition since it was closed in 1981.
Crawford Station’s Turbine Hall could be the site of an extraordinary cultural center, community center, art center, or museum. Perhaps even highlighting the history of the complex and issues of water and air pollution, and the story of a community coming together to address environmental and health issues. If developed properly, the creative reuse of Crawford Station could become a regional draw, attracting many visitors and tourists to Little Village. Situated on the banks of the Sanitary and Ship Canal, it could provide access to and active this important waterway for much needed recreation and park space for the Little Village, South Lawndale, Lower West Side, Archer Heights, Brighton Park, and McKinley Park communities.
After its completion in 1926, the enormous Crawford Station electricity-generating coal-fired power station was considered to
"be an engineering wonder of the modern world". Engineering Magazine in July of 1925, noted that
“probably no power station ever built has commanded greater interest during the period of its construction than has Crawford Avenue Station in Chicago”. The magazine made numerous references to the interest in Chicago’s new power plant at the world power conference held in London, England.
Crawford Station's innovative technology conquered the previously difficult task of employing steam engine turbine technology and created the world’s largest electrical generators. The resulting massive electricity production proved essential to Chicago's to massive growth and the resulting prosperity. The successful model of the Crawford Station was replicated around the world, but it all began in Chicago.
Additional Reading
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LOSS: Agam Sculpture Vanishes from Michigan Avenue! (Chicago 7 2017)
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“Communication X9” Sculpture, by Yaacov Agam, located at 150 N. Michigan Avenue, Photo Credit: Terence Faircloth /Flickr
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Chicago is home to one of the world’s finest collections of 20th Century public art and sculpture, however, a number of important sculptures have recently vanished. These sculptures are an important part of Chicago’s artistic and cultural heritage and their loss is profoundly embarrassing and a tragic blow to Chicago’s exceptional collection of public art. It damages Chicago's reputation as an international architectural and cultural capital, which is so important for drawing millions of tourists and their billions of tourist dollars to Chicago every year.
The monumental Henry Moore bronze, called “Large Internal-External Upright Form” that once dominated the lobby of Three First National, vanished during a lobby remodel and then resurfaced in 2016 when it sold at auction in London for millions. In March 2017, Alexander Calder’s “The Universe” kinetic sculpture was carted off to storage prior to a lobby renovation and its future is pending the outcome of a lawsuit regarding ownership. This highly whimsical kinetic sculpture in lobby of the Sears Tower was unveiled on the same day, October 25, 1974 as “Flamingo” in Federal Center. The grand-scale of Harry Bertoia’s “Sonambient” sound sculpture on the plaza of the Standard Oil/Aon Building with its soaring brass rods was lost when the plaza was redesigned in 1994 and most of the sculpture hauled off to storage. Five pieces of the sculpture were sold at auction in 2013 and a new round of plaza alterations jeopardize the few elements of the sculpture that remain.
The Agam sculpture titled “Communication X9” was dedicated in 1983. This 43-foot tall sculpture by Israeli artist Yaacov Agam used colorful prismatic elements that appear to move as pedestrians walk past this bustling Michigan Avenue corner in front of the Stone Container/ Crain Communications Building at 150 N. Michigan Avenue. This iconic sculpture was removed in August 2018.
According to a statement from property management CBRE to Crain’s Chicago Business,
“the building is undergoing a significant renovation project that will change the character of the building in a way that is no longer compatible with the sculpture. We are taking great care to properly remove and store the sculpture with the hope that it can one day be enjoyed again in a setting that is in keeping with the spirit of the piece. While ownership may sell the piece, they also are entertaining the idea of donating it if they are able to identify an appropriate recipient.”
Like so many other monumental works of Chicago art, this sculpture will likely end up sold at auction.
There are other important Chicago sculptures in danger. There is concern regarding the future of the Marc Chagall’s “Four Seasons” mosaic at First National Bank/Chase Plaza, as credible sources report that Chase Plaza has been quietly marketed for sale as a buildable site with potential for a new high-rise development. Originally, intended to be viewed from the tall buildings surrounding the Plaza, the mosaic sunburst and rainbow stripes that once covered the top surface of Chagall’s masterpiece have already been lost.
Jean Dubuffet’s fiberglass sculpture “Monument with Standing Beast” has been located in the plaza in front of Helmut Jahn’s Thompson Center at 100 W. Randolph since 1984. While it reflects on the open space of the Thompson Center’s architecture, it is comprised of four massive forms which invite viewers to enter and walk through the sculpture. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has frequently called for the state-owned property to be sold for a super-tall new development which would endanger the future of the sculpture.
Other notable Chicago sculptures that should be protected include Claes Oldenburg’s "Batcolumn", Joan "Miro’s Moon, Sun, and One Star", and Alexander Calder’s "Flamingo". Chicago was one of the first and largest municipalities to require the inclusion of public art into its public building program. While Chicago was exemplary in providing its citizens with inspirational architecture and public art, it never developed criteria for protecting these public works of art. In fact, "The Picasso" is the exception and is one of the few pieces of public art that is protected from being removed or altered in anyway as part of the Richard J. Daley Center and Plaza Chicago Landmark Designation.
Mayor Emanuel and Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism wing, dubbed 2017 the “Year of Public Art in Chicago” to celebrate Chicago’s magnificent art collection in the Loop and artistry throughout the neighborhoods. Ironically, it proved to be the year in which some of Chicago’s greatest public art disappeared from the city.
The possibility of losing such extraordinary masterpieces is truly shocking. Preservation Chicago is profoundly concerned about this trend and is advocating for a Thematic Chicago Landmark District to be created to protect the most important examples of 20th Century Chicago Public Art, along with the contextual plazas in which they are installed.
Preservation Chicago believes that important Chicago sculptures should remain in Chicago in the public view. If they cannot remain at their historic location, then they should be donated to major Chicago art institutions such as The Art Institute of Chicago or The Museum of Contemporary Art. To this end, Preservation Chicago has been in touch with senior leadership at The Art Institute of Chicago who have indicated an openness to the donation of important world-class works of art.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Fulton Market Grain Silos and Historic Loft Buildings Sold to Sterling Bay
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ADM Wheat Mill, 1300 West Carroll Avenue, Photo Credit: Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune
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ADM Wheat Mill, 1300 West Carroll Avenue, Photo Credit: Google Street View
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ADM Wheat Mill, 1300 West Carroll Avenue, Photo Credit: Peter Rock
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Once a gritty and hardworking meatpacking district, the Fulton Market neighborhood has become a trendy neighborhood with significant investment and the opening of many new bars, restaurants, residences, and offices. Thanks in large part to the highly successful Fulton-Randolph Market Landmark District, approved by Chicago City Council in 2015, many of the protected historic buildings are being renovated. However, many unprotected historic buildings in the West Loop beyond the landmark district boundaries are threatened with demolition.
Shortly after Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) announced plans to close the historic wheat plant in June 2017, a demolition permit was released for the full block site. This is an amazing series of buildings which should be creatively reused for a highly innovative development. Designed by architect William Carbys Zimmerman, the plant was built in 1897 for B.A. Eckhart Milling /Eckhart & Swan Co and has been in operation since that time. Located at 1300 West Carroll Avenue in the Fulton Market District, it has been reported to be Chicago’s last active grain elevator.
In the 1850’s, Chicago was the grain capital of the world. The mill and silo buildings are a direct connection to Chicago’s wheat industry, one of the major industries upon which Chicago was built. As poet Carl Sandburg wrote in his legendary poem “
Chicago”,
Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:
The wheat mill employs approximately 60 people and its closing is evidence of further erosion to Chicago’s industrial base. ADM operations will be moved to a new facility in Mendota, Illinois, about 90 miles west of Chicago. Ironically, ADM moved its global headquarters from its longtime central Illinois home in Decatur to the Loop in 2014.
The existing 250,000-square-foot ADM mill facility sits on a 2.2-acre site and includes a series of brick loft buildings ranging from three to six stories tall and a soaring concrete structure with more than a dozen of silos. The anticipated buyer is Sterling Bay, one of the most active owners and developers in the Fulton Market (and Lincoln Yards on the North Branch) and is expected to clear the site. The expected sales price is approximately $25 million. The current site zoning would support a building of approximately 457,000 square feet.
As reported by Ryan Ori in the Chicago Tribune, Sterling Bay is exploring the possibility of locating a new Metra commuter rail station at the site, which is immediately adjacent to four train lines which carry 37,000 passengers daily between suburbs and downtown Chicago on the Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North, North Central Service and Union Pacific West lines. It’s unclear if the new station would be a stand-alone structure or integrated into the base of a new building. The cost is unknown and conversations are highly preliminary, but the addition of a new transit rail station at this location would provide a powerful stimulant to continuing the explosive growth of the West Loop as a vibrant mixed use community with office, hotel, restaurants, retail, and residential offerings and to continue to attract companies to the area who which to benefit from the strong access to transit. Metra and the 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett have signaled their conceptual support for the new station.
Parking and traffic congestion are two of the biggest structural challenges to the West Loop’s continued growth.
Preservation Chicago does not consider additional construction at the site, the addition of a new rail station and adaptive reuse to be mutually exclusive. We encourage Sterling Bay to pursue a creative adaptive reuse development that could recognize and celebrate this interesting building and the Chicago history it represents. This is an excellent opportunity to reuse these historic buildings in the proposed new station. The building is green-rated per the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS) which indicates that it was an important building in the Illinois Historic Structures Survey (ISS) in the 1970’s. Its inclusion in both the CHRS and the ISS confirms its architectural significance. Preservation Chicago plans to suggest to the City of Chicago that these structures be considered for Designated Landmark Status.
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LOSS: Former Temple Beth-El at 2122 W. Crystal Street Slated for Demolition
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Temple Beth-El/Original New Morning Star M. B. Church, 2122 W. Crystal Street, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Temple Beth-El/Original New Morning Star M. B. Church, 2122 W. Crystal Street, Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Proposed Condo Building, 2122 W. Crystal Street, Rendering Credit: Childs Development
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Childs Development purchased the historic synagogue/church building at 2122 W. Crystal Street in Wicker Park for $1.75 million. The purchase closed on August 8, 2018. Twelve days later on August 20, 2018, a demolition permit was issued for the 116 year-old structure. Built in 1902 as Temple Beth-El, it became the Original New Morning Star M. B. Church in the 1970’s.
Demolition and new construction developers are typically able and willing to outspend buyers looking to live and restore historic homes. According to the listing broker, the church initially asked $1.1 million for the building. It went under contract in less than a week and for an amount $650k over the list price, or approximately a 60% premium over list. The developer plans to building a high-end, six-unit condominium building with prices ranging from approximately $700k to $1 million per unit.
As reported in Block Club Chicago, the site was of particular interest to the developer as it is 14 feet wider than the standard 50 foot double lot. The location is just beyond the boundaries of the highly sought after Wicker Park Landmark District, so the Landmark District provides no protections for this building. Additionally, developers know that protected historic landmark districts are highly-desirable and add value, so if they develop close to, but just outside of historic landmark districts, they benefit from the high-desirability but without any restrictions.
Preservation Chicago has been outreaching to the developer to encourage the reuse of the façade or even part of the façade in their new construction. By saving and reusing the façade, it could replace the planned stairwell facade in the new construction and have minimal impact on the proposed condo units. The rendering of the proposed new construction shows a contemporary, but highly generic building. The historic facade would provide an authenticity and uniqueness to the building which will increase sales desirability. It would demonstrate a high respect for the history of the site, Crystal Street, and the Wicker Park Community. Smart developers have recognized that goodwill with the immediate neighbors during construction is a valuable asset.
As this development is “as-of-right”, there are few planning tools available to the community. There is no zoning change required therefore Aldermanic approval is not required. The building is not protected by any landmark designation or even included in the CHRS which could require an 90-Day Demolition Delay. Downzoning properties to have zoning better harmonized with the current existing build stock would help to encourage reuse of existing building and homes. A Chicago Landmark District would provide the greatest protections and planning and development oversight for historic structures like Temple Beth-El.
The history of the Temple Beth-El building is evident on its highly intact façade including its decorative yellow brick work, a series of limestone gothic-arches, limestone ornamentation and finials, and the Hebrew and English carved inscriptions over the front door. The only noteworthy loss to the façade was the replacement of the original stained glass windows with glass block.
The adjacent Temple Beth-El school building at 2126 W. Crystal Street was successfully adaptively reused and converted to condominiums. Directly across the street the 1890’s Lutheran gothic revival church by architects Worthmann & Steinbach at 2127 W. Crystal Street from a smiliar time period is listed as orange rated in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS). Other than the glass block, it's unclear why a highly intact, architecturally distinct building such as 2122 W. Crystal Street would have been overlooked by the CHRS, but provides yet another example of the limitations of the CHRS which dates from 1996.
Founded in 1871, Temple Beth-El is one of Chicago’s oldest congregations and was highly innovative throughout its history, including being one of the first to offer coed enrollment at the religious school on Crystal Street and was one of the first Chicago synagogue in Chicago to offer Sunday school education to girls. It hosted a wide-range of cultural activities including drama club performances, musical and literary events learning sessions, dances and mixers, and athletic competitions.
Per Temple Beth-El’s history website,
“In 1902, the temple purchased three adjoining lots at Crystal Street and Hoyne Avenue. There they constructed a much larger building for worship as well as a separate structure with a gymnasium and rooms for a Sunday school. Such a configuration was novel to Chicago; Beth El became the first synagogue in the city to house its religious school and its sanctuary in independent buildings.”
“Ever the innovator, Rabbi Rappaport went several steps further in offering coed enrollment at the school on Crystal Street. Beth El is thus noted as the first synagogue in Chicago to offer Sunday school education to girls. Rappaport’s strong commitment to family life touched other areas of his rabbinate as well; he established Chicago’s first synagogue youth group and Beth El’s first social club for married couples.”
“With a generous gift from the Molner family, the synagogue dedicated its secondary structure as Molner Hall, and throughout Rabbi Rappaport’s tenure, Molner Hall was considered a great social hub for the Jews of the Northwest Side. Molner Hall functioned like a miniature Chicago Hebrew Institute , offering plentiful resources to the Jewish community at-large for study, sport, and socialization similar to the original Chicago Hebrew Institute on Blue Island Avenue near 12th Street. Similarly, Molner Hall hosted drama club performances, learning sessions, musical and literary events, dances and mixers, athletic competitions, and numerous other opportunities for cultural outreach for more than 20 years”
The Temple Beth-El congregation moved from Wicker Park to Logan Square. Their Logan Square synagogue building located at 3228 W. Palmer Boulevard was built in the 1920s and served as the Logan Square Boys and Girls Club since 1955. The building is under contract and preservation organizations are advocating for a preservation-sensitive outcome. The Temple Beth-El congregation then moved to Albany Park and ultimately moved to Northbrook in 1975.
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THREATENED: Demolition Threat for Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church
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Grand Dinning Room, Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, by George W. Maher in 1925, Photo Credit: Jason Marck / WBEZ
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Front Entrance, Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, by George W. Maher in 1925, Photo Credit: Jason Marck / WBEZ
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Main Foyer, Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, by George W. Maher in 1925, Photo Credit: Jason Marck / WBEZ
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Gardens, Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, by George W. Maher in 1925, Photo Credit: Jason Marck / WBEZ
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Chicago Town and Tennis Club Aerial View, 1925 W. Thome Avenue, Photo Credit: Googlemaps
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The historic Chicago Town and Tennis Club/Unity Church located at 1925 W. Thome Avenue behind Emmerson Park in West Ridge is threatened with demolition. The 3.5 acre site was recently sold for $7.5 million to Misericordia Homes which plans to demolish the historic building and construct a residential building to accommodate approximately 100 people with developmental disabilities.
Designed by Chicago architect George W. Maher in 1925, the Tudor-Revival Chicago Town and Tennis Club overlooked 16 tennis courts and extensive gardens. The building is orange-rated per the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS). The tennis club closed and later became an Elks Club before becoming Unity Church. The building was carefully restored by Vinci-Hamp Architects for Unity Church which converted the club dining room into its sanctuary and other rooms were converted into an art gallery and a social hall. The building has retained much of its original stained glass, tile, and plasterwork. On the exterior of the building, original stone carvings depicting a pair of tennis rackets can be seen.
In more recent history, Unity Church was the location where 40 couples were married on June 1, 2014, the first day same-sex marriage became legal in Illinois.
“Among the forty couples getting married or renewing vows...were included one couple that has been married for 60 years. Fifteen couples wed, as 25 renewed vows or expressed commitment. Over 500 people were in attendance to witness the ceremony. Maggie Bynum sang musical selections including "At Last
" for the couples.” (GoPride.com, 6/1/14)
Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago, has been advocating to convince Misericordia and 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O’Connor to preserve the historic orange-rated building for reuse as a community center and dining hall. Because the historic building takes up only a small percentage of the expansive 3.5 acre site, Ward is encouraging Misericordia to construct their new residential building elsewhere on the site.
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WIN: Schulze Bakery to be Adaptively Reused as Data Center
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Schulze Baking Company Building, 40 E. Garfield Boulevard, by John Ahlschlager & Son in 1914, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Schulze Baking Company Building, 40 E. Garfield Boulevard, by John Ahlschlager & Son in 1914, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Schulze Baking Company Building, 40 E. Garfield Boulevard, by John Ahlschlager & Son in 1914, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Vacant and suffering deferred maintenance since 2004, the Schulze Baking Company building will be renovated and adaptively reused as a data center. Located at 40 E. Garfield Boulevard (55th Street) in Washington Park, this architecturally exuberant building was designed by Chicago architect John Ahlschlager & Son in 1914.
This announcement 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 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 220,000-square-foot site Schulze property was sold to CIM for $7.5 million. CIM Group is a large real estate development firm, with projects including Block 37 and the Tribune Tower redevelopment. As reported in Crain’s, the century-old building, called Midway Technology Center, will require a major rehab that could total $150 million to become a data center, including a new roof and bringing in additional power required for racks of electricity-thirsty servers. The partners have decided against pursuing tax breaks associated with historic landmarks, but they plan to restore the building's distinctive facade. The facility is located in a state-designated enterprise zone, which could provide some sales-tax incentives. (Pletz, Crain’s, 7/31/18)
Preservation Chicago applauds the development team for their plans to restore the historic Schulze Baking Company Building and encourages them to pursue a Chicago Landmark Designation.
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LOSS: “Spotlight on Demolition” Queen Anne Cottage at 1042 S. Oakley Boulevard in Tri-Taylor
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1042 S. Oakley Boulevard, Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael from Twitter
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Claremont Cottage, Historic Advertisement Credit: Gabriel X. Michael from Twitter
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Release of 90-Day Demolition Delay for 1042 S. Oakley Boulevard, Photo Credit: City of Chicago
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Chicago continues to loose significant and historic homes at an alarming pace. This lovely Queen Anne Cottage from 1895 is slated for immediate demolition. This 123-year old home is located at 1042 S. Oakley Boulevard, just west of the Illinois Medical District.
The cottage sold in December 2017 for $180,000. Due to its orange-rated status in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS) which demonstrates its significant historic value, it’s subject to a 90-Day Demolition Delay. A demolition permit request was submitted on March 14, 2018 and the demolition delay was released on June 13, 2018.
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WIN: Sale and Reinvestment in Landmark Germania Club Building
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Germania Club Building, 108 W. Germania Place, by August Fiedler in 1889, Photo Credit: Lynn Becker
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Germania Club Building, 108 W. Germania Place, by August Fiedler in 1889, Photo Credit: Smallbones
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The historic Germania Club Building, a Designated Chicago Landmark, was sold to developer R2 Company. Located at 108 W. Germania Place, the three-story Germania Club was designed by architect August Fiedler in 1889. The 40,000 square foot building originally served as the headquarters for the Germania Club social club, the oldest German-American organization in the Chicago.
“The origins of the Germania Club date to 1865, when a group of German Civil War veterans sang at ceremonies held at the Chicago Court House as President Lincoln’s funeral bier passed through Chicago on route to Springfield. In the same year, this informal chorus of 60 singers performed a second concert to benefit wounded Civil War soldiers, and in 1867 staged a concert to benefit a Jewish orphanage.” (Germania Club Landmark Designation Report, August 2010)
According to Chicago guidebooks at the time it was built, the Germania Club was regarded as “one of the most handsome clubs in the city.” The building has first floor retail and a grand ballroom on the upper floor. The building’s Victorian design includes neoclassical and German Renaissance influences. The two-story rusticated limestone base includes a glassy portico and arched doorway. The upper stories include pairs of tall windows, deep red roman brick, unglazed red terra cotta, and pressed-metal ornament, arches and triangular pediments, highly ornate pilasters and a decorative cornice at the roofline. Numerous ornate historic interior spaces are also intact. Most of the current decorative metal elements and the pressed-metal ornament at the pediments date from 1987, when the deteriorated originals were replaced with new material sympathetic to the original design, however historic photos reveal that the original features were more richly ornamented.
The Germania Club Building was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2010, which was long supported by Preservation Chicago. As a result, all upgrades or changes to the building façade must follow historic landmark standards and plans must be approved by Chicago’s landmark staff. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Thanks to an earlier preservation effort, Germania Club Building survived a significant threat in the 1980's.
“In 1985, about a year before the Germania Club voted itself out of existence, a developer had proposed making the Germania Club an entrance facility for a new 45-story condo tower just to the north. The proposal never came to fruition.” (Lynn Becker, 2/25/08) Additionally, a magnificent, first-class relic from the Worlds Columbian Exposition, called the "Porcelain Porch", had been relocated from the Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Building to the ballroom, but was dismantled in 1986 and has been in storage ever since.
As reported in Crain’s Chicago Business, R2 principal Matt Garrison describes the upper floors as a
"hotel ballroom without a hotel. That's the real impact we can have on the deal. It's a chance to step back and reconsider that ballroom space and what to do with it and to upgrade it. We think it's a really interesting opportunity for someone to provide Class A events without the hotel cost structure in a location that's different but still really good." (Ecker, Crain’s, 8/23/18)
R2 is also working to redevelop the Jarvis Hunt designed Rector Building/Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building and the historic Morton Salt warehouse at 1329 N. Elston Avenue into an office, retail and entertainment venue complex called "The Salt District."
Following the completion of the Germania Club, architect August Fiedler accepted the position of supervising architect for the Chicago Board of Education. In this capacity, he designed more than a dozen public schools, including: the Goethe School (2236 N. Rockwell Ave., 1895); the Komensky School (1925 S. Throop St., 1890); the McCosh School (now Emmett Till School, 6543 S. Champlain Ave., 1894); the Bass School (1140 W. 66th St., 1895); the Funston School (3616 W. Armitage Ave., 1895); and the Pickard School (2301 W. 21st Pl.; 1896).
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WIN: Lakeside Press Building to be Adaptively Reused
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Lakeside Press Building, 731 S. Plymouth Court, by Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1897, Photo Credit: 3L Real Estate
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Lakeside Press Building, 731 S. Plymouth Court, by Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1897, Historic Photo Credit: Library of Congress
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Lakeside Press Building, 731 S. Plymouth Court, circa 1901, Historic Photo Credit: Rudolph Michaelis Glass Plate Negatives of Chicago from the Midwest collection at the Newberry Library
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The Lakeside Press Building at 731 S. Plymouth Court will be converted to 96 market rate apartments. Columbia College has used this historic Printer’s Row office building as a 343-bed student dormitory, prior to its sale to developer 3L Real Estate. The sales price was reported by Bisnow to be approximately $20 million. The seven-story building had operated for almost 80 years as a printing plant. It was converted to residential use in 1985, and Columbia bought it as its first residence hall in 1993.
731 S. Plymouth Court was designed by the notable architect Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1897, with the northern half completed in 1901. This massive loft building is a wonderfully ornate example of a late 19th century commercial/industrial buildings. The building features a limestone base with limestone quoins, piers, and window headers with a massive limestone entryway with ornate carving. The building is primarily of red brick, with heavy vertical piers, and a wide variety of window types including arched windows at the first and top floors, and rows of massive windows separated by riveted cast iron spandrels. Originally, the building served as a showroom, office, and printing press for the Lakeside Press. The middle floors housed the printing presses.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is a contributing building in the Printing House Row Chicago Landmark District designated in 1996.
3L Real Estate has experience with historic building conversation, including the adaptive reuse of the former Yellow Cab warehouse at 57 E. 21st St. into 137 apartments. They recently purchased the Landmark Johnson Publishing building 820 S. Michigan Avenue which will be converted to a residential use.
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WIN: Rector Building/Bell Federal Savings to be Renovated
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Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building, 79 W. Monroe Street, Photo Credit: CoStar
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Rector Building, 79 W. Monroe Street by Jarvis Hunt in 1906 and south addition by Holabird & Roche in 1924, Historic Photo Credit: ChicagoPast.com
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Rector Building, 79 W. Monroe Street, by Jarvis Hunt in 1906, Historic Photo Credit: The Art Institute of Chicago, Ryerson & Burnham
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Rector Building Cornice, 79 W. Monroe Street, by Jarvis Hunt in 1906, Historic Photo Credit: The Art Institute of Chicago, Ryerson & Burnham Archives, Inland Architect, vol. 46, no.5, www.artic.edu
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The Weather Bell, Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building, 79 W. Monroe Street, Photo Credit: David Wilson, davidwilson1949/
Flickr
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A renovation will soon be underway for the 14-story Rector Building/Chicago Trust Building/Chicago Title and Trust Building /Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building located at 79 W. Monroe Street by developer R2 Company. Designed by Jarvis Hunt in 1906, the neoclassical office building will be renovated as a “premier boutique creative office building” and reverse the trend of vintage office buildings being converted to residential or hotel uses. Holabird & Roche designed a highly complementary and seamless addition to the south in 1924.
The Bell Federal Savings & Loan Building is well-known for its distinctive weather prediction clock. The “Weather Bell” was installed in the mid-1950s and changes colors based on the temperature. It even had its own 1950’s-era jingle:
When Weather Bell is emerald green
No change in temperature is foreseen.
When Weather Bell is glowing red
Warmer weather is ahead.
When Weather Bell is gleaming gold
A temperature drop is foretold
When Weather Bell is in agitation,
Prepare yourself for precipitation.
Architect Jarvis Hunt also designed the Lake Shore Athletic Club at 850 North Lake Shore Drive, the Chicago Tribune printing plant at 430 N. St. Clair, Peoples Trust & Savings Bank at 30 North Michigan, Saddle & Cycle Club, 900 North Michigan Avenue (demolished), and Lake-Michigan Building at 201 N. Michigan (demolished).
R2 Company will purchase the leasehold interest in the 199,000 square foot building for approximately $25 million. R2 has been active in Chicago and renovated the buildings at 542 S. Dearborn Street and 445 W. Erie Street. They are the developers working to improve the landmark Germania Club Building and to redevelop the historic Morton Salt warehouse at 1329 N. Elston Ave. into an office, retail and entertainment venue complex called "The Salt District."
Originally, the building had an elaborate, multi-story masonry cornice. Preservation Chicago strongly encourages the developer to rebuild the lost cornice and other lost elements to return the building to it historic appearance. This beautifully crafted building by architect Jarvis Hunt with later additions by Holabird & Roche would qualify for a Designated Chicago Landmark. Preservation Chicago encourages the developer to pursue a Chicago Landmark Designation for this important Chicago building.
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WIN: Hollander Warehouse Building to be Adaptively Reused
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Hollander Storage Building, 2418 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Historic Photo Credit: Hollander Storage Co.
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Hollander Storage Building, 2418 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Historic Photo Credit: Logan Square Preservation
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The historic Hollander Warehouse Building located at 2418 N. Milwaukee Avenue near Fullerton Avenue in Logan Square will be adaptively reused for boutique offices with a first floor restaurant.
Hollander Storage and moving company was founded in 1888 by Albert Hollander. The Hollander Storage building was built in 1911 by architect H.H. Mueller and operated by the Hollander family from this location until 2017, when they relocated to Elk Grove Village.
As David Hollander told DNAinfo Chicago,
“There’s always been difficulty with that building. It really isn’t designed well for warehousing and logistics. It was designed for horse-drawn trailers.” (Bloom, Block Club, 8/8/18)
According to developer Mitch Goltz, principal of GW Properties, the existing 5-story brick building will be adaptively reused while the adjacent one-story annex building and parking lot will have new construction. The new construction will be no taller than the historic 5-story building and no zoning variation is required. The full site is 11,000 square feet.
Goltz told Block Club Chicago that
“he and his team are looking forward to preserving the historic building, which he described as ‘iconic.’ The building is in great shape and there’s really cool architectural elements inside like marble floors, high ceilings and a safe. It’s an important building in the neighborhood and we’ll do our best to preserve it.” (Bloom, Block Club, 8/8/18)
Preservation Chicago had outreached to 1st Ward Alderman Joe Moreno and owner David Hollander to encourage a preservation-sensitive reuse of the building and to promote a potential landmark designation. Both Alderman Moreno and David Hollander were open and receptive to the idea. Preservation Chicago encourages the developer to landmark the Hollander Warehouse building and its highly decorative and intact lobby.
A different building with similar name, the Hollander Fireproof Warehouse located at Milwaukee, North and Damen avenues was renovated in 2016 as part of the Northwest Tower/ Robey House Hotel project.
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WIN: Carbide and Carbon Building Renovated and Reopened as St. Jane Hotel
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Carbide & Carbon Building, 230 N Michigan Avenue, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Carbide & Carbon Building, 230 N Michigan Avenue, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Carbide & Carbon Building, 230 N Michigan Avenue, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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The Carbide and Carbon Company/ Union Carbide Building located at 230 N. Michigan Avenue has been renovated and rebranded as the St. Jane Hotel. Since 2004, the 40-story Art Deco skyscraper was known as the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. The St. Jane Hotel renovation is more consistent with the Art Deco period and “Jazz Age elegance”. The building became a Designated Chicago Landmark in 1994.
The Carbide and Carbon Company Building was designed in 1928 by the Burnham Brothers. The exterior is comprised of a black polished granite two-story base, with a dark green terra cotta tower intended to resemble malachite, and with extensive gold leaf and bronze trim, especially on the top floors and soaring rooftop tower.
Built during the Roaring Twenties and prohibition, an often repeated urban legend suggests that the Burnham Brothers designed the building to resemble a dark green champagne bottle with gold foil at the top.
Building owner Becker Ventures wished to create a boutique hotel experience more appropriate to the historic Art Deco design of the building, so after ending the 13 year collaboration with the music-themed Hard Rock Hotel chain, they initiated a new concept with Chicago-based hotel hospitality group Aparium Hotel Group. Aparium Hotel Group specializes in reimagining historic buildings as boutique hotels. An extensive renovation was required to transform the Hard Rock Hotel into the St. Jane. Booth Hansen was the architecture and design firm hired for the project with a directive to respect the Art Deco interior elements.
Carrie Meghie, co-president at Becker Ventures told Forbes Magazine, "
that Chicago deserves this beauty and the Carbide and Carbon building deserves to be as impressive on the inside as much as it’s inspiring on the outside. The St. Jane aligns with our goal to create a product and brand that we believe is aligned with the history and beauty of the building.” (Brenner, Forbes, 8/9/18)
The name “St. Jane” is homage to Jane Addams, the legendary pioneering Chicagoan who worked extensively to aid the city’s poor and immigrant communities. She and Ellen Gates Starr founded Hull House in 1889, Chicago’s first settlement house. In 1931, Jane Addams was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
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WIN: "Chicago Tribune" Sign Saved
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Tribune Tower, 435 N. Michigan Avenue, by Howells & Hood in 1925, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Historic Chicago Tribune Sign to be Saved and Remounted, Rendering Credit: SCB
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Colonel Robert McCormick's 24th floor Office in the Chicago Tribune Tower likely to be Demolished, Photo Credit: Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune
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“We came to an agreement, and the sign is going to stay and be part of the development plan as we presented in our public meeting in April”, said developer Lee Golub. (Ori, Chicago Tribune, 8/3/18)
The iconic Chicago Tribune’s sign will remain a fixture on Michigan Avenue and from the Chicago River. On August 3, 2018, the settlement was reached between the newspaper’s parent company, Tronc, and the real estate firms redeveloping the tower, CIM Group and Golub & Co.
“We are doing everything we can to keep the sign. Like the Stones of the World, we feel its part of the fabric of the building,” explained Developer Lee Golub. “The tenant claims its intellectual property. We believe its real estate that we lawfully acquired.” (Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, April 17, 2018)
On April 16, the Tribune Tower development team unveiled their development proposal for the historic Chicago Tribune Tower and a new super tall adjacent building that would be the second tallest in Chicago. The proposed 96-story skyscraper would be just 29 feet shorter than the Sears/Willis Tower. Plans have progressed and the project is expected to appear before the Chicago Plan Commission in September.
The development team is a joint venture between Chicago’s Golub & Company and the Los Angeles-based CIM Group. The architect for the new construction tower is Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, while the historic redevelopment of Tribune Tower will be led by Chicago-based Solomon Cordwell Buenz in collaboration with preservation consultant Vinci-Hamp Architects. The developers are currently seeking a zoning change to allow the transformation of the former office complex into new residences, retail space, and hotel rooms. Total cost of the project is estimated to top $1 billion.
The Chicago Tribune Tower primary elevations are partially protected by its Designated Chicago Landmark status. However, interior demolition of the 1925 neo-Gothic Tribune Tower for its adaptive reuse to residential began in late 2017. 163 new luxury condominiums are planned for the historic tower.
Conversations are underway to ensure that the Tribune Tower’s landmarked lobby space will remain open to the public at certain times. There are also ongoing discussions regarding dismantling and donating Col. Robert McCormick historic 24th floor office to an off-site museum as this interior space was excluded from the Landmark Designation.
In addition to the Tribune Tower, the site includes three low-rise structures that have no landmark protection. They include the four-story WGN Radio Building, the 11-story WGN TV Building, and the Printing Plant. However, they appear likely to be preserved under the redevelopment plan.
Preservation Chicago applauds the development team, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly for helping to protect one of Chicago’s most important and visible buildings and a gateway to North Michigan Avenue. The international design competition captured the world’s attention in 1922 “to design the world’s most beautiful building,” and it was home to one of the nation’s premier newspapers and broadcasting companies for nearly a century.
Preservation Chicago would like to see all facades of the Tribune Tower protected by Chicago Landmark Designation. Additionally, we support the Chicago Landmark Designation of Nathan Hale Court and Building including the statue of Nathan Hale, the WGN Radio Building, the Chicago Tribune Printing Building fronting Pioneer Court along with its iconic sign, and the 11-story WGN TV Building/former Chicago American Newspaper Headquarters.
“The requests for a more preservation-minded approach to the site’s redevelopment were echoed by several others. One such call came from Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, who asked the team to seek landmarking for the entire complex, including Nathan Hale Court. Butler Adams, an architectural tour guide, commended the ambitious scope of the proposal, but also suggested the plan highlight the history of Pioneer Court—the original site of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable’s settlement in Chicago.” (LaTrace, Chicago Magazine, 4/27/18)
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WIN: 875 W. Kinzie Industrial Building Rezoned for Distillery and Microbrewery Use
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875 W. Kinzie Street, Rendering Credit: Blind Pig Distilling Company
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875 W. Kinzie Street, Photo Credit: Google Street View
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The 15,000-square-foot former rental truck facility at 838 W. Kinzie Street at Green Street in the West Loop will be renovated as Blind Pig Distilling Company. The gin and whiskey distillery and a yet-to-be-determined craft brewery will occupy the historic manufacturing building. The plan was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission on August 16, 2018.
According to owner Marc Bushala, “for thirsty customers, it's another destination for their increasingly busy itinerary of Chicago distilleries and breweries. They'll be able tour the facility and sample the spirits. Blind Pig would be a sort of "incubation lab" for spirits.”
“For now, Blind Pig will be in one of the city's planned manufacturing districts, areas that have proven useful to breweries and distilleries in part because they prohibit residential use. The city is assessing the future use of its 26 industrial corridors, which encompass 15 planned manufacturing districts.” (Trotter, Chicago Tribune, 11/8/16)
Historic manufacturing buildings are ideal for innovative users looking for authentic buildings with character, especially for the burgeoning microbrewery and microdistillery industry. Planned manufacturing districts tend to protect historic industrial buildings, however, its essential that any architecturally significant buildings be protected prior to a significant change in the underlying zoning designation from manufacturing to residential, as market forces move swiftly after a change.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Berghoff Interior “Improvements” to Carve Out Historic Dining Room
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Interior Modifications to Berghoff Dining Room, Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Interior Modifications to Berghoff Dining Room, Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Interior Modifications to Berghoff Dining Room, Rendering Credit: Berghoff Restaurant
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During a recent lunch meeting at the historic Berghoff Restaurant, Ward Miller observed interior changes underway that will impact the main historic dining room on the main floor as well as the Old Berghoff Rooms and Bar on the lower level. These changes are being made by Berghoff ownership to accommodate onsite micro-brewing tanks in an effort to help market their new Adams Street Brewery branded beer. The reconfiguration will result in the loss of significant amounts of historic trim work and wood paneling and be disruptive to the flow of the main dining hall. Many Chicagoans enjoy and support local Chicago breweries without requiring brewery tanks to be located in the center of historic dining rooms.
With construction already underway, we sought out restaurant owner Peter Berghoff and after an extensive conversation and impromptu tour, made the case to reduce the impact the interior dining rooms. Although construction is already underway, the hope is that more of the historic material will be maintained and reinstalled. Additionally, Preservation Chicago tweeted photos which generated many comments encouraging a greater appreciation for the historic details and materials.
First opened in 1898 by Herman Joseph Berghoff, The Berghoff Restaurant is beloved and iconic Chicago restaurant. It survived prohibition by offering free sandwiches and selling legal near-beer. It was issued Chicago Liquor License No. 1 after prohibition was repealed in 1933. The Berghoff Restaurant has been an important part of Chicago’s past and Preservation Chicago hopes that The Berghoff Restaurant will continue to be a thriving part of Chicago long into future.
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
How Louis Sullivan Became the Godfather of Chicago Architecture
by Matt Spina in Thrillist Chicago
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Krause Music Store Ornament, Louis Sullivan, Built in 1922, 4609 N Lincoln Avenue, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Krause Music Store Ornament, Louis Sullivan, Built in 1922, 4609 N Lincoln Avenue, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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By Matt Spina
Excerpts from Thrillist Chicago article
published on August 5, 2016
Your average Chicagoan’s architectural expertise likely extends to Frank Lloyd Wright -- perhaps having walked around his gorgeous Oak Park house -- or Daniel Burnham, who created the famous post-Fire plan for the development of Chicago we kinda, sorta followed for a bit. But, predating Wright and Burnham, an undeservingly overlooked name would be Louis Sullivan, who is responsible for pioneering an American form of architecture that broke free from the conventions of the past to embrace his city’s essential newness and modernism. During his height he was the most dynamic architect in the country, and even then he was not fully appreciated in his own time. He had an outsized impact on the future of architecture, inspiring contemporaries and followers alike to push forward and embrace the styles that would come to define our city....
The best remaining work from this early period is the old Jewelers' Building located at 15 South Wabash. This was the first building of Sullivan's to win him widespread recognition as an architect. Its design is restrained and graceful, meant to reflect the slender designs of the silverware exhibit it was first built to house, and an early example of Sullivan developing his famous maxim of “form follows function.” More innovative for the time was its use of exposed cast iron for the vertical beams not only at the base, which was somewhat common, but all the way through to the top floor. This gave the building a less ponderous feel and maximized the sunlight for the interior offices, which would become a defining trait of modern design. The simplicity of the overall building did not stop Sullivan from topping it with some of his signature patterns, probably the best remaining example of his naturally inspired decorations from this period....
After the triumph of the Auditorium Building opening, Adler and Sullivan found themselves at the forefront of a new group of architects in Chicago who were moving towards truly modern forms of expression. The next few years would be the height of Sullivan’s influence as the firm expanded its reach beyond Chicago, and major projects came flooding into their new office. However, this high watermark of his career has been almost completely washed out of Chicago by years of demolitions, but there still stand a few testaments to his vision....
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FEATURE AUDIO:
The Dean of Jewish Chicago’s
Guide To Historic Synagogues
Reported by Jason Marck
On WBEZ 91.5 Chicago, August 26, 2018
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Reported by Jason Marck, Produced by Katherine Nagasawa, Edited by Alexandra Salomon
On WBEZ 91.5 Chicago
August 26, 2018
Author and Jewish historian Dr. Irving Cutler gives you a colorful account of Chicago’s Jewish history through the lens of seven synagogues. His guide lays out milestones across several denominations and ethnic groups, and includes personal insights you won’t find in history books! It’s his answer to Curious Citizen Elias Saltz’s question: “Where were the largest Jewish neighborhoods in Chicago, and what were they like?”
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FEATURE VIDEO:
Stony Island Arts Bank Remembers
Historic Johnson Publishing Company
on Chicago Tonight WTTW Chicago
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Johnson Publishing Library at Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Avenue, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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"Renamed the Stony Island Arts Bank – or just “the Arts Bank” – the building has been reimagined in recent years as a place of cultural currency. On the first floor, ambitious artworks take the place of bank teller stations. On the second floor, the Johnson Library Collection is an investment in information."
"And a new exhibition spotlights the Johnson Publishing story with furniture, ephemera and artwork.
The show conveys the role of the publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines in spreading the word on black culture from their onetime offices at 820 S. Michigan Ave."
"It’s a tremendous significance that the Johnson Publishing Library as well as the furniture and material objects are here at the Stony Island Arts Bank, which is located on the South Side of Chicago in an area where there are not many reminders of black achievement and career opportunities."
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FEATURE VIDEO:
Gertrude Lempp Kerbis: Modern Architect, A Short Film by Karen Carter
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Rotunda Building, O'Hare Airport, Designed by Gertrude Kerbis, Photo Credit C.F. Murphy and Associates
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Rotunda Building, O'Hare Airport, Designed by Gertrude Kerbis, Photo Credit C.F. Murphy and Associates
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Rotunda Building, O'Hare Airport, Designed by Gertrude Kerbis, Photo Credit C.F. Murphy and Associates
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Gertrude Kerbis was a groundbreaking architect and was one of the first women at the forefront of Chicago architecture working the modern style during the 1960s.
She studied with Mies van der Rohe at IIT in Chicago. She later worked with Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill and at C. F. Murphy before opening her own architectural firm, Lempp Kerbis, in 1967. One of the first women architects working in the modern style, Gertrude Kerbis, studied with Mies van der Rohe at IIT in Chicago. Kerbis was a founding member of Women in Architecture and received the AIA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
This short film produced and directed by Chicago-based filmmaker Karen Carter details the life and career of groundbreaking Chicago architect Gertrude Lempp Kerbis. The film was created for the AIA Chicago when Kerbis received the 2008 AIA Lifetime Achievement Award.
Preservation Chicago suggested Gertrude Kerbis’s Rotunda Building at O’Hare Airport to be considered for Chicago Landmark Status in an effort to recognize, appreciate and protect this important historic building and the trailblazing architect.
The Circular Rotunda Building at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport was designed by Gertrude Kerbis during her time at C. F. Murphy Associates. It was built in 1962 and is structurally unique with more than one mile of steel bridge cable integrated into its complex program as terminal, concourse, and restaurant facility. It is largely intact today; however, it’s largely faded from public use due to the closing of the original restaurants and the difficulty of accessing the building beyond modern security.
It is one the few remaining elements of O’Hare’s “Jet Age” design and represents C.F. Murphy’s contributions to this important airport design, in one of the world’s busiest airports.
Unless there is a greater appreciation for this iconic building, there is concern that it could be lost the massive $8 billion O’Hare modernization effort getting underway.
A few times per year, the City of Chicago Commission on Chicago Landmarks welcomes ideas and suggestions from the public for potential future landmark buildings and districts. Preservation Chicago looks forward to these opportunities to elevate well deserving, underappreciated Chicago historic assets into the conversation.
By ordinance, Chicago Landmarks must meet at least two of the seven criteria for designation, as well as the “integrity” criteria. The seven design criteria include Outstanding Heritage, Significant Event, Significant Person, Exemplary Architecture, Significant Architect, Distinctive Theme, and Unique Visual Feature.
Additional Reading
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Chicago Architecture Foundation Opens New 20,000 Square-Foot Chicago Architecture Center
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Chicago Architecture Center New Chicago Model, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), the city's newest must-see cultural destination and home to everything architecture in Chicago, opens to the public on Friday, August 31 at 111 East Wacker Drive steps from Michigan Avenue.
The CAC, previously known as the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF), offers a launching pad for discovering the "first city of modern architecture" and a 20,000-square-foot cultural center, located above the dock for the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises, provides a unique Chicago experience. Visitors discover world-famous tours, programs and exciting, new interactive exhibits that reveal the stories behind the city's architectural marvels and breathtaking skyscrapers around the world.
"With the opening of the CAC, design moves to the center of Chicago's cultural conversation. CAC's new exhibitions share stories that illuminate and inspire." said Lynn Osmond, CAC's president and CEO. "Our new home enables us to offer a whole new experience. Visitors can explore huge scale models of skyscrapers and learn how and why they were designed and built. They can dive into the new, expanded Chicago Model and learn the story, told through film and projections on the model, of Chicago's architectural legacy. The new Center is a true Chicago experience.
"The CAC's grand opening weekend runs through Monday, September 3, and kicks off today, with Chicago Architecture Day, proclaimed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel as a day to celebrate the opening and acknowledge Chicago architecture's significant impact around the world.
"Chicago is the vanguard of architectural, art and design innovation on the national and international stage," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "The new Chicago Architecture Center provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the city's history and share the iconic architecture and design Chicago is famous for with visitors from across the country and around the world."
Additional Reading
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Logan Square Preservation’s 33rd House Walk,
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 10am to 5pm
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2819 W. Logan Boulevard Historic Greystone, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Logan Square Preservation’s 33rd House Walk
Sept. 8th Housewalk Tickets
$35 advanced presale ticket and one year membership to Logan Square Preservation. Total value is $50.
Pick up tickets at the Will Call Starting Point Location on Saturday, September 8th at Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2614 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago
Ticket Will Call opens at 9:30AM
Houses open for viewing: 10AM-5PM
The housewalk is self-guided so you can go at your own pace, but it typically takes a few hours to complete. Once inside the homes, there will be docents to help guide you.
Bring your confirmation. $2 “Shipping Fee” is a processing fee only- Tickets will not be mailed.
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Talman-West Ridge Historic Bungalow District 32nd Annual House Walk: 100 Years of Chicago Bungalow History
Sunday, September 9, 2018, Noon to 4:00 pm
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Historic Chicago Bugalow, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Talman-West Ridge Historic Bungalow District 32nd Annual House Walk:
100 Years of Chicago Bungalow History
Warren Park Fieldhouse
6601 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60645
Tour Tickets $ 30.00
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Public Participation Requested for Section 106 Meeting for Proposed Obama Presidential Center
Monday, September 17, 2018 at 6:00 pm
(Chicago 7 2017 & 2018)
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Proposed Obama Presidential Center Site, Photo Credit: Stephen J. Serio / Crain's Chicago Business
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Community input will aid the City and Federal agencies in the identification of important cultural landscape features, architectural and ecological resources, and impacts to these resources relating to the proposed Obama Presidential Center located in Jackson Park.
To facilitate these discussions, the City of Chicago will host a series of community events. All members of the public are invited to attend.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public information meeting
Monday, September 17, 2018
From 6 to 8 p.m.
South Shore Cultural Center (7059 South Shore Drive).
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St. Adalbert Catholic Church Benefit Concert, Sunday, September 9, 2018 at 4:00 pm
(Chicago 7 2014 & 2016)
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Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Poland’s Independence
Sunday, September 9th
4:00 PM
St. Adalbert Catholic Church
1650 W. 17th Street, Chicago, IL
Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra
A concert of Polish, American, and Mexican music
Philip Simmons, conductor
Marlena Dzis, soprano
Jaroslaw Golembiowski, piano and composer
Classical and patriotic orchestral works by Chopin, Sousa, Ponce, Paderewski, Golembiowski, and traditional and uplifting music for voice and piano
General Admission Tickets $25, $15 seniors and students
Available at the door and online at www.americanmusicfestivals.org
Proceeds benefit St. Adalbert Church
For more information call 773-988-3663
Co-presented by the Chicago Chopin Society and Save St. Adalbert Church
Uprzejmie prosimy o wsparcie naszej inicjatywy 100 lat-Polonia Restituta Project, który jest kolejnym koncertem festiwalu wymiany, kulturalnej American Music Festivals i Chicago Chopin Society
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Clarendon Park Fieldhouse: Wreck, Restore or Reimagine?
Wednesday, September 26, at 6:30 pm
(Chicago 7 2015)
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Clarendon Park Fieldhouse, Postcard Credit: Chuckman Postcard Collection
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The Chicago Park District is weighing different options for the Clarendon Park Fieldhouse and Community Center, including rehabbing the existing building or building a brand-new field house.
The Clarendon Park Fieldhouse and Community Center provides The meeting will include a presentation by the Chicago Park District, followed by an open house so the public can provide comments. A second meeting will be scheduled in late October, and the Park District expects to make a decision in November.
The Clarendon Park Fieldhouse and Community Center provides many programs and services for the Uptown community and its youth, including afterschool programs, summer camps, basketball programs, and is home to Kuumba Lynx, in addition to the Garfield Clarendon Model Railroad Club. It serves as an invaluable safe-haven for teenagers and young adults. It is essential that the building remains open for the community during a multi-phased renovation and reconstruction. Demolition of this building will put youth at risk and endanger many community services and programs.
Preservation Chicago applauds 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman for his commitment to seeing the Clarendon Park Community Center protected from demolition and for helping to solidify the necessary renovation funds. Preservation Chicago applauds the Chicago Park District for their support and commitment to this important project. The Clarendon Park neighbors and community stakeholders played an important role and deserve special recognition for their unwavering support for this outcome with a special thanks to Katharine Boyda, Melanie Eckner, the Clarendon Park Advisory Council, Uptown United and Uptown Chicago Commission.
Preservation Chicago hopes to see this important building’s exterior restored to an appearance more similar to its original design. The distinctive tall towers fronting Clarendon Avenue and the smaller towers fronting the beach, along with the entry colonnade and the verandas and open-air rooftop loggias were beautiful and distinctive architecture elements that should never have been removed. Their reconstruction would elevate the Clarendon Park Community Center to its rightful place alongside the 63rd Street Bathing Pavilion and other important landmark lakefront buildings from this period.
The first of two community meetings will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Clarendon Fieldhouse and Community Center, 4501 N. Clarendon.
Clarendon Park Fieldhouse Meeting: Wreck, Restore or Reimagine?
Hosted by Alderman Cappleman with the Chicago Park District
Wednesday, September 26
6:30pm
Clarendon Park Fieldhouse and Community Center
4501 N. Clarendon
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SOSOSOSOSO...The Starship Lands...SOSOSOSOSO
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SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOS
The Starships Lands
at
Monument with Standing Beast
Plaza
High Noon
September 25th
Don’t miss the Spectacle!
Music? Dance? 80’s costumes? Prizes? Roller Derby? Old-Skool Celebrities?
Video cameras encouraged….
GRATIS!
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SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOS
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Computers for Pullman Archives
GoFundMe Campaign!
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"Pullman Factory Worker with Finished Car", Photo Credit; The Pullman State Historic Site Collections.
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The Pullman State Historic Site has an ever-growing and important collection of archival materials (such as photographs and memorabilia) relating to the Pullman Company, the Pullman neighborhood, and the adjacent Roseland neighborhood. These archives range in date from the early 19th century to the present day. A number of dedicated volunteers (including professional archivists) work together to digitize and catalog this collection so that everyone can use it.
The Friends of the Pullman State Historic Site work with the Pullman State Historic Site and strongly support these initiatives among others. The Friends group needs your help in making more of these archives available. The archives are currently accessed through a homegrown and increasingly outdated system which no longer sufficiently serves our needs. In order to ensure ongoing public access to these important collections, we need to move to an industry standard digital asset management system.
You can review a mockup of the new, more accessible record format here:
Unfortunately, the current computer hardware available to us is all but obsolete. By adding additional workstations, more materials can be cataloged and made available in a timely manner. Altogether, the Friends seek to purchase between four and six desktop computers with monitors and imaging software at an estimated cost of $4,000 to $5,000.
We would like your help in making the dream of accessing Pullman archives available for everyone.
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If You Value Preservation In Chicago...
Please Support
Preservation Chicago
!
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Demolition of Chicago Machinery Building, 1217 West Washington Boulevard, designed by D.H. Burnham & Company in 1910, Photo Credit: Ward Miller
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Preservation Chicago is a small organization with a big impact. In a city the size of Chicago, every drop of your support counts.
Please choose to support historic preservation in Chicago today!
- Spread the Word! Support preservation in Chicago by reading and reposting Facebook and Twitter posts!
- Be Heard! Support preservation in Chicago by attending community meetings and standing up to make your voice heard!
- Be Counted! Support preservation in Chicago by taking a moment to sign online petitions!
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