January 2019 Month-in-Review Newsletter
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Don't miss! Preservation Chicago's
2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered
Announcement and Presentation
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at Noon
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Ashland Sixty-Third Street Bank Building, 1536 W. 63rd Street, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Join us for the Preservation Chicago 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered announcement.
Wednesday, February 27
High noon
Chicago Architecture Center Lecture Hall
111 E. Wacker Drive
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THREATENED: Amicus Briefs Filed to Protect Jackson Park
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Jackson Park, Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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A Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2017 and again in 2018, Preservation Chicago has consistently advocated for the protection of Jackson Park, a world-class historic landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux with contributions by Alfred Caldwell. Preservation Chicago does NOT oppose the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) being built in Chicago, but for many important and valid reasons, strongly prefers the 20-acre private facility to be constructed in a location other than historic Jackson Park.
“Make no bones about it. The proposed plans…will backhoe and destroy almost 20 acres of this legacy park land,” said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago, said, warning of the dangerous precedent. “This green, leafy site will now be compromised…with three very large buildings, all on a concrete plaza, and a tall museum building which is over 200 feet tall. … No other presidential library is of this scale and magnitude.”
“New Yorkers wouldn’t allow this to happen to Central Park. We shouldn’t allow it to happen here,” said Miller. (Golden, Block Club Chicago, 1/18/19)
“Given this city’s rich and colorful history of graft, payola and insider dealing, Chicagoans are entitled to be enormously skeptical—and even maybe a tad bit cynical—when asked by our civic leaders to take certain things on faith,” according to the Crain’s Chicago Business Editorial Board on August 2, 2018. “But there’s another reason to wonder about the site selection: The University of Chicago-backed Jackson Park deal may not have been cut in the kind of smoke-filled backroom Chicago is notorious for, but it might as well have been. The public disclosures by the Emanuel administration, the Obama Foundation and the U of C have been about as transparent as cigar smoke.” (Crain’s Editorial Board, 8/2/18)
At this time, there appears to be no movement regarding the Section 106 federal review process. The last meeting hosted by the National Park Service was held on September 17, 2018 meeting.
On May 14, 2018, the nonprofit Protect Our Parks, Inc. filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court. In the complaint, they accuse the organizers for the Obama Presidential Center of pulling an “institutional bait and switch” by shifting away from an “official presidential library” overseen and paid for by the U.S. federal government and the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA).
“Although that original purpose of an official Presidential Library no longer exists,” reads the complaint, “the defendants continue to forge ahead to advance a totally different private nongovernmental project on public parkland.” Furthermore, the suit claims that the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago don’t have the authority to transfer public parkland, that public land is “prohibited by law” from being turned over to a private entity for private use, and that such a deal violates Chicago Park District code.
The City of Chicago and Chicago Park District have been working to have the federal lawsuit dismissed at the next hearing on February 14, 2019. Their efforts have included the filing of three amicus briefs in support of the planned OPC. To counter a variety of creative but unsubstantiated and inaccurate claims, three “friend of the courts” amicus briefs were submitted by Preservation Chicago with Jackson Park Watch, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), and Richard Epstein, a professor at University of Chicago Law School and a leading expert on public trust doctrine. The following amicus briefs
summaries are from The Cultural Landscape Foundation's website.
“One claim consistently made in support of confiscating public parkland for the OPC has been that there is a tradition of siting museums in the city’s parks. On November 28, 2018, eleven museums in Chicago filed an
amici curiae
brief arguing in favor of this ersatz museological manifest destiny. Two local advocacy groups, Preservation Chicago and Jackson Park Watch, filed an
amici
brief that systematically dismantled the museums’ assertion. Not one of the eleven museums—as the two groups carefully documented—was built anew on existing parkland. “The proposition that the circumstances of these museums and the OPC are similarly situated is simply untrue,” said Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago Executive Director. “Allowing construction of the OPC in Jackson Park would be a unique event that would set an ominous precedent for the preservation of Chicago’s public parks." (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, 1/17/19)
"TCLF’s
amicus curiae
brief
addressed several issues, including Olmsted’s design intent. TCLF cited Frederick Law Olmsted’s 1894 correspondence stating that the Museum of Science and Industry, which was
already extant
within the park, was to be the only “dominating object of interest” in the park and that “all other buildings and structures to be within the park boundaries are to be placed and planned exclusively with a view to advancing the ruling purpose of the park [and] they are to be auxiliary to and subordinate to the scenery of the park.” TCLF also cited the City of Chicago’s own
1999 South Lakefront Framework Plan
that concluded “the original Olmsted design has served [Jackson] park well over time and should not be compromised by future plans.” Moreover, an official 2012 correspondence from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, the body charged with protecting the State of Illinois’ cultural resources, declared that the park’s design “must be respected.” (The Cultural Landscape Foundation, 1/17/19)
"A brief submitted by Professor Richard Epstein of the University of Chicago Law School and the New York University Law School addressed the degree to which the OPC is subject to judicial review. As noted in a January 15, 2019, press release about all three of the filings, OPC proponents claim that “Under settled public trust law, the agreement between the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District to transfer 19.3 acres of parkland in historic Jackson Park to the non-profit entity the Obama Foundation to construct and operate a presidential center for a sum of $1 for 99 years is entirely appropriate and essentially not entitled to any judicial review.” Professor Epstein “argues that, to the contrary, the proposed transfer of property that comprises the OPC not only represents bad public policy, but also is in clear violation of the public trust doctrine.” Moreover, the “public trust doctrine impose[s] a far more exacting standard on the City given the inherent conflict of interests that arises from the close and enduring connections that the 44th President has with key officials in the City. That standard requires that one look behind unsupported statements of benefits claimed to result from the OPC. Instead, one must also look at the massive dislocations and high costs of putting the project in the proposed location in Jackson Park. Applying the proper standard, the OPC as currently proposed fails the public trust test.”
(The Cultural Landscape Foundation, 1/17/19)
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Petition Drive to Oppose Holy Family Catholic Church Consolidation
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Holy Family Catholic Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Road, Dillenburg & Zucher, 1857. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Parishioners Sign Petition at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Road, Dillenburg & Zucher, 1857. Photo Credit: Holy Family Church
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On January 23, 2019, the Chicago Archdiocese announced the decision to consolidate Holy Family Catholic Church on July 1, 2019. The well-attended Sunday morning mass would be ended, and the parish would be merged with Notre Dame de Chicago Church.
“They want to renew the church? Well, this 9:45 mass has more vitality than all the other masses and this is the one they’re getting rid of?” said life-long parishioner Tony Palos. (Lowe, WGN, 1/27/19)
Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller is also a parishioner. He told WGN that the building has been preserved, but the spirit inside must also be saved. “It’s a remarkable building as we all know – the second oldest in the city. These buildings belong to all of us collectively; they were built by the faithful and given to the Archdiocese to maintain, staff and shepherd.” (Lowe, WGN, 1/27/19)
Ironically, Holy Family Church and the adjacent St. Ignatius College Prep are both owned by the Jesuit Provincial (the Society of Jesus) and the church is leased to the Archdiocese of Chicago. Nearly all of the costs of operation are assumed by the Jesuit community and others. The Archdiocese of Chicago is only responsible for costs associated with providing a priest and a receptionist and other small incidentals.
Additionally, Holy Family Church operates within budget and has a substantial endowment. The church was recently restored to its 1890 appearance with all building systems updated, a new slate roof installed, and complete tower, façade and sanctuary restoration. Many parishioners are strongly questioning the decision to consolidate and close such a profitable, successful, and multicultural parish and church.
Designed in 1857 by Dillenburg & Zucher, Holy Family Catholic Church is the second oldest Catholic Church in Chicago and was “built with the nickels and dimes of poor people.” It famously survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which started only a few blocks away. “Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, owners of the world's most famous cow, were parishioners.” (Holy Family Chicago.org)
In 1990, Holy Family Church survived a more recent brush with tragedy and the successful outcome is referred to as the “Miracle on Roosevelt Road.” In 1984, the main sanctuary was closed due to damaged ceiling plaster falling due to unrepaired roof leaks. During Christmas of 1987, parishioners of Holy Family were told that the historic church building would be demolished and replaced with a new, small structure. Parishioners, Father George Lane, S.J., Father Jack Lane, S.J., and Father Robert Wild, S.J. organized an effort to save the church and created the Holy Family Preservation Society. In summer of 1990, the Chicago Archdiocese announced that unless $1 million could be raised by the Holy Family Preservation Society by December 31, 1990, the church would be torn down.
“A prayer vigil was held from December 26 until December 31. The motto and plea was to ‘Say Prayers and Send Money.’ The money came pouring in, but it was obvious that a more dramatic gesture was needed. An open house was held on Sunday, December 30th, the Feast of the Holy Family. The media were told of the open house and from 12 noon until 5 p.m., between 2,000 and 3,000 people came to see the church. Each one had a story - my grandparents were married here, I was baptized here, etc. -and each one had a check or a cash donation. By the midnight deadline, a total of $1,011,000 had been received. The people had saved their big old church through the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.” (Holy Family Chicago.org)
Preservation Chicago is alarmed by the coming tidal wave of Catholic church closing and consolidations. One initial estimate is that approximately 70 Catholic churches will be closed or consolidated over the next 10 years. Tragically, many of the churches initially targeted for closure are the oldest and largest buildings due to their higher operating costs. Not surprisingly, this includes many of Chicago’s most extraordinary churches. Due to a 1987 amendment introduced by then Alderman Burt Natarus requiring owner consent to designate a Chicago Landmark, only a handful of Chicago churches have that designation.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: 16 W. Maple Threatened by New Construction
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16 W. Maple Street, built circa 1886. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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16 W. Maple Street Details, built circa 1886. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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In early January 2019, Curbed Chicago reported on a new 22-story high-end residential tower being proposed to replace a four-story commercial building dating from 1991 at 12. W. Maple Street in the Gold Coast. At that time, it was reported that the adjacent highly ornamented greystone at 16 W. Maple was not part of the development and not directly at risk.
Unfortunately, Preservation Chicago since learned that the historic greystone is controlled by the same development team with intentions to demolish the historic building and incorporate the site into new construction. In late January 2019, Curbed Chicago again reported and confirmed the development proposal had been updated and now envisions the demolition of 16 W. Maple Street.
16 W. Maple Street is a four-story Queen Anne greystone with burnt red ornamental terra cotta window headers and trim, elaborate string courses, decorative iron railings, highly ornamental columns, a mansard roof, and a sculptural animal face in the triangular pediment. It was built in approximately 1886 as a single-family home. It is orange-rated in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, which requires a 90-Day Demolition Delay hold when the developer applies for a demolition permit. It has been the home to many restaurants, including the Waterfront Prime Seafood and most recently the Italian restaurant Merlo on Maple.
The proposal is residences by developers David Pisor and James Lasky and designed by Chicago-based architecture firm Booth Hansen for a 22-story glassy-tower with only 12 high-end. The new construction would include 16 underground parking spaces, and a restaurant, event space, and private members-only club on floors one through six. The residential units would occupy floors 7 through 19.
The four-story Queen Anne greystone at 16 W. Maple Street is an inevitable redevelopment target as its “Downtown Mixed-Use District” DX-7 zoning is intended for downtown high-rises with a no maximum building height unless the proposed height exceeds the city's "building height thresholds" which therefore would require Planned Development review. (Chicago Zoning Ordinance)
Thought the proposed new construction density is only a tiny fraction of what the site’s high-density existing zoning could support, the project’s 330-foot height would require a zoning change from the city. A zoning application for the new tower was filed with the Chicago City Clerk.
2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins held a community meeting regarding the proposal on January 22, 2019. Preservation Chicago strongly opposed the proposed demolition of the historic four-story Queen Anne greystone. We urge Alderman Hopkins to deny the upzoning/Planned Development request unless the development plans incorporate the existing historic building or revert to their original plans to build only on the adjacent parcel.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Historic Apartment Building Fronting Humboldt Park to Be Demolished
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2932 W. North Avenue, Photo Credit: Google Maps Street View
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Carbit Paints Building, 2942 W. North Avenue, Photo Credit: Google Maps Street View
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Proposed New Construction Building, Photo Credit: Wilmot Properties
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The historic four-story building located at North Avenue and Richmond across from Humboldt Park has been issued a demolition permit. Located at 2932 W. North Avenue, this attractive brick building with limestone base and doorway, bands of bay windows and projecting cornice was built around 1900.
The developer Wilmot Properties purchased this building with the intention to demolish and replace it with a 5-story building. Wilmot Properties demolished the Carbit Paint Building on an adjacent parcel in December 2017.
Both 2932 W. North Avenue and the Carbit Paint Buildings were listed as “contributing buildings” in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District. While inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places makes buildings eligible for tax credits, it does nothing to delay or prevent demolition.
Andrew Schneider, president of Logan Square Preservation told Block Club Chicago, “We are disappointed that yet another property nominated for the National Register bordering Humboldt Park is slated for demolition. We argued against the demolition of the neighboring Carbit Paint building, in part because the incentives that these up-zonings create to reduce the value of existing buildings to merely the land they sit on.”
Ward Miller, Executive Director for Preservation Chicago, said: “Not only is the community losing two historic buildings, but it’s also losing the historic street wall next to Humboldt Park’s sprawling namesake park. These world-famous parks, of the highest caliber, really do need these street walls to give a visual end and completeness to the park landscape. This developer already tore down a nice building. Do you need to tear down three quarters of this block? This is historic for a reason, and this is a situation where we should be looking — at a minimum — at preservation of the facade.”
When 1st Ward Alderman Joe Moreno was pressed on this issue, his office released a written statement that “since the building was not designated as a Landmark or orange-rated historic building, the owner is within his rights to demolish a building which he characterizes as structurally unsound.”
In fact the building did fail a building code inspection in 2014 which cited bricks bulging in a section of the basement foundation wall, graffiti tags, and no access to verify smoke detectors or inspect the rear porch. There is no reason for this building to be demolished other than the developer’s preference to maximize the buildable area on this parcel and to replace small, older units with large, new units.
Preservation Chicago would like to see this building saved and incorporated into the new development. At the very least, the historic facade should be saved and blended into the new building.
Additional Reading
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WIN: Logan Square Boys and Girls Club/ Former Temple Beth-El Will Be Adaptively Reused
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Logan Square Boys and Girls Club/former Temple-Beth El Building, 3228 W. Palmer Street, Edward Steinborn, 1923. Photo Credit: Google Maps Street View
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Logan Square Boys and Girls Club/former Temple-Beth El Building, 3228 W. Palmer Street, Edward Steinborn, 1923. Photo Credit: Campbell Coyle Real Estate
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A preservation-sensitive redevelopment plan is moving forward for the former Logan Square Boys and Girls Club/former Temple-Beth El Building. Located just west of Palmer Square at 3228 W. Palmer Street, the building was constructed in 1923. The yellow brick building has arched windows and limestone detail, including a two-story limestone entry archway, decorative column capitals, and a limestone entablature with the words “Knowledge, Service, Truth” carved in both English and Hebrew.
The redevelopment will create 14 apartments within the historic synagogue building envelope. The development team is comprised of Campbell Coyle Real Estate, New Era Chicago and Ranquist Development Group. The redevelopment plan calls for the demolition of a smaller 1950’s-era school religious school building to the rear of the site to make room for a parking lot. However, the limestone doorway and a portion of the school building brick exterior wall will be disassembled and rebuilt to visually screen the parking area. The corner parcel is currently a playground and will become a pocket park open to the neighborhood.
The current development plan was presented to the community at recent meeting and enjoyed an enthusiastic response from neighbors. Longtime neighbor Chris Holden told Block Club Chicago, “when I first heard that [the building] was going to be sold, I was terrified it was going to be knocked down. I’m very supportive [of the project]. Compared to what could happen. …. If [Ald.] Scott [Waguespack] wasn’t such a great alderman and didn’t work so well with us, and with Logan Square Preservation, there could’ve been a zoning change here. It could’ve been torn down, and it could’ve been something a lot taller. They could’ve taken away all of the green space.” (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 2/14/19)
Christopher Dillon of Campbell Coyle Real Estate said his team is planning to preserve and restore the building’s original architecture, including its terrazzo floors and plaster detailing. “These aren’t going to be vanilla, standard apartment units. We’re really trying to play up the fact that this is a historic building. The reality is you’re going to have to reinvest in a property like this. We’re viewing this as a reinvestment. This is going to be part of a portfolio we hope to own for a long time.” (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 2/14/19)
Concern for the building first surfaced in spring 2018 when the Logan Square Boys and Girls Club announced plans to close the Logan Square location and sell the building. The initial redevelopment plans quickly emerged which included demolition and new construction. The building was passed over by the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, so it would not be subject to a 90-Day Demolition Delay in the event that a demolition permit was applied for.
When the threat first emerged, Andrew Schneider, president of Logan Square Preservation, said in a written statement. “Our primary concern going forward is and has been that this important piece of neighborhood history, both the memory of the Jewish community here and the longtime commitment of the Boys & Girls club not be needlessly erased by the loss of the buildings on that corner,” (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 5/10/18)
Preservation Chicago, Logan Square Preservation, and community members began an advocacy campaign on behalf the historic building. During this period, Preservation Chicago was in regular contact with all decision-makers including the alderman, the alderman’s office, the sellers, the developers, Logan Square Preservation and community members to help push the development towards a preservation-sensitive outcome.
32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack was highly responsive and held a community meeting. Soon afterward, Alderman Waguespack introduced a rezoning ordinance for the property to make it “more consistent with the prevailing residential zoning” according to Paul Sajovec, Chief of Staff for Alderman Waguespack. This zoning change gave the alderman and neighbors an important voice to help shape the character of the redevelopment.
The success of this development can be credited to a creative development team, a responsive alderman, persistent preservation advocacy efforts, and an actively involved community with an empowered voice. Preservation Chicago applauds Alderman Waguespack, the development team, Logan Square Preservation, and the many active community members who helped shape this development.
Alderman Waguespack called it “a fabulous project”. Preservation Chicago couldn’t agree more. (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 2/14/19)
The Logan Square Boys & Girls Club moved into the building in 1955 and played an important role for generations of Logan Square residents. While the building will be saved, the loss of the Boys & Girls Club will felt by the Logan Square community. As part of the citywide network, the Logan Square location offered a wide-range of, activities, services, and after-school programming. Reasons cited by the Boys & Girls Club for the decision to close the location included the challenge to raise funds for necessary and expensive maintenance and the changing demographics in a community where there are fewer at-risk children and families.
“This is one of the gems [in] our community,” said longtime volunteer Rosita De La Rosa. “You don’t find places like [the Boys & Girls Club] anymore. They’re all dying.” (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 5/10/18)
The Temple-Beth El building was designed by architect Edward Steinborn in 1923 and
included a sanctuary and social hall. To raise the necessary construction funds during the “Roaring Twenties,” the congregation borrowed against the property. Then in 1929, the stock market crash and resulting Great Depression pushed the congregation into financial insolvency and by “1932, with no options remaining, the temple defaulted on its mortgage and the property was foreclosed. Nevertheless, the synagogue community remained resilient in the face of great difficulty; dues collection was maintained and social and religious programming continued to be offered on a tentative basis at the Palmer Square facility. Throughout the early 1930s, membership dues were constant at $10 per year—roughly 25 cents per week.” (Temple Beth-El History Project Website)
The building was purchased by another Jewish organization with plans to use the building for an education center. While plans were being finalized, the Temple Beth-El congregation continued to use the building. “During this time, the temple became a locus of social activity in Logan Square with dances, parties and cultural events. Then in 1937, the Beth-El Sisterhood undertook a daring effort and was successful in buying back the building and property. The sisterhood was charged with the management and administration and the Beth-El community was immensely indebted to the shrewd resourcefulness and courage of these remarkable women.” (Temple Beth-El History Project Website)
Additional Reading:
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WIN: Grace’s Furniture Building Hotel Conversion Approved By Zoning Committee
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Proposed Grace's Furniture Building Boutique Hotel, 2618 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Rendering Credit NORR Architects
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Proposed Grace's Furniture Building Boutique Hotel Roof Deck, 2618 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Rendering Credit NORR Architects
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After sitting vacant for many years, the proposal to adaptively reuse the Grace’s Furniture Building located at 2618 N. Milwaukee Avenue as a boutique hotel is moving forward. This building was included in the Logan Square Boulevard District Boundaries in 2005 to ensure a preservation-sensitive reuse of this building overlooking this important public square.
The development team has changed over time and now Marc Realty is partnering with Blue Star Properties. Architects are Chicago-based Bureau AD in collaboration with NORR Architects.
In addition to the hotel use, the plans call for a rooftop deck overlooking the Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square, a fifth-floor event space, and a pair of ground-floor restaurants. The development rendering includes retaining the iconic Grace’s Furniture neon blade sign and restoring the ivory-colored terra cotta along the first-floor storefront that has been largely hidden behind plywood and scaffolding.
Additionally, many new windows are proposed to be added to the south elevation of the building overlooking the boulevard and Logan Square. The solid brick wall formerly backed up to another building but was revealed after that historic building was demolished to make way for the entrance to the Blue Line subway expansion in the 1960s. This windowless brick wall has been the source of significant controversy as community activists worked for over a decade to prevent it from being used for billboards and to prevent billboards from returning. This resulted in a protracted lawsuit and multiple hearings before the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and other city commissions.
Logan Square Preservation, Preservation Chicago, and neighbors including Andrew Schneider, Patricia Lauber, Steve Heir, Lew Coulson, Bruce Anderson and others advocated for many years to protect this historic building and have been involved in ongoing redevelopment conversations, which has contributed to the current preservation-oriented redevelopment proposal.
One reason that this development is proceeding smoothly is that as part of the 35th Ward Community-Driven Zoning and Development process, 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa sends development projects to community organizations including Logan Square Preservation for vetting and constructive feedback.
Preservation Chicago supports this development plan and encourages the City and developer to respect, retain and even consider restoring the “L” station canopy entry and English cross bond brick wall designed by Myron Goldsmith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1970. This is an example reflecting the Mies van der Rohe courtyard building studies.
Additional Reading
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WIN: Von Humboldt School Adaptive Reuse Moving Forward (Chicago 7 2014)
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Alexander von Humboldt Elementary School, 2622 W. Hirsch Avenue, 1896 Building, W. August Fiedler. Photo Credit: James Iska / ChicagoHistoricSchools.com
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Alexander von Humboldt Elementary School, 2622 W. Hirsch Avenue, 1896 Building, W. August Fiedler. Historic Photo Credit: Bill Latoza / ChicagoHistoricSchools.com
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Alexander von Humboldt Elementary School Ornamental Detail, 2622 W. Hirsch Avenue. Photo Credit: James Iska / ChicagoHistoricSchools.com
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Alexander von Humboldt Elementary School served as a community Chicago Public School for over 130 years before being closed in 2013, along with 48 other CPS buildings. Located at 2622 W. Hirsch Avenue in Humboldt Park, this historic school building will be adaptively reused as affordable teacher housing. The developer is RBH Group based in Newark, New Jersey with support from Chicago-based IFF.
The plans for the adaptive reuse have shifted over the past few years, but the current plan envisions a dedicated mixed-use “Teachers Village” consisting of approximately 84 rental apartments with shared community spaces and new retail to support shops and cafes.
The financing for the development reportedly includes New Market Tax Credits which require a 20 percent affordable set aside and Historic Tax Credits which require oversight and conformance with the Department of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation.
Alexander von Humboldt Elementary School was designed by highly regarded Chicago architect John J. Flanders in 1884 after he was appointed as the official Chicago Public School architect. The original school building was designed by Flanders in 1884 and built in the Italianate style with decorative brickwork and unglazed red terra cotta details. At the original front façade, the terra cotta elements include panels that read “Erected 1884” and “Von Humboldt School.” Due to the strong population growth in Humboldt Park in the 1890s, a second building was added to the campus in 1895 by W. August Fiedler with Italian Renaissance style that strongly resembles other Fiedler Chicago school designs such as Augustus Burley School and Richard Yates Schools. A third addition was designed by Arthur Hussander in 1910 who sought to reinforce the style of the original buildings.
“As part of the CPS Historic Schools Initiative, the structure received a major renovation in 2008. Undertaken by Bauer Latoza Studio, the ambitious project resulted in a sensitive renovation that repaired and re-pointed the masonry, re-created the missing terra cotta and stone detailing, and replaced the windows with ones that matched the original designs.” (Chicago Historic Schools, 9/20/13)
Preservation Chicago applauds developers RBH Group and IFF for this creative adaptive reuse project that will provide necessary housing for Chicago school teachers in a great historic school building. This is an excellent example of how adaptive reuse can reinvigorate historic structures. It also demonstrates how the inherent authenticity of historic structures can result in more interesting, unique, desirable and ultimately successful finished projects than comparable new construction.
Additional Reading:
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PARTIAL LOSS: Architect Bertrand Goldberg’s River City Interior Exposed Concrete Whitewashed
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River City, Bertrand Goldberg, 800 South Wells Street, 1986. Photo Credit: Bob Olsen / Crain's Chicago Business
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River City, Bertrand Goldberg, 800 South Wells Street, 1986 Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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River City, Bertrand Goldberg, 800 South Wells Street, 1986. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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After an extensive two-year process, River City has been de-converted from a condominium complex to rental, reported as one of the largest conversions in Chicago history. The deal was closed in December 2018, when all 449 condos were purchased for $90.5 million by a joint venture of Marc Realty Capital, The Wolcott Group and Ruttenberg Gordon Investments. A series of upgrades are planned including full redesign and renovation of the lobby and front entrance as well as a new fitness center and co-working spaces. The existing 250,000 square feet of office and retail space will be upgraded.
Built in 1986, River City is a highly innovative and iconic building designed by great Chicago architect Bertrand Goldberg. Located on the south branch of the Chicago River, its curving concrete structure, organic oval windows and extensive skylight create a sunlit 10-story atrium. Despite the historic importance of this building, it is not protected with a Chicago Landmark designation. After demolishing the Goldberg-designed Prentice Hospital in 2013, the City named the Goldberg-designed Marina City a Chicago Landmark.
Some residents have expressed enthusiasm for the upgrades, said Lisa Hernandez, a current River City Apartment resident. “We are excited to see what the new owners have in mind for River City. We love the location and uniqueness of this building, it has so much potential. We’re looking forward to seeing our amenities like the lobby and River Road restored and modernized.” (REJournals, 1/28/19)
Not all residents are so enthusiastic. In response to the painting crew that began to paint the 10-story “River Road” exposed concrete atrium, River City resident Robert Olsen told Crain’s Chicago Business, "I think it's vandalism." (Rodkin, Crain’s, 1/16/19)
Painting Goldberg's “River Road” "is a shame," said Lee Bey, a prolific writer and speaker on Chicago architecture and former architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. "It really is a significant change to a space that Goldberg thought out very carefully. He brings this curvilinear 'street' inside the building, with the sun coming in from above. He thought of it as a street in Paris." The interior, Bey suggested, is crucial to Goldberg's design. While the architect's famous Marina City, the twin corncobs on the Chicago river downtown, "is largely expressed outward," Bey said, "for River City he brought that expression inward." (Rodkin, Crain’s, 1/16/19)
Preservation Chicago supports the reinvestment in this iconic building by an important Chicago architect. We recognize that buildings are not museum pieces and require reinvestment to maintain long-term viability. We encourage the developers to engage with preservation advocates to find renovation solutions which support their vision for River City’s future while respecting the vision and legacy of its architect Bertrand Goldberg.
Going forward, Preservation Chicago strongly supports the designation of River City as a Chicago Landmark. A Chicago Landmark designation would have resulted in a better outcome for the aesthetics and the developer’s bottom line. If the building were a Chicago Landmark, all upgrades would have been reviewed by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development Landmark Division staff and approved by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Perhaps the exposed concrete could have been deep cleaned to return it to its original appearance and avoided the decision to paint. This added level of oversight helps developers and architects to improve their designs. Additionally, Chicago Landmark designation would have qualified the building for substantial tax benefits that would have generated significant additional resources for the development team.
Additional Reading
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PARTIAL LOSS: Oriental Theater Renamed!
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Oriental Theatre Sign partially changed, 24 W. Randolph Street, Rapp and Rapp. Photo Credit: Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
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Oriental Theatre Sign partially changed, 24 W. Randolph Street, Rapp and Rapp. Photo Credit: Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
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Historic Oriental Theatre Blade Sign on Cover of Downtown Chicago In Transition, by Eric Bronsky and Neal Samors. Photo Credit: Chicago Transit Authority
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Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph Street, Rapp and Rapp. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph Street, Rapp and Rapp. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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UPDATE: The Oriental Theatre blade sign, which dates back to a restored 1926 version, is being changed to read the “NEDERLANDER” and the marquee face now reads James M. Nederlander Theatre. Fortunately, the historic blade sign structure and the historic theater will remain.
James L. Nederlander, president of Nederlander Organization, announced his intention to rename the Oriental Theatre in memory of his late father, James M. Nederlander. This follows a family tradition as in the 1980s, James M. Nederlander renamed the Billy Rose and National Theatre on West 41st Street in New York after his late father David T. Nederlander.
Preservation Chicago does not oppose the proposed name change for the historic theater but encouraged the Nederlander Organization to preserve the historic blade sign which has been a core visual element of the Randolph Theatre District for decades. Many of the great neon signs along Randolph Street have been lost over time and the reinstallation and restoration of the historic Oriental Theatre neon blade sign marked a significant step towards reactivating and re-illuminating the dynamism of Chicago’s Theater District.
The Oriental Theatre opened on May 8, 1926 and has been an anchor in Chicago’s Theater District ever since. Located at 24 W. Randolph Street, the Balaban & Katz picture palace and live theater was opened with great fanfare one year after they opened the Uptown Theatre. The exuberant ornament of the Oriental Theatre interior was inspired by Indo-Chinese influence. The exotic “Far East” décor was intended to transport visitors to a fantastic realm.
The incredible interior décor is described as “a virtual museum of Asian art, presented popular first-run motion pictures, complemented by lavish stage shows. Turbaned ushers led patrons from the lobby, with polychrome figures and large mosaics of an Indian prince and princess, through an inner foyer with elephant-throne chairs and multicolored glazed Buddhas, to the auditorium’s ‘hasheesh-dream décor.’” (BroadwayInChicago.com)
The Oriental Theatre was designed by Rapp and Rapp, the accomplished theater architectural firm, who also designed the Uptown Theatre, Riviera Theatre, Palace Theatre, Chicago Theatre and Central Park Theatre and more than 38 other theaters outside of Chicago. Additionally, the Oriental Theatre was built on the site of the former Iroquois Theatre, where a catastrophic fire in 1903 claimed the lives of over 600 theatergoers. This tragedy catalyzed extensive changes in fire codes in Chicago and across the country.
The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. After a period of decline and vacancy, and a brief period as a radio and television appliance store, a restoration of the theater was completed in 1998.
The Oriental Theatre is owned by Broadway in Chicago which is controlled by the Nederlander Organization, an extensive family business that owns theaters throughout Chicago, New York and Detroit. Since the 1990s, they have owned and operated the Majestic Theater/Schubert Theatre also known as the LaSalle Bank Theater/Bank of America Theater/CIBC Theatre located at 18 W. Monroe Street.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Tidal Wave of Historic Church Closings Coming
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Preservation Chicago has been working for years to prevent the loss of significant religious buildings including Shrine of Christ the King, St. James, St. Adalbert’s, St. Boniface, and St. Lawrence churches and Agudas Achim Synagogue. We have had some remarkable successes and some tough losses. Preservation initiatives, including the lawsuit to prevent the demolition of St. James which was litigated in Latin at the Vatican but ultimately failed to save the church, have encouraged the Archdiocese of Chicago to consider reuse ideas first versus a costly, multi-million-dollar demolition of these structures. St. James Church cost nearly $10 million to demolish, money that could have been spent elsewhere.
It now appears that these isolated church closings were the tip of the iceberg and that a tidal wave of church closings is coming. One initial estimate is that approximately 75 Catholic churches will be closed or consolidated over the next 10 years. Many of the churches targeted first for closure are the oldest and largest buildings due to their higher operating costs. Not surprisingly, this includes many of Chicago’s most extraordinary churches. Due to a 1987 amendment introduced by then Alderman Burt Natarus requiring owner consent before designating a property a Chicago Landmark, only a handful of Chicago churches have that designation.
The following churches have been added to our rapidly growing Preservation Chicago Endangered Church Watch List.
- Holy Family Catholic Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Road, Dillenburg & Zucher, Interiors by John Van Osdel (Chicago's first architect), Near West Side, 1857.
- St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 8237 S. South Shore Drive, South Shore, William J. Brinkmann, 1909
- All Saints - St. Anthony Catholic Church, 518 West 28th Place, Bridgeport, Henry J. Schlacks, 1913
- St. Ita Catholic Church, 5500 N. Broadway, Edgewater, Henry J. Schlacks, 1924-1927
- St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4200 N. Sheridan Road, Uptown, Henry J. Schlacks, 1917
- St. Barbara Catholic Church, 2859 S. Throop Street, Bridgeport, Worthmann & Steinbach, 1914
- St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 600 W. 45th Street, Canaryville, Burnham & Root, 1888
- St. Jerome Croatian Catholic Church, 2823 S. Princeton Avenue, Bridgeport, Christian O. Hansen, 1885
- Santa Lucia-Santa Maria Incoronata, 3022 S. Wells Street, Bridgeport, Ray Basso, 1961
- St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church and School, 218 W. Alexander Street, Bridgeport, William F. Gubbins, 1904
- St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Church, 4827 N. Kenmore Avenue, Uptown, Joseph W. McCarthy, 1917
- St. Mary of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1039 W. 32nd Street, Bridgeport, Henry Engelbert, 1889
- Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 653 W. 37th Street, Bridgeport, Patrick C. Keeley, 1885
- St. Adalbert Catholic Church, 1650 W. 17th Street, Pilsen, Henry J. Schlacks, 1914 (Mother Church of the South Side Polish Catholic community)
Additional Reading
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St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 8237 S. South Shore Drive, South Shore/South Chicago/The Bush, William J. Brinkmann, 1909. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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St. Gabriel Catholic Church,
600 W. 45th Street
, Canaryville, Burnham & Root, 1888. Photo Credit: Lynn Becker
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St. Mary of Perpetual Help
Catholic Church, 1039 W. 32nd Street, Bridgeport, Henry Engelbert, 1889.
Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4200 N. Sheridan Road, Uptown, Henry J. Schlacks, 1917. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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St. Ita Catholic Church, 5500 N. Broadway, Edgewater, Henry J. Schlacks, 1924-1927. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Nativity of Our Lord
Catholic Church, 653 W. 37th Street, Bridgeport, Patrick C. Keeley, 1876-1885.
Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers (Parish of Daley Family)
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St. Barbara Catholic Church, 2859 S. Throop Street, Bridgeport, Worthmann & Steinbach, 1914. Photo Credit: St. Barbara Catholic Church
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All Saints - St. Anthony Catholic Church, 518 West 28th Place, Bridgeport, Henry J. Schlacks. Photo Credit: All Saints - St. Anthony Catholic Church
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LOSS: “Spotlight on Demolition”
910-912 W. Webster Avenue, Lincoln Park
2137 W. Erie Street, West Town
733 W. Melrose Street, Lakeview
2121 W Addison Street, Roscoe Village
1307 S. Talman Avenue, Douglas Park
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“It’s an old, common cry in a city where demolition and development are often spoken in the same breath, and where trying to save historic homes from the wrecking ball can feel as futile as trying to stop the snow. My Twitter feed teems with beautiful houses doomed to vanish in the time it takes to say ‘bulldozed’. Bungalows, two-flats, three-flats, greystones, workers’ cottages. The photos, posted by people who lament the death of Chicago’s tangible past, flit through my social media feed like a parade of the condemned en route to the guillotine”,
mused Mary Schmich in her Chicago Tribune column on July 12, 2018
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910-912 W. Webster Avenue, Demolished January 2019
Photo Credit: Google Street View
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2137 W. Erie Street, Demolished January 2019
Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael via Twitter
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733 W. Melrose Street, Demolished January 2019
Photo Credit: Redfin
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2121 W. Addison Street, Demolished January 2019
Photo Credit: Google Street View
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1307 S. Talman Avenue, Demolished January 2019
Photo Credit: Gabriel X. Michael via Twitter
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LOST CHICAGO...BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
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Great Northern Hotel
by D.H. Burnham and Company
Built 1891, Demolished 1940
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Great Northern Hotel, ca. 1900, by Burnham and Root in 1891. Demolished in 1940.
Historic Photo Credit: Ryerson & Burnham Archives, Archival Image Collection, Photographer J.W. Taylor (16312)
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Great Northern Hotel
Architect: Burnham and Root
Location: 237 S. Dearborn St. at ne corner of W. Jackson Blvd.
Built: 1891
Demolished: 1940
"The Great Northern Hotel at Dearborn, Jackson, and Quincy streets, on the northeast corner of Jackson and Dearborn, is a high steel structure that preserves many canons of old-style proportions. Like the Rookery, the Siegel- Cooper, and the First National, the Great Northern is impressive on the lines of grace and beauty. The dimensions of this colossal structure are as follows: Front on Dearborn, 165 feet; depth on Jackson and Quincy, 100 feet; height, 185 feet; 16 stories and white marble basement. In this hotel are 500 rooms, 8 dining-rooms, cafe, and 6 elevators. A prize was publicly offered for a name, and given to the suggestor of the title "The Chicago." This title was abandoned for the present one. The plan of entertainment is strictly European. The appointments and modern character of this hotel give it a conspicuous place among the sights and conveniences of Chicago. The proprietors are Hulbert & Eden, highly experienced and well-known landlords. Erected in 1891, at a cost of $1,150,000.” (Rand McNally’s Bird’s Eye Views of Chicago, 1893, pg. 24)
“After Root’s death in 1891, Daniel Burnham built the adjoining Great Northern Office and Theatre Building at 20 W. Jackson Blvd. The two buildings together formed a connected half block structure and enclosed the largest interior court in Chicago. The hotel was also opposite the Government Building. In 1910, the hotel advertised as having a “Café, Grill, and Lunch Room at Popular Prices.” At that time the hotel had eight dining rooms. The hotel was ultimately demolished in 1940. The Great Northern Office and Theatre Building were demolished, in 1961, for the Dirksen Federal Building." (Chicagology.com)
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2018 Retrospective for Chicago Historic Preservation
By Chicago Patterns
Published January 2, 2019
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1501 W 18th St. Part of Preliminary Recommendation for Pilsen District. Photo Credit: John Morris/Chicago Patterns
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"In years past, our yearly retrospective of architectural preservation in Chicago consisted of mostly losses with a few small wins. In 2018, however, a few significant victories changed the tone of how the city’s historic resources are maintained and preserved.
"Some of same trends from years past continued in 2018: the loss of late 19th century Italianate homes and flats in near-NW side neighborhoods and Victorian cottages in places like Lakeview and Lincoln Park. Some of these erasures are stories of displacement, as long-term residents in older buildings are pushed out as developers erect expensive single-family homes and 2/3 flats in the place of existing buildings.
"But on the plus side, two themes emerged in 2018: new landmarks and community action..."
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Learning to Love: Chicago Preservation Stories
by Chicago Architecture Biennial
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2019, at 6 p.m.
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The Chicago Architecture Biennial presents "Learning to Love: Chicago Preservation Stories"
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The Chicago Architecture Biennial presents "Learning to Love: Chicago Preservation Stories"
Wed, Feb 13, 2019
6:00 PM
School of the Art Institute Ballroom
112 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603
The Chicago Architecture Biennial presents "Learning to Love: Chicago Preservation Stories"
Lost, forgotten and saved — Chicago’s historic buildings encounter various fates in their lifetime and their stories are constantly evolving. This panel discussion, moderated by Anne Sullivan (School of the Art Institute Chair of Historic Preservation), revisits key moments of success and failure in the history of preservation activism, advocacy and architectural solutions to adaptive reuse.
Hear from several prominent speakers as they bring what has been learned into conversation with preservation challenges of today. Through dialogue, panelists will share their experience and insight into some of the diverse kinds of efforts — legal, political, design, cultural — required to change perceptions, find new uses, and rally communities around saving their treasures.
Speakers:
Lee Bey – Writer, photographer, and architecture critic
Lisa DiChiera – Director of Advocacy, Landmarks Illinois
Eleanor Gorski – Deputy Commissioner of Planning, Design and Historic Preservation, City of Chicago
John Vinci, FAIA – Principal, Vinci Hamp Architects
Ultimately the conversation reminds us how now-beloved buildings (such as the Chicago Cultural Center) go through moments in their history where they’re hard to love.
The first in a four-part series on preservation in Chicago, this panel dialogue is presented by the Chicago Architecture Biennial and School of the Art Institute of Chicago with support from the Samuel M. and Ann S. Mencoff Foundation.The free public programs that comprise the series build upon the theme of the 2017 Biennial (“Make New History”) and connect it to the 2019 Biennial and its focus on the role public memory can play in addressing global urban challenges.
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Petition: Save the Superior Street Rowhouses from Demolition!
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42, 44 & 46 East Superior Street Rowhouses, Photo Credit: Taylor Moore / Block Club Chicago
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Unless urgent action is taken, these three 1880s-era rowhouses will be demolished shortly after the 90-Day Demolition Delay Hold Extension expires on March 8, 2019.
These authentic, beautiful, charming historic Chicago rowhouses will be bulldozed to create a vacant lot. The likely strategy is that the urban blight from a vacant lot will help the developer to push through an unpopular plan for a massive parking garage and generic glass-box tower on the site.
Preservation Chicago STRONGLY OPPOSES THE DEMOLITION of these three, architecturally significant, orange-rated rowhouses at 42, 44 and 46 East Superior dating from the 1870s and 1880s. The adjacent seven-story Art Deco limestone building and historic four-story red brick Giordano’s building are also endangered.
The clock is ticking as development pressure intensifies and developers have begun to actively target the last remaining clusters of intact, low-rise, historic buildings as development sites.
"And with the continued demolition of other shorter, older buildings in the area, that there are only a handful of the original McCormickville buildings left. We need to value every inch of space where there are historic buildings that tell the story of the neighborhood.” Ward Miller, (Curbed Chicago, Koziarz, 12/8/16)
Preservation Chicago urgently requests the City of Chicago and 42nd Ward Alderman Reilly not to release the Demolition Delay Hold and not to issue a Demolition permit until after the public approval process for the new development has been completed. There are many examples, the most notorious being Block 37, in which significant time passed between when the demolition of the existing historic buildings and when the new construction broke ground.
Additionally, Preservation Chicago urgently requests the City of Chicago and 42nd Ward Alderman Reilly to create a new “McCormickville” Landmark District comprised of the handful of remaining historic buildings. It would be a powerful tool to protect this neighborhood’s historic building fabric and strengthen the vibrancy of this community.
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Petition: Halt the Demolition of one of Bronzeville's Historic Substations
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ComEd Substation, Herman von Volst, 626 E. 40th Street, 1931. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Built in 1931, the ComEd substation at 626 E. 40th Street once provided power for the now-defunct Kenwood L line. Designated as possessing potential significance in the context of the surrounding community during the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, the substation's demolition permit will reach the end of its 90-day hold on January 31st, 2019. Without intervention, Bronzeville could lose another beautiful monument to its rich history.
We urge ComEd to halt the demolition of its Herman von Volst-designed substation at 626 E. 40th Street in Chicago and work with the community and neighborhood leaders to find a preservation-sensitive use for the historic building.
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Petition: Save the Clarendon Park Field House
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Clarendon Park Field House. Historic Postcard Credit: Chuckman Collection
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The Clarendon Park Community Center will either begin an extensive renovation or will be demolished and replaced. The building hangs in the balance and a strong voice from the Clarendon Park community is essential to help decision makers to make a good decision.
As recently as 2015, demolition was widely considered to be the most likely outcome for the historic Clarendon Park Community Center building and it was included as a 2015 Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered Building. It was widely celebrated when in 2017 $6.1 million TIF funds were earmarked for the long-neglected Clarendon Park Community Center building with the expectation that the building would finally be renovated. Now there is concern that the Chicago Park District will choose to use these funds for a smaller, new construction building instead of restoring the historic building.
The historic Clarendon Park building was designed by city architect C.W. Kallal in a Mediterranean Revival Style. This “Italian Resort Style” became the model for such other highly regarded lakefront landmark buildings as Marshall and Fox’s South Shore Country Club in 1916 (now South Shore Cultural Center) and the 63rd Street Bathing Pavilion in 1919. This style was defined by tall towers capped with hipped roofs clad in clay tiles, large entry colonnades, porticos, loggias and open-air promenades.
Preservation Chicago urges the Chicago Park District to recognize the value of this important historic building and to commit to seeing it restored. 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. The Clarendon Park neighbors and community
stakeholders continue to play an important role and deserve special recognition for their unwavering support for this building with 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 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.
Additional Reading
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Petition: Stop Destroying Chicago Bungalows: Support Sensible Second-Story Additions
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Chicago Bungalow Association Stop The Pop Initiative. Photo Credit: Chicago Bungalow Association
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An onslaught of developers are threatening Chicago's iconic bungalows by tearing off the entire upstairs levels and replacing them with full second stories in lieu of sensible additions. These “bad” additions, aka "pop tops," destroy the architectural/aesthetic value of homes and streetscapes, as well as neighbors' property values. The inferior materials and methods used are short-lived and structurally overwhelming; a complete contrast to bungalows themselves, which were built to last for many decades.
There are ways to expand bungalows with second-story additions that are compatible to the original building in style and proportion. Sensible additions can provide an equally full, high-ceiling expansion of space, and are pleasing to the surrounding neighborhood and environment.
The Chicago Bungalow Association (CBA) is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to helping homeowners maintain, preserve and adapt their unique Chicago bungalow, an indelible part of the City's landscape. On behalf of CBA's staff, its 16,000 members and the 80,000 Chicago bungalows, they have created the #StopThePop campaign in an effort to protect Chicago bungalows from this destructive trend. With your support, they hope to achieve the following:
- Educate developers and the public on "good" vs. "bad" additions through campaign-driven seminars, panels, fact-sheets and a comprehensive set of Design Guidelines for additions.
- Provide homeowners with direct access to qualified and affordable architects, engineers and contractors experienced in creating sensible second story additions.
- Bring awareness to Aldermen and the City of Chicago Department of Buildings through our campaign petition, homeowner testimonials, and statements of support from neighborhood organizations.
We are just getting started and need you to join our efforts by signing this petition and sharing it with your family, friends, and neighbors.
Stay up-to-date on #StopThePop by visiting
www.chicagobungalow.org. Do not hesitate to email your thoughts and ideas in strengthening this campaign.
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Logan Square Preservation Launches Campaign to Restore Church;s Stained Glass
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Eleventh Church of Christ Scientist/Central Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2840 W. Logan Boulevard, Leon Stanhope, 1916. Photo Credit: Google Maps Street View
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Eleventh Church of Christ Scientist/Central Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2840 W. Logan Boulevard, Leon Stanhope, 1916. Existing condition of stained glass windows. Photo Credit: Logan Square Preservation
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Eleventh Church of Christ Scientist/Central Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2840 W. Logan Boulevard, Leon Stanhope, 1916. Rendering of proposed backlighting of stained glass windows following restoration. Rendering Credit: Logan Square Preservation
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Logan Square Preservation has launched a fundraising campaign to raise funds to restore and backlight the original stained glass windows at an historic church located on Logan Boulevard in the heart of the Logan Square Boulevard Historic Landmark District.
“Help Restore Historic Windows at 2840 W. Logan Blvd.”
Designed by landmark architect Leon Stanhope and built in 1916 as the home of the 11th Church of Christ Scientist, the building at 2840 W. Logan Blvd houses the Central Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church congregation.
The fish-scale stained glass windows, which are an integral part of the design, are in need of restoration. Some are being held together today by duct-tape. LSP is working with them to raise the $12,000 necessary to completely restore and backlight the windows so they will be visible on Logan Boulevard at night.”
In 2016 Logan Square Preservation raised $5,000 from its members to restore one of the stained glass windows at the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church. The Minnekirkin has been the only church to opt-in to the Logan Boulevard Historic District, which protects landmark buildings on the boulevard from demolition. All of the windows were in need of significant restoration. The windows facing the square were obscured behind discolored plastic installed to protect from damage.
The restored windows were unveiled in May 2016 and continue to be seen by thousands of people on Logan Square. Since then, the campaign to restore the remaining windows facing Logan Square has raised over $19,000 towards its goal.
(Logan Square Preservation.org)
"It’s a project that wouldn’t be possible without the fundraising campaign", according to Pastor Luis Eguiluz, who has been with the church for seven years “We are so grateful and happy that [Logan Square Preservation] is taking the initiative.” (Bloom, Block Club, 1/30/19)
Additional Reading
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Support the Packingtown Museum Kickstarter Campaign!
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Mural on the exterior of The Plant at
1400 W 46th Street. Photo Credit: Packingtown Museum at The Plant
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Packingtown Museum at The Plant
Inside a former meatpacking plant at 1400 W 46th Street, organizers are developing a museum dedicated to preserving the rich history of Chicago's Union Stock Yard.
Vision and Mission
The Packingtown Museum is dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and presenting the industrial history and cultural heritage of Chicago’s Union Stock Yard and surrounding neighborhoods. Through a combination of exhibits and educational programming, the museum strives to connect Chicago's industrial past to its future and inform contemporary conversations about labor, immigration, food production, community development, and the economy.
About The Plant
The Packingtown Museum is housed at The Plant, a former meatpacking facility that is being repurposed as a collaborative community of food businesses committed to material re-use and closed-loop systems. The Plant is owned and operated by Bubbly Dynamics, LLC, which directs the design and build-out of tenant spaces, common areas, and major projects to increase efficiencies of the building and site.
Established in 2002, Bubbly Dynamics is a social enterprise whose mission is to create replicable models for ecologically responsible and sustainable urban industrial development. Bubbly Dynamics’ first building, the Chicago Sustainable Manufacturing Center, was renovated based on these principles and has been home to tenants involved in a variety of light-industrial uses. Bubbly’s second project, The Plant, takes the concept further and is working to demonstrate the benefits of closing loops of waste, resources, and energy for food-producing businesses.
Background & Rationale
The very first draft of The Plant's floor plans included a space reserved for the Packingtown Museum. John Edel, founder of Bubbly Dynamics, LLC, recognized the need to tell the story of the South Side of Chicago’s role in the development of industrialization – of food, in particular – which is locally relevant and globally significant.
The story of the development of the Union Stock Yard, the people who worked in them, and the neighborhoods that grew up around it includes chapters on organized labor, the role of immigration in fueling the growth of city and economy, and the changing relationship between people, machines, and food. All of these historical themes are relevant to the political and social dynamics of Chicago and the United States today. Through a better understanding of and appreciation for this 150-year history, we can be more engaged and thoughtful participants in the present and future that is unfolding right in front of us at The Plant.
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Support 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 the organization's needs. In order to ensure ongoing public access to these important collections, there is a 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 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.
The Friends 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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- Be Heard! Attend community meetings, and stand up to make your voice heard!
THANK YOU from your friends at Preservation Chicago!
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