The restored and renovated Clinton Street entry to the Union Station food court, formerly the fire-damaged Fred Harvey Restaurant. After being walled up since the 1980s, windows were restored and a new entry created. Designed by architects Graham, Anderson Probst & White, Union Station was completed in 1925.

Please click the 'Unsubscribe' button in the footer

The iconic postmodern Thompson Center in the heart of Chicago’s Loop will be sold either for demolition or adaptive reuse.

It was built for the people of Illinois, by the people of Illinois, to inspire the people of Illinois. Designed by world-renowned architect Helmut Jahn to be Illinois’ “second state capitol building” in the state’s largest city, it sought to redefine the relationship between the citizens and their government with transparency, engagement, and energy.

Jahn's wildly exuberant James R. Thompson Center / State of Illinois building exceeded all expectations with a curvilinear façade, open plaza, and dazzling 17-story atrium designed to exhilarate and inspire.

Will this magnificent public building be demolished for a new non-descript high-rise? Or will a new owner finally realize the Governor Thompson's vision of a dynamic creative center overflowing with vibrancy and energy?

Live music, dance, arts and city festivals could be hosted daily on the plaza and year-round in the atrium, similar to the wildly successful Sony Center in Berlin also designed by Helmut Jahn.

Designated offices floors could become incubator for non-profits, arts organizations, start-up businesses, exhibit and gallery space. Other floors could be populated with a hotel, apartments and small businesses. A gourmet food court and café dining in the atrium could create a dynamic piazza experience protected from the elements. All located at a major transit hub that would allow equal access to Chicagoans all across the city.

Now is the moment in time to finally embrace the vision of the James R. Thompson Center as vibrant, authentic, fountain of creative energy in the heart of Chicago’s Loop.

Along with a diverse team of preservation partners, we urge the City of Chicago to recognize the potential of this important building and designate the James R. Thompson Center as a Chicago Landmark to protect it from harm and encourage its creative reuse.

"In Chicago and the suburbs right now, there are seven homes of historical Black figures that are in some stage of being turned into a museum or cultural center that honors the former residents. It's an unprecedented number, and an eighth may be in the wings.

"While they are mostly in early, even embryonic, stages and some may not advance beyond being an idea, it's clear this is a singular moment, amid the nationwide reckoning over race.

"'It's time for us to tell our stories to our children in our voices,' says Angela Ford, the executive director of the Obsidian Collection, a not-for-profit archive of Black cultural materials. In April, the group paid $1 million for the former home of activists Lu and Jorja Palmer on King Drive. Obsidian has a $4 million plan to rehab the 12,000-square-foot colossus into a Black-centered museum, library and meeting hall.

"Ford cites a favorite African proverb: 'Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.'

"The city's commissioner of planning and development, Maurice Cox, put that sentiment another way at a recent public meeting about the potential landmarking of the North Kenwood home of blues great Muddy Waters.

"'So often the brilliance that African Americans have given to this country is wrapped up in the everyday and ordinary,' Cox said. 'Most people wouldn't know it if we didn't preserve that everyday context that helped this man make this extraordinary music that really changed the world.'

"A MOVEMENT OR A MOMENT?

"After George Floyd's death, corporate Chicago made a raft of diversity pledges. A year later, which companies delivered—and which fell short?

"Exhibits in the DuSable Museum of African American History or a downtown institution could memorialize any of these homeowners, but 'there's something different and important about moving through the spaces that they moved through when they spent their time thinking and creating and living,' says Regina Bain, the executive director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens, N.Y. The former home of the musical giant opened for tours in 2003.

"On top of walking where great ones walked, the mere fact of homeownership, 'is especially important for many Black people who came from impoverished circumstances where a home is not guaranteed,' Bain says. 'It's a point of joy to see that these working-class folks bought and owned their homes. There's nothing ordinary about that.'

"Along with the Palmer and Waters sites, the other homes where efforts have been launched to create a museum or similar space are:

• The West Woodlawn two-flat where Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, lived before he was murdered by white racists in Mississippi in 1955.

• The Kenwood house where longtime Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad lived.

• A dilapidated Washington Park greystone that served as a Phyllis Wheatley Home, providing a home and support for Black women coming up from the South during the Great Migration.

• In south suburban Robbins, the former home of S.B. Fuller, an entrepreneur who in the middle of the 20th century was one of the most successful Black men in America.

• In Maywood, the brick two-flat that was the childhood home of Fred Hampton, the Black Panthers leader who was killed by law enforcement agencies in a 1969 pre-dawn raid on his East Garfield Park apartment.

"Crain's hasn't found as many Black house museum plans in other cities as the seven floating in and around Chicago this year. An eighth attempt may soon surface. The family members who own the former home of John W. E. Thomas, who in 1876 became the first African American elected to Illinois Legislature, are exploring the process of landmarking, Mary Lu Seidel, the director of community engagement at Preservation Chicago, confirms. A future use of the building has not been announced." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/11/21)

THANK YOU to the nearly 33 thousand individuals who signed the petition to reject the proposed House Museum Ban ordinance. This petition by Preservation Chicago, our media outreach campaign, and advocacy effort in partnership with community organizations throughout Chicago played an important role in helping to defeat an ordinance that would have been devastating for dozens of house museums and cultural centers across Chicago.

While the immediate danger has passed, the inspiring, diverse coalition of organizations and individuals that organized to resist the proposed ordinance will remain vigilant in the event that it resurfaces. We applaud every individual and organization that played a role in helping to oppose this legislation.

We strongly oppose any legislative maneuvers that seek to make more difficult the establishment of Chicago neighborhood house museums. In fact, we strongly encourage additional support to help nurture them.

Now is the time to recognize, honor and protect the many important contributions of African-Americans and traditionally underrepresented communities to Chicago. House museums are powerful vehicles for protecting the history and telling the stories of those who have come before us. House museums amplify the voices of those who have not been heard. It is essential that these voices be heard.

Read more at:

Alderman withdraws ordinance that would have restricted ‘house museums’; The decision by Ald. Sophia King (4th) was announced at the start of Tuesday’s meeting of the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards, Maudlyne Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, Mar 23, 2021 

"3179 N Clark St on the corner of Belmont and Clark in Lake View is currently threatened to be demolished. This historic bank building was originally the Lake View State Bank and later the Belmont National Bank. This bank building has been in our community since its completion in 1921. Let's celebrate it's 100 year old birthday by saving it, rather than loosing it to the wrecking ball.

"The bank is a wonderful two story limestone clad building by the Architect Ivar Viehe-Naess. According to Alderman Tom Tunney's website, Hubbard Group is going to demolish this structure and replace it with retail. This structure could easily be incorporated into the new design of the new development, as the rest of the development is a parking lot.

"Over the last 15 years Lakeview has lost a significant amount of pre-war architecture along Clark St and Belmont Ave. As we continue to demolish these structures we loose the historical legacy and identity that makes this neighborhood unique."

Please share and sign this community driven petition to urge Alderman Tom Tunney and Hubbard Group to incorporate this piece of Lake View history into the new development!

Perhaps this could begin the start of a larger conversation on how to protect what is left of the communities pre-war architecture. A landmark district would forever protect these structures.

"'The fact that the state was opposed to its nomination really shows that politics has entered the equation,' Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago told Urbanize. 'It's unfortunate in a city that's so well known for its architecture. We shouldn't leave it up to personal choice, politics, or whether or not a building has fallen into disrepair to determine if it should be preserved or demolished.'" (Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago, 6/25/21)

"A state advisory board on historic sites today broke ranks with Illinois state agencies over the issue of seeking national landmark status for the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.

"By a 10-to-2 vote, the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council voted to nominate the postmodern office building to the National Register of Historic Places, although two states agencies oppose the nomination.

"Gov. Pritzker’s office wants to sell the colorful 17-story building that has been derided as functioning poorly since it opened in 1985. Preservationists and others see getting the building a spot on the National Register as a step toward unlocking preservation tax credits that would make rehabbing the building financially feasible, preventing demolition of one of the late architect Helmut Jahn’s most dramatic buildings.

"In May, John Murphy, whose firm’s $140 million redevelopment of the old Cook County Hospital included in its financing stack about $27 million in tax credits, told Crain’s, 'but for the tax credits, the rehab would not have happened.'

"Without the possibility of tax credits, potential buyers may find that only demolition is cost-effective on the site, Murphy and Lisa DiChiera, director of advocacy at Landmarks Illinois, both told Crain’s in May.

"It’s a race against the clock, as the National Trust process could take several months and Illinois officials have set Aug.16 as the deadline for offers on the 1.2 million-square-foot building that sits on three acres on Randolph Street.

"'I wouldn't say they broke ranks,' said Jonathan Solomon, a partner in Preservation Futures, the group that is shepherding the nomination. 'They're an independent commission, and I would say we're thrilled that they didn't bow to political pressure' from the two agencies.

The historic sites board endorsed the nomination despite being told by its parent agency, the state historic preservation office, that the office does not support the nomination. This could mean that the historic preservation office declines to make the nomination.

If so, Solomon said, the coalition of advocacy groups that have been working on the nomination could decide to take it to the national register on their own, without state support. The coalition includes Solomon's group, Landmarks Illinois, Preservation Chicago and others.

"'We are certain that ultimately the building will be listed on the National Register,' Solomon told Crain's. 'It's just a matter of how much more obstruction we face.'" (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/25/21)

"About two dozen people gathered outside the James R. Thompson Center on Wednesday to protest the state’s ongoing efforts to sell the glassy state office building, which preservation groups call an iconic and integral component to Chicago’s downtown.

"Preservation Chicago and other advocacy groups held the rally in response to what they call recent action by state officials to 'deliberately sabotage' the building at 100 W. Randolph St., ahead of an upcoming meeting to decide whether the building receives historical designation, a spokeswoman said.

"'We’re out here today to save this building that was built for the people by the people of the state of Illinois,' Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller said. 'If this is truly a world-class city of architecture, I think we need to start acting like it and saving these buildings rather than selling them off and encouraging demolition.'

"The protesters picketed with signs reading 'Do We Dare Squander Chicago’s Great Architecture History' and 'The Postmodern People’s Place,' while chanting, 'What do we want? Save it.'

“This is one of (Jahn’s) great works,” Preservation Chicago spokeswoman Mary Lu Seidel said. “He supported saving this building, we support saving this building.”

"The preservationists were met with a few counterprotesters who yelled back, 'tear it down' and 'you buy it then.' Passersby also commented on the building’s deteriorating condition, alleged cockroach infestation, and poor heating and air conditioning systems.

"Jonathan Solomon, co-founder of Preservation Futures, compared its condition to being born in 1985 — the year the building opened — and never showering, eating healthy or going to the doctor’s office.

"'You’d look pretty bad too,' Solomon said over the song '1985' by the band Bowling For Soup. 'That’s what the state of Illinois did to this building. Buildings — just like your body, just like your house or your car — you have to maintain it, you have to look after it, you have to invest in it.'

"Self-described “postmodern person” Rory Gilchrist of Ravenswood said he dressed up as the Thompson Center for Halloween. 'This is a very significant place of public engagement,' Gilchrist said. 'When we stand here today, I feel in solidarity, I feel the history, I feel the memory, I feel the sense of future of all of those other protests that took place here. … That’s why this building must be preserved.'"

"The board of directors of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum today announced the acquisition of the adjacent John B. Murphy Memorial Auditorium from the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

"For the Driehaus Museum – located in the adjoining Samuel M. Nickerson Mansion, originally built in 1883 and restored by Driehaus in 2003 – the acquisition of the Murphy will make it possible for the Museum to expand its programmatic activities and capacity while carrying forward the tradition of creativity, innovation and education celebrated within these historic buildings since they were erected.

"Designed by noted Chicago architects Benjamin Marshall and Charles E. Fox of Marshall and Fox, the Murphy was used originally to host meetings and serve as a center for education in surgery. Its iconic exterior is Marshall’s interpretation of the double-columned, two-story façade and flanking entry staircase of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation (1900) in Paris.

"The building features a pair of cast bronze doors designed by Tiffany Studios at the front entrance, comprised of six panels depicting prominent figures in the history of medicine. It also has a towering, multicolored stained-glass window inside the auditorium. It was built as a memorial to founding member John B. Murphy, MD, FACS. Dr. Murphy was regarded worldwide as the greatest clinical educator of his generation, and known for performing a life-saving surgery on President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

"'The Driehaus Museum is honored to succeed the American College of Surgeons as steward of their magnificent building,' said Zachary Lazar, President of the Board of Trustees of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. 'It was no secret within the Museum that Mr. Driehaus hoped some day to acquire the Murphy Auditorium, an extension of his passion for preserving the world-class historic architecture for which Chicago is so well known. We owe ACS our thanks for their excellent oversight and care of this irreplaceable property, and are only sorry that Mr. Driehaus’ untimely passing means he did not have the opportunity to celebrate with us.'

"The Murphy Auditorium is the second purchase by Driehaus from the American College of Surgeons, which had also owned the Nickerson Mansion from 1919 to 2003. Designed by Burling and Whitehouse, the mansion was opened to the public in 2008, after a five-year restoration, as the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. The Museum focuses on decorative arts and design through exhibitions and educational programs, and places the Gilded Age in context to illuminate the history, culture and urban fabric of Chicago.

"We could not have found a better buyer than the Driehaus Museum,' said ACS Executive Director, David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS. 'We admire Richard’s commitment and appreciation for historic preservation. It is an important legacy to have the building remain part of Chicago’s unique architectural fabric now and for years to come.'

"Across from the Nickerson Mansion and Murphy Auditorium, the Driehaus Capital Management offices are headquartered in the 1886 Ransom Cable House, a designated Chicago Landmark designed by Cobb & Frost. This mansion is complete with a separate carriage house and large garden between them. Driehaus acquired an early 1900s common brick townhouse next to the Cable House for additional offices.

"'These five buildings along Chicago’s historic Erie Street corridor represent a span of styles built in this neighborhood over the course of 40 years, as well as a range of uses as the area transitioned away from a strictly residential character,' said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.

'Each of these magnificent structures remind us of Chicago’s incredible architectural legacy and the city’s world-renowned built environment.' said Miller. 'These buildings also give us insight into the past, offering a sense of human scale and attention to detail, while displaying incredible craftsmanship. They are a visual reflection of the community’s historical development over time. The preservation of these buildings is a priceless legacy to Chicago." (Driehaus Museum press release, 6/30/21)

"The newest developer trying to overhaul Congress Theater wants to reopen the historic venue by summer of 2023, taking the reins on plans to revive the space that’s been sitting empty for nearly a decade.

"Baum Revision, a local developer known for restoring historic buildings, is taking over the redevelopment project after a previous effort to revitalize the Congress fell through. Baum is planning to redevelop the landmark theater at 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave., as well as the surrounding apartments and retail space, using the blueprint approved by the city in 2018.

"If everything goes according to plan, the development team aims to begin construction “toward the end” of 2021, David Baum, one of Baum’s managing principals, said at a community meeting Monday. From there, construction is expected to take somewhere between 18 months and two years, Baum said.

"'We’re coming into a project that unfortunately didn’t come to fruition. Frankly, I give a lot of credit to the guy who attempted to do it. I think he’s a good guy, I think he tried hard … he did a lot of good work and we’re picking it up from there,' Baum said.

"Now Baum is working to assume control of the building and pick up where Moyer left off. The plans call for a complete restoration of the theater; construction of a 30-room hotel, 14 affordable apartments and 16,000 square feet of retail space in the surrounding 160,000-square-foot theater building. Baum is not planning, however, to build an 72-unit apartment tower next door, a component of Moyer’s project that received fierce pushback from neighbors.

"Built in 1926 as an ornate movie palace, the Congress Theater hosted everyone from Chuck Berry to Jerry Lee Lewis in its heyday. But in 2013, after years of negligence on the part of previous owners, the city shut down the historic venue following a string of code violations and crimes that occurred in and around the theater during shows.

"Baum said they aim to fully restore all of the venue’s original architectural details while also updating elements of the building that have badly deteriorated over the years. Under the city-approved plans, the original “Congress Theater” sign would be replaced.

"'This is a treasure,' Baum said while showing residents renderings of the venue’s ornate lobby. "This is a really big privilege for us to be able to work on something like this. What an amazing project and property this is, and I think it’ll be an amazing asset to the community.'" (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 6/29/21)

Preservation Chicago and Logan Square Preservation have long advocated on behalf of the Congress Theater. We played a important role in advocating its Landmark Designation and encouraging its reuse. We hope that this renovation effort is successful.

"TimeLine Theatre Company is moving forward with its relocation from Lakeview to Uptown, where it plans to overhaul a warehouse into a modern theater and arts center, according to renderings released this week.

"TimeLine unveiled its plans for the space Monday, more than two years after it bought the building at 5033 N. Broadway. The designs include a theater, gallery area, bar and cafe, plus offices and classroom space.

"The company bought the Uptown building in late 2018, seeking a bigger space than the 99-seat theater at its longtime home at 615 W. Wellington Ave. Now it needs a zoning change from the city to put its plans into motion.

"TimeLine’s plans call for a major renovation of the 100-year-old Broadway building, plus a 15-foot addition into the neighboring vacant lot.

"The theater company also wants to remove the former warehouse building’s classic façade and replace it with a modern, glassy front that will bring art to the public, TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers said.

"Earlier renderings of the Uptown TimeLine Theatre building included a retaining of the traditional façade.

"Above the bar would be a a 250-seat theater, which would be customizable for stage productions. There will also be art education space. Dressing rooms, production space and offices would be situated at the rear of the building.

"Alderman Osterman will have a second meeting on the project June 28, and members of the public will be able to weigh in on the proposal. He’s not said whether he’ll support the zoning change.

"If TimeLine gets approval from Osterman and eventually City Council, its officials hope to open the doors of the Uptown building in late 2023." (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 6/16/21)

For years, Preservation Chicago has been committed to helping arts and cultural users find new homes in historic buildings. The synergy between creative uses and historic spaces is well documented and these developments often evolve into beloved neighborhood anchors.

We have strongly supported the renovation of historic theater spaces in Uptown such as the Uptown Theatre, The Riviera, and Aragon Ballroom. We strongly supported the Double Door's renovation and reuse of the Wilson Avenue Theater. We have supported the Lifeline Theater coming to Uptown and adding to the vibrancy of this reemerging entertainment and performing arts district

We were elated in summer 2019 with the rendering released by TimeLine showing this building restored on its exterior primary elevation fronting Broadway, with a new vertical blade sign. It was an ideal fit for a theatre reuse concept, where large windows are really not required as part of the program of the theater. It was a creative and authentic revisioning project for one of Chicago's historic storage buildings.

We were very disappointed by the more recent design changes, which include a complete replacement of the principal façade fronting Broadway. The powerful dynamism that comes from the authenticity of historic buildings is lost when the historic façade is demolished and replaced with a generic glass and metal system. So many creative options have been overlooked by abandoning the historic façade.

This decision seems surprising considering how hard the Uptown community has worked to revitalize Broadway. We encourage decision makers at Lifeline Theater, community groups, and 48th Ward Ald. Harry Osterman to find a creative way to embrace and incorporate the historic façade into the development plans.

Additional studies should be performed to explore retaining this historic façade, with its beautifully crafted brickwork and detailing. The modernist screening proposed in the latest variations could be employed on the other elevations of the building to provide a "fresh image" but without compromising the Broadway façade.

"Southport Lanes is ready to auction off all of its belongings, including the sign hanging over the entrance, bowling lanes and the 99-year-old bar surface, after efforts to bring the Lakeview business into a second century fell short.

"The bar, restaurant and bowling alley at 3325 N. Southport Ave. is permanently closed after efforts to revive the business were unsuccessful, said Lacey Irby, a spokeswoman for the group that owns the building at Southport and Henderson Street. The business had reopened in mid-July after coronavirus restrictions lifted before closing again in the fall, and has not reopened since.

"'After giving it a lot of thought, building ownership decided to go the route of auctioning off the assets for the business formerly known as Southport Lanes,' Irby said. 'Ownership, unfortunately, does not see the business recovering any time soon, so the business is now permanently closed.'

"Southport Lanes closed last September after 98 years in business. Its colorful and often unlawful history included times as a tavern, bowling alley, speak-easy, brothel and illegal off-track horse betting venue.

"Glenview-based Winternitz Industrial Auctioneers & Appraisers will sell Southport Lanes’ equipment and furnishings in an online auction from July 13 through July 20. Items for sale include the venue’s famous sign, bowling lanes and equipment, and pool tables and equipment, according to the Winternitz website. Other items available in the auction include kitchen equipment, televisions, furniture and two large murals.

"The property was one of many ornate structures built by breweries in Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So-called “tied houses” sold only beers of a particular brewery, including a few Schlitz buildings such as the one that housed Southport Lanes.

"The Schlitz building on Southport became a bowling alley and took on its current name during Prohibition. That was in the aftermath of the 1918 pandemic that killed more than 50 million people, which is often referred to as the Spanish flu.

"Irby said the building is not on the market for sale, but she declined to comment otherwise on what the property’s owners plan to do with it." (Ori, Chicago Tribune, 7/7/21)

The Southport Lanes is a cherished Chicago Legacy Business and the Southport Lanes Building was originally Schlitz Brewery Tied-House. The Southport Lanes Building was eligible to become a Designated Chicago Landmark as part of the Schlitz Brewery Tied-House Landmark District. At that time, ownership refused to consent to landmark designation. Now that the business is closed and the building a likely candidate for demolition, immediate steps should be taken to add it to the Schlitz Brewery Tied-House Landmark District.

The Southport Lanes building was constructed as a Schlitz Tied House with its prominent 'Schlitz Belted Globe' insignia which was introduced at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 prominently appearing on the building's facade. The Southport Lanes building is included in the CHRS-Chicago Historic Resources and is listed by its address at 3325 N. Southport. It is orange-rated and was designed by Kley & Lang in 1898. The architectural firm of Kley & Lang was known for their designs of brewery related tied houses, small commercial buildings, and there’s another Schlitz Tied House designed by this same firm that’s a Designated Chicago Landmark at 3456 S. Western Avenue.

"Moving day is fast approaching for a historic Lakeview six-flat apartment building that has stood by the 'L' tracks for more than a century of cacophonous coexistence.

"In August, the 127-year-old Vautravers Building, a three-story monument to Chicago’s residential history, will be jacked up from its foundation and slid 30 feet to the west, sparing it from demolition as part of the CTA’s ambitious Brown Line flyover project.

"'It’s not every day you have to move a building,' CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said. 'It’s one of the more interesting quirks of this project.'

"Part of the CTA’s $2.1 billion Red-Purple Line modernization project, the flyover is creating an elevated bypass for the Brown Line to alleviate congestion at the busy Belmont Avenue station. The CTA bought 16 buildings to make way for the three-block, $570 million flyover and track reconstruction.

"The Vautravers Building is the only one left standing, because of its designation as part of a historic district.

"'The CTA demolished quite a few buildings, some of them really quite noteworthy to the Clark Street streetscape,' said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, a nonprofit group focused on protecting historically significant architectural structures. 'Vautravers was the only one that survived this heavy-handed project.'

"The apartment building is part of the Newport Avenue historic district, a block between Halsted and Clark streets designated a Chicago landmark in 2005. The district includes brick-and-stone three-flats that exemplify 'high-quality working class residential architecture' built in Chicago’s neighborhoods during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to the city.

"One of the earliest apartment buildings in the Newport Avenue Chicago Landmark District, the limestone-and-brick Vautravers Building features ornate copper bays and elaborate carved stonework around the entry. The building’s name is carved in stone above the doorway arch.

"The architects of the 1894 building, the Chicago firm of Frommann & Jebsen, also designed more than 25 turn-of-the-century Chicago taverns for the Milwaukee-based Joseph Schlitz Brewery.

"Its current location is 947 and 949 W. Newport Ave. Its future home is above a massive hole dug about 30 feet away in the otherwise empty gravel lot west of the 'L' tracks. The CTA bought the Vautravers building for $1.75 million in 2016. It will cost another $1.75 million to move it and restore it, Chase said.

"'It was a little bit of a concession, that it would be moved at great expense as part of the project,' Miller said. 'We thought that was fair and it kept its orientation to the site and to the Landmark District and allowed for preservation of a really nice first-class neighborhood building rather than its demolition and destruction.'(Channick, Chicago Tribune, 6/9/21)

"For over 20 years, the South Side community has worked to save Promontory Point’s limestone revetment from being demolished and replaced with concrete.

"In 2002, the Chicago Park District (CPD) and the City (CDOT) put forward a 'concrete/compromise' design that would have demolished the limestone revetment, replaced it with concrete, leaving only an ornamental row of stones at the top and severely restricted access to the water. The community rejected this plan.

"In 2004, as Save the Point, the community funded its own engineering design study that demonstrated the historic limestone revetment could be restored. In fact, it was (a) cheaper than demolition and concrete, (b) studier and more durable than the concrete on the rest of the City lakefront, and (c) much more accessible and inclusive

"The US Army Corps of Engineers Preservation Center weighed in, agreeing with the community-funded engineering report that the limestone could be restored and at less or the same cost as demolition and concrete.

"In 2006, then-Senator Obama stepped in and started a new design process that would ensure restoration of the Point with (a) maximum historic limestone, (b) minimum concrete, and (c) safe and generous access, including ADA compliance, for all to both the revetment and the water

"This process was stalled out by the City even though Promontory Point Conservancy continued to meet and talk regularly with governmental agencies and elected officials.

"In 2017, Promontory Point was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its distinctive and unique limestone revetment and people’s decades of enjoyment there. This sets Federal guidelines that protect the limestone revetment from demolition.

"CPD and CDOT are using the rising lake levels and storm erosion in 2017-2019 to create a false emergency at Promontory Point. The erosion at the Point does not affect Lake Shore Drive or endanger private property or human life.

"One year ago, the CDP and CDOT began preliminary engineering studies, planning and funding requests to replace the limestone revetment with concrete — without consulting the community, other governmental agencies or elected officials, and in violation of the original Federal 1993 operating agreement and the National Register standards.

"Right now, we know:

• the historic limestone revetment can be restored

• community participation leads to good results for all

• the 2006 Obama process needs jumpstarting and will get us where we want to go

"CDP & CDOT: Don’t restart the clock! Let’s pick up right where we left off!

"Promontory Point Conservancy completely supports the Morgan Shoal Framework Plan and is excited that CPD is moving ahead constructing this design. It was an excellent, award-winning community-based design process, and that’s exactly what we want for Promontory Point and its historic limestone revetment too!"

"Protect Our Parks — now suing the city, federal agencies, the Chicago Park District and the Obama Foundation to block construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park in favor of a site of their choosing in Washington Park — is asking the federal district court to block planned roadwork on Hayes Drive and excavation on the planned OPC campus site.

"The move comes after the city, Park District and Obama Foundation filed a motion to dismiss the state law claims in the Protect Our Parks case, invoking the multitude of other buildings devoted to public use in Jackson Park, state and city approval of the plans and an OK by federal district and appeals courts, which ruled against POP when last it sued to block construction of the OPC in Woodlawn.

"The defendants acknowledged that POP's new lawsuit is different than its first: at the heart of it is the claim that the federal agencies that authorized construction of the OPC in Jackson Park did not do their due diligence when faced with the option of building the presidential center in Washington Park, which had been another site under consideration.

"Richard Epstein, POP's other attorney, gave the gist of the second case's argument: 'The city has not addressed candidly the requirement that all three of these statutes face, namely that what you must do is to show that there is no feasible and pruning alternatives, outside of the particular area, which will allow you to avoid the particular harm in question.'

"He said POP has determined a 10-acre site west of Washington Park would be 'superior in every relevant respect' to the 19-acre Jackson Park site the Obama Foundation chose.

"He compared the choice of the site to Union Station, where major tunnels beneath rivers cannot be moved, but said in this case there is not a single shred of evidence that anything has to be done in Jackson Park.

'They can easily move it, they have refused to talk about it,' Epstein said. (Gettinger, Hyde Park Herald, 6/16/21)

"If you ask developer Zack Cupkovic about Goose Island, he’ll tell you it’s been overlooked for too long.

"'Goose Island is the ugly, red-headed stepchild of Chicago. … Nobody gets off at Division,' said Cupkovic, who oversees investments and special projects for developer R2. 'It never gets the attention it deserves. We’re finally getting some love,' Cupkovic said.

"One of the Chicago-based firm’s highest-profile projects is turning the old Morton Salt factory into a concert venue along with Blue Star Properties, the development arm of 16 on Center. The group owns Empty Bottle, Thalia Hall, Beauty Bar and other Chicago venues.

"R2 has spent years reimagining Goose Island and the abandoned factories there. R2’s headquarters, 1315 N. North Branch St., turned the abandoned 1920s Raymond Brothers pulverizing factory into a series of subdivided office spaces with airy plants, mid-century furniture, glass-paneled offices and open-floor conference tables. The building has the trappings of millennial work-life culture, with an indoor gym and locker room.

"In the past few years, R2 has attracted several tenants to 1315 N. North Branch St.: CB2, the young-adult-focused home furnishings arm of Crate & Barrel; Elite Staffing Inc., a family-owned staffing agency that relocated from River North; and Transportation One Logistics.

"The $30 million Morton Salt project is expected to create 200 construction jobs and about 50 permanent jobs. It will generate $4.5 million in annual tax revenues, according to plans submitted to the city.

"The developers also worked to protect a piece of Chicago history: they sought landmark status for the old salt factory as they planned to keep the factory’s iconic sign, which shows a girl in a yellow dress holding an umbrella.

"During a recent public meeting, Mary Lu Seidel, of Preservation Chicago, praised the developers’ commitment to reusing a historical structure as opposed to tearing it down.

"'It is really encouraging to have a developer like this come in and create a phenomenal asset. … We encourage future developers to model this behavior,' she said." (Alani, Block Club Chicago, 6/25/21)

Purchase Gabriel X. Michael photo art prints at https://society6.com/gxmphoto

Purchase Gabriel X. Michael photo art prints at https://society6.com/gxmphoto

Purchase Gabriel X. Michael photo art prints at https://society6.com/gxmphoto

Purchase Gabriel X. Michael photo art prints at https://society6.com/gxmphoto

"Garfield Park is set to receive an infusion of Tax Increment Financing dollars for various projects that will help restore some of the park’s historic features, while reimagining others.

"During Friday’s meeting of the Chicago City Council, alderpeople approved a transfer of $8.9 million in TIF funds to the Chicago Park District for improvements at the nearly 200-acre Garfield Park, 300 N. Central Park Ave.

"'That’s a park that needs a lot of help ... to bring it back to its true glory,' Ald. Jason Ervin (28th Ward) said in support of the proposal during a prior meeting of council’s finance committee.

"Among the big-ticket items: $5 million will go toward converting a former powerhouse and stables into an industrial arts center, with a gallery, studios, production facilities and training programs. The center is being developed in partnership with artist Theaster Gates.

"Another $1.5 million will be used to shore up the park’s Gold Dome cultural center and field house, including the replacement of drainage systems and upgrades to the building’s performance space.

"A water court and garden, originally designed by Jens Jensen as a shallow pool for aquatic plants, will be reimagined possibly to include gardening options, Park District officials said. The water court has already been restored once, and subsequently vandalized, leading the Park District to conclude that repurposing the space is the best route going forward. Funding of $800,000 has been allocated for this project.

"Rounding out the projects: A redesign of the Garfield Park Conservatory’s indoor children’s garden, which will provide year-round accessible exploration of nature, the Park District said. The entire price tag for the garden is $5.6 million, with $1 million in TIF funds and the remainder covered by grants and private donations. (Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 6/25/21)

Garfield Park Fieldhouse, the “Gold Dome Building”, John Morris, Chicago Patterns, 7/15/13 (history and photos)

"A historic Chicago skyscrape has unveiled a downtown rooftop bar. High above the the 37-story Carbide & Carbon Building, Chicagoans will find Chateau Carbide and Chicago’s newest rooftop bar has swank cocktails, a picnic package for two, plus sushi and small bites.

"The building was built in 1929, and the space in question was once reserved only for members and special gatherings. There’s room for about 150 total in this former private event space on the building’s 24th floor. With sibling French restaurant Venteux on the ground floor, there’s synergy with a French Riviera theme on the rooftop. The trendy libation on the rooftop is rosé which is available via glass, bottle, magnum, or a three-litter jeroboam. There’s caviar and lounge seating where customers can kick up their feet. There’s also house-brewed spiked kombucha for folks who want probiotics with their alcohol.

"The rooftop bar transitions from chill daytime spot at 5 p.m. to more of a club vibe with DJs playing music including French house music.

"The Pendry Hotel has also revamped its lobby bar. Find classic cocktails, burgers, and more at Bar Pendry. With downtown businesses recalled workers to the Loop, management is billing their new bar as a happy hour destination. (Selvam, Eater Chicago, 6/25/21)

The Carbide and Carbon Company/ Union Carbide Building located at 230 N. Michigan Avenue was renovated and rebranded as the Pendry Hotel. Formerly the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago and more recently as the St. Jane Hotel, the 40-story Jazz-Age Art Deco skyscraper became a Designated Chicago Landmark in 1994.

The Carbide and Carbon Company Building was designed the Burnham Brothers and completed in 1929. 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.

Corpus Christi Church, 1915, Joseph W. McCarthy, 4900 S. Martin Luther King Drive. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

"Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church was built for the ages. Built in 1916 on the southwest corner of 49th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the Italian Renaissance revival-styled limestone church is a study in permanence — a rock that has weathered the Great Depression and decades of economic and social changes in Bronzeville.

"Designed by architect Joseph W. McCarthy, Corpus Christi had 3,000 worshipers, a school and a convent during its heyday from the 1930s to the 1950s. But after services Sunday, Corpus Christi will lock its bronze doors and close the grounds’ ornate wrought-iron gates for the last time.

"That’s because the Chicago Roman Catholic Archdiocese is consolidating five predominantly Black churches on the South Side — Corpus Christi, St. Ambrose, St. Anselm, St. Elizabeth and Holy Angels — into a new single parish called Our Lady of Africa.

"Once the doors of Corpus Christi are shut, the city will lose an interior of uncommon beauty. The church features an eye-popping vault-like ceiling with nearly 600 detailed octagonal coffers.

"The treasure of stained-glass windows by the noted craftsman F.X. Zettler, depicting scenes such as the Eucharist, are bright and almost three-dimensional in depth and detail.

"A lovely and contemplative enclosed courtyard — it looks like a small slice of Italy brought to the South Side — will be closed off.

“It’s really costly to maintain this,” he said. “And with our congregation down to 100 to 150 members, we really couldn’t keep it up.”

There are no immediate plans for Corpus Christi, St. Ambrose and St. Anselm. Their statuary, murals and other religious finery will be stored until they find their way to other churches in the archdiocese. (Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/26/21)

"Several years ago, the convent building neighboring St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Bucktown was home to nuns. Soon it may become apartments.

"In a key step toward final approval, the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards voted Tuesday to approve a zoning amendment for the church property bounded by Hoyne Avenue, Hamilton Avenue, Webster Avenue and Lyndale Street. City Council is expected to cast a final vote on the project Friday.

"The zoning change would allow developer Anthony Chedid to build 21 units inside the old convent, including two affordable housing units, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said. The units will range from studios to three-bedrooms.

"Waguespack, who lives in the neighborhood and once served on the St. Hedwig board as a financial adviser, supports the project. The convent building was constructed around 1910 but hadn’t been fully used in the past half-century, he said.

"'Whenever you can find an adaptive reuse, it saves the environment,' he said. 'The building’s not going anywhere. You don’t wanna see it torn down. It’s perfectly solid. The neighbors are gonna essentially be looking at the same thing.'

"In a recent consent decree, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced St. Hedwig Parish, established in 1888 to serve a largely Polish community, would merge with Logan Square’s St. John Berchmans.

"The consolidation is part of the Renew Our Church initiative from the Archdiocese of Chicago to preserve struggling parishes. Waguespack said he didn’t believe the timing of the apartment project’s approval was related to the merger." Alani, Block Club Chicago, 6/25/21

"The building’s official address on Fullerton Parkway is a parking lot, so odds are you’ve never really noticed the beautiful structure on Cleveland Avenue, set half a block back. But take a closer look: Some of the loveliest brickwork you’ll ever see in Chicago forms the 1967 Cenacle Sisters Retreat and Conference Center, at 513 W. Fullerton Parkway, designed by local architect Charles Pope.

"'It’s a keeper,' I would say. Except that it’s not. See it while you can, because it’s likely about to be smashed to rubble, with the express permission of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

"The Catholic order that owns the complex has applied for a permit to demolish and redevelop the campus. The matter landed before landmarks commissioners last week because the retreat sits in the city’s Mid-North Landmark District.

"But commission members voted to allow demolition. Not that they were especially happy about it. Several commissioners expressed discomfort at losing this neighborhood gem. One uttered the forlorn, not-entirely-convincing hope that maybe some of the stunning brickwork could be saved. But the commission was boxed in — three times.

"First, by a 1987 ordinance that prevents the city from landmarking places of worship without the owner’s consent. To this day, religious landlords are the only category of property owners with veto power over landmarking.

"The second box is that the Cenacle Retreat is inside the Mid-North Landmark District, created in 1974 — seven years after Cenacle was built — to protect the many fine 19th century buildings within its borders. But the Cenacle Retreat, listed by the district’s rules as a 'non-contributing' building, is deemed to be completely disposable.

"So — why not just landmark it on its own?

"Third box: There’s a thing called the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, identifying over 17,000 properties of “historic or architectural importance.”

"Many of those listed are already landmarks. The others might be. Each building is color-coded. Red for most important, orange for potentially important, and so on. If a developer decides they want to knock down an orange-rated building, for example, a 90-day demolition delay kicks in to allow time to consider its merits as a potential new official landmark.

"That’s how a striking Queen Anne Victorian building at 1393 W. Lake St., once home to the Italian restaurant La Luce, is in the process of being saved today.

"But the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, completed in 1995, ends in 1939. Any building constructed in 1940 or later is excluded — 43% of Chicago’s entire history.

"So the Cenacle Center has no evaluation, no rating — red, orange, purple or otherwise — to trigger a considered public dialog on its merits. Very sorry — goodbye!

"At the same Landmarks Commission meeting in which the Cenacle Retreat was sacrificed, Ald. Michelle Smith (43rd) talked about how her office and the community were already working together to revise a Landmark District ordinance in her ward to protect architectural landmarks of the modern era. That’s a good precedent for future action.

"It can be said that a church is a community, not a building, but it also cannot be denied that the souls of Chicago’s early immigrants reside in the often spectacularly beautiful expressions of faith they built. Like our secular historic structures, whether 19th century or 20th, they cannot be cast aside without injury to our collective memory and spirit. A landmark is more than a legalism. It is an enduring marker, a reference point, a reminder of where we came from, and who we are.

"The 20th century, and its architectural record, is now two decades in the past. It’s time, before more is lost, to weave it into the continuous fabric of Chicago history.

"Revisit the religious organization exemption. Update the Historic Resources Survey." (Becker, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/7/21)

"A plan to change the zoning of a former horse stable and its neighboring buildings in the Old Town Triangle to limit what developers can build there was approved by a key city panel on Tuesday.

"The rezoning ordinance approved by the city’s Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards applies to four buildings from 1810–1820 N. Wells St. It would change what could be built there from a neighborhood shopping district to a mix of stores and apartments.

"'This is a rezoning that is the outcome of a series of negotiations with Landmarks, the Department of Planning and a developer who had a pretty rocky experience — as our community did — in a project in Old Town,' said Ald. Michele Smith (43rd), whose ward includes the properties.

"Developer Howard Weiner revealed his plans last fall to convert the properties into a multi-building, retail and residential development that includes the former garage at 1810-12 N. Wells St. The project also includes a three-story building at 1816-18 N. Wells; a two-story building at 1820 N. Wells; and a two-story coach house on the rear of 1816-18 N. Wells.

"Neighbors strongly opposed the project last fall because it would take landmark status away from the former horse stable, which was designated as 'contributing' to the neighborhood’s Historic Landmark District status in 1984. That means it has maintained features from the post-Great Chicago Fire period and is protected from demolition or additions like the one in Weiner’s proposal.

"Despite the opposition, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks’ Permit Review Committee voted unanimously last fall that the former stable’s historic designation was incorrect because the building had been severely altered since the landmark’s intended era. The building once had a second floor that was demolished in 1940, and the front facade was later replaced with new bricks.

"Neighbors were outraged by the 'unprecedented' decision and argued the building’s historical de-designation posed a serious threat to Old Town’s historic integrity.

"A handful of neighbors, including Susan Boggie and Diane Gonzales, who both spoke at the committee’s meeting, still opposed the project and Smith’s proposal.

"In a letter to Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), who chairs the Zoning Committee, Boggie and several other neighbors asked for a delay on the vote. They also asked that the garage at 1810 N. Wells St. be reinstated to the Old Town Triangle Landmark District’s contributing list and that the Inspector General’s Office investigate the garage’s decommissioning in the first place.

"Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) was the only alderman on the committee to vote against the ordinance, which moves next to City Council for final approval." (Wittich, Block Club Chicago, 6/22/21)

"A vintage single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel dating back to 1914 has reopened as the Wilson Club Apartments. Developer City Pads completed a full gut rehab of the historic Lawrence Gustav Hallberg-designed structure at 1124 W. Wilson Avenue and converted it into 76 micro rentals ranging from 250 to 400 square feet in size.

"The developer acquired the 100-plus-year-old Uptown property in 2017 and worked diligently to find alternative housing for existing residents before commencing construction in late 2019. The project brought the neglected four-story building back up to code. Crews cleaned and restored the brick and terracotta exterior, installed new mechanical systems, and removed the aging fire escape.

"Unlike its SRO predecessor, the Wilson Club now offers well-appointed rental units with their own kitchens and bathrooms. According to the building's website, monthly rents for available studio and one-bedroom apartments start at $986 and top-out $1,329. Twenty-four of the residences are set aside for low-income tenants, which represented more than 30 percent of the overall units.

"More West Loop residential development could be on the horizon. DAC Developments submitted a zoning application to build a 19-story, 207-foot residential tower with 288 apartments at 1217 W. Washington Boulevard.

The proposed building replaces a vacant lot currently owned by Peppercorn Capital, which also owns the historic three-story Schukraft Building to the east and an older four-story building to the west. The development site was previously home to a handsome three-story warehouse that was built by legendary Chicago architecture firm D. H. Burnham & Company in 1910 ... and demolished in 2018." (Koziarz, 6/21/21)

Despite a vigorous 11th hour preservation effort in 2018, the orange-rated historic Chicago Machinery Exchange building at 1217-1227 W. Washington Boulevard designed by D. H. Burnham & Company was demolished after the expiration of a 90-Day Demolition Delay hold. Built in 1910, this three-story commercial and industrial building had an outstanding façade with highly decorative ornamentation and an elaborately detailed cornice. The white glazed brick contrasted beautifully with the maroon-colored ornament and arched window openings.

Industrial and commercial buildings of this caliber should be protected by the City of Chicago. This building contributed considerably to the character to the West Loop and at a minimum the highly-intact orange-rated façade should have been preserved and incorporated into the larger redevelopment plan. The City of Chicago must take active step to prevent this "scorched earth" approach to development where the historic building is demolished months, or even years prior to a new development being proposed.

The character of the historic West Loop is under intense pressure from new construction with new buildings under construction ranging from 10 to 20 or even 40 stories, historic two and three story industrial and commercial buildings on big lots are prime targets for demolition and redevelopment. Downzoning would help to immediately reduce development pressure on historic properties.

There is an urgent need for a Greektown/West Loop/Haymarket Square Chicago Landmark District that would recognize, celebrate and protect this wonderful and highly endangered historic neighborhood. This is an amazing assortment of fine quality buildings with strong links to early Chicago industrialists such as John Glessner and manufacturing, to labor history including the Haymarket riots, and ethnic histories ties to Greek-American settlements. Preservation Chicago made this suggestion to Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development Historic Preservation Division. Much like the highly successful Fulton Randolph Chicago Landmark District, a new Landmark District would be a powerful economic stimulus, increase tourism, and protect the character of this neighborhood by protecting its built environment.

"A 'very smoky' deck fire atop a historic Near North apartment building drew lots of attention Wednesday morning but caused no injuries and 'no real structural damage,' according to the Chicago Fire Department.

"The rooftop deck of the Bush Temple flats at 108 W. Chicago Ave. caught fire, causing billows of smoke to rise in the skyline, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

"No one was injured, Langford said. The fire did not reach inside or compromise the five-story building, he said. The cause of the deck fire is under investigation, he said.

"Will Murphy, CEO of CEDARst Companies, which owns the Bush Temple building, said in a statement the company “would like to thank the Chicago Fire Department for their incredible efforts and immediate response.” Residents returned to their apartments a few hours after the fire, Murphy said.(Proctor, Chicago Tribune, 6/16/21)

"Built in 1901, the former Bush Temple of Music piano showroom reopened in late 2017 as boutique rental apartments. The ornate building in the French Renaissance Revival style is hard to miss on the corner of Chicago Avenue and Clark Street, and is a designated Chicago Landmark. Cedar Street bought the vacant structure in 2014 and, along with restoration architects Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture (HPA), embarked on an extensive renovation and conversion to 101 studio- and one-bedroom residential units for FLATS®. These living spaces skew small, in accordance with the growing appetite for micro-dwellings in buildings that instead emphasize shared amenities. On offer at Bush Temple is a lobby appointed as a community lounge with cushy furniture and vintage pianos and a 5,000-square-foot basement gymnasium complete with a boxing ring. Street-level retailers include the popular Foxtrot Market." (Open House Chicago, Bush Temple of Music)

"The Uptown home of the woman who co-founded the Fannie May candy stores sold for slightly over $1 million, with the buyers planning to extensively rehab the rundown home that was in danger of demolition.

"The former home of Mildred King Archibald Hyde, who in 1920 launched a candy business that her husband took over, sold June 11 at $15,000 over the asking price.

"The buyers' agent said her clients made the higher offer to fend off developers who were vying to get the property. 'We didn’t want to see somebody put in new crap and flip it,' said Kate Prange, the Compass agent who represented the buyers.

"'This house could have been easily threatened with demolition, if not for a special buyer that’s committed to the preservation of the home for their family,' said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.

"The rehab is in part a re-assembly job, as the previous owner, who had begun renovations, saved loads of wood trim and other materials before gutting it. The purchase included 'three storage units filled with wood trim, crown molding and other things, all cataloged, and a Dumpster of bricks,' Prange said.

"The previous owner’s identity cannot be determined from public records, as the property was passed around through land trusts and limited-liability companies from 1992 forward, but both Prange and Miller said the homeowner was a man who undertook an ambitious, yearslong renovation before he died.

"Built in 1898, the 6,300-square-foot house belonged to Mildred King Archibald Hyde when she died in 1937 at age 57. It’s not clear how long she lived there prior to her death.

"In 1920, Mildred and her first husband, H. Teller Archibald, opened the first Fannie May candy store on LaSalle Street. The chain quickly became a hit and by 1930 had 30 stores in Chicago and annual revenue of $300,000.

"According to a 2013 biographical article on Mildred, she told the Chicago Tribune in 1928 that in the early years of the store, her husband kept working in real estate while she 'was willing to work night and day' in the candy shop.

Mildred later told the New York Times that she 'financed the candy enterprise at its inception.' A 1921 article in Manufacturers’ News ascribed the entire business to her, with no mention of Mr. Archibald. 'Mrs. Archibald is not only the candy maker, but the executive, the proprietor and manager of all the Fannie May candy shops,' the article said. She 'manages every detail of a rapidly increasing business.' (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/17/21)

"The buyers of a historical Lake Shore Drive mansion owned since the early 1950s by the International College of Surgeons will convert it back into a single-family home. J. Michael and Julie Whitted paid $4.25 million for the mansion at 1516 Lake Shore Drive today. That’s one-quarter of the $17 million the surgeons group was asking when it put the mansion on the market in September 2015.

"'Our plans are to restore this historic home, protecting the craftsmanship and priceless historic details,' J. Michael Whitted said in a text message, 'while updating it with modern conveniences so a family of today can enjoy it.'

"Built in 1914 on what’s now inner Lake Shore Drive, the part that will not be renamed for Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable, the mansion 'provides breathtaking, uninterrupted views of Lake Michigan,' Whitted said via text.

"Whitted said via text that he and his wife 'are excited to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore the Blair mansion to a single-family home.'

"Returning the mansion to residential use will bring to five the number of the seven remaining historical Lake Shore Drive mansions used as homes. The four in the 1200 block of the Drive are residential, and for the past several decades all three in the 1500 block have had institutional uses. The surgeons group also owns 1524, and 1530 has housed the Polish consulate since 1974. Together, the seven mansions make up a city landmark district declared in 1989.

"The mansion was designed by New York architecture firm McKim Mead & White and built for Edward Tyler Blair and Ruby McCormick Blair. He was the son of an early Chicago hardware merchant, and she was a niece of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the mechanical reaper. Their son William founded what's now Chicago-based financial services firm William Blair.

"McKim Mead & White designed only a few buildings in Chicago. They include two for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition that were later demolished and two mansions within a few blocks of 1516: the Patterson-McCormick mansion on Astor Street, which is now condos, and the Bryan and Helen Lathrop mansion, now the home of the Fortnightly Club, a women's group.

"In the early 1950s, Chicago surgeon Max Thorek, a founder of the Geneva-based International College of Surgeons, bought the mansions at 1516 and 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive and gave them to the society for its headquarters and museum. The larger mansion at 1524, where the museum is, remains in the hands of the surgeons group, although it was briefly offered for sale as a $22 million package deal with 1516 a few years ago. In their statement, Downham and Rebel said the interconnected surgeons groups will retain 1524 as their headquarters." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 7/2/21)

"Vince Baggetto has been designing kitchens for more than 30 years professionally and occasionally rehabbing houses for fun. When he spotted a 19th-century house in Kenwood that was sorely in need of revitalization, he knew it would start with the kitchen.

"The house, on a pretty block of Kimbark Avenue, 'would need a gourmet kitchen,” Baggetto said, to complete the overdue 21st-century transition he had in mind.

"When Baggetto bought the house in May 2019, 'it was collapsing in on itself. Rotting timbers, and everything we touched disintegrated.' Its location in a landmark district where demolition is not allowed 'was the only thing that kept it standing,' he said.

"The house had windows on the exterior that had been covered over inside, updates that had lowered some ceilings, and four tons of unused brick chimney barely supported from below. 'The turret was leaning,' Baggetto said.

"Two years later, the six-bedroom, 5,270-square-foot house is almost entirely new, yet faithful to its 1890s origins and its neighbors, which are all of similar vintage. Baggetto is putting it on the market June 16. The asking price is $3.8 million.

"There was enough room behind the house for a kitchen addition, but that alone would max out the allowable square footage on the site. Baggetto turned this into an advantage by building two stories of porches above the new kitchen—because porches don’t count as interior square footage.

"The new three-story section is at the left in the image above. For the broad second-story porch, Baggetto duplicated the original columns on the front porch. From that and the third-story porch, he said, 'your view is all the old houses around you. Slate roofs and brick chimneys.'" Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/16/21"

"A Chicago homeowner is in a battle against time to save what historians believe is the oldest home in the Austin neighborhood from demolition by the city.

"Chicago preservationists believe the coach house on the West Side dates back to the 1860s or 70s, which means it was built at a time when Austin was not even yet part of Chicago.

"The coach house is located in the 700 block of North Lotus Avenue.

"The city is concerned the structure is unstable and unsafe, and that is why they are in the process of getting a demolition permit.

"Meanwhile, the homeowner – Linda Culver – called in experts to assess what she knew was a special find – and she was right.

"'This style of architecture was even popular during the Civil War during Abraham Lincoln's presidency,' said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago. 'We know that it's in disrepair. But buildings that are in disrepair can be repaired with the right steward.'

"When I pulled the creaky front door shut, the bungalow’s weathered door knob popped off in my hand. I ran my fingers over its grooves. It felt heavy in my palm as I weighed the fate of this historic home in Avondale.

"The old house needed significant work, but it was within my budget. The one-story brick bungalow was structurally sound with many original features intact. With time and care, I could bring it back to life. I envisioned sipping my morning coffee as light danced through the leaded stained glass windows.

"That is, if someone didn’t outbid me who would tear it down. Someone who saw more value in the land than in preserving the home’s built-ins, beautiful millwork and hardwood floors.

"Chicago is losing its historic homes at an alarming rate. People like me are losing the chance to preserve them. Only landmark buildings and Chicago Landmark Districts are protected from demolition. The city places few restrictions on developers with bulldozers and deep pockets. Those of us who want to invest our time and money into saving old homes can’t compete.

"Developers say replacing single-family homes with condos creates more housing. Housing for whom? Students, early-career professionals and working class families can’t afford luxury condos. Those developers are after profit, not serving the people in the community. New construction means premium real estate prices. It ultimately leads to higher property taxes that can become untenable for long-time residents. As the character of the neighborhood changes, more people get pushed out.

"Chicago’s classic brick bungalows and gabled workers cottages were once staples of working-class housing. These small-footprint older homes are often the first to get razed as gentrification creeps in. Take Logan Square as an example. Of the 418 properties torn down from 2006 through 2020, 45% were workers cottages, according to city data compiled by Matt Bergstrom and Liz Potamites from Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative.

"Historic homes one neighborhood over in Avondale are up next. When I saw a developer’s plan to replace an Avondale bungalow with a six-unit condo building, my stomach sank. Was it the house whose door knob had weighed heavy in my hand? I had bid $5,000 over the asking price. The winning offer bid $25,000 over.

"It turned out to be a different bungalow one block away. The sketches for the proposed building look drab and lifeless. Each condo would sell for $350,000 to $500,000 depending on completion and market value. The developer bought the bungalow for $465,000.

"Mary Lu Seidel, director of community engagement for Preservation Chicago, has a few ideas for low-cost interventions that could help save these old homes:

"Protect all buildings over 50 years old, full stop. Require that developers prove the structure is a public safety threat to demolish it. If demolition is the only path forward, charge a hefty teardown fee. Put it into a fund for preserving other historic buildings in that community. Lastly, require that developers secure financing and get plan approval before they can bulldoze. Early development plans often fall apart, leaving another vacant lot where a historic building once stood.

"I’m not giving up. I still think there’s an old bungalow out there for me. While I keep scouring the market, it’s time I join the community groups already working to preserve Chicago’s architecture and neighborhoods. My voice alone can’t save these homes. As a community of many voices, we can." (Mikel, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/10/21)

"As Chicago looks to combat a shortage of affordable housing, its communities face a key challenge: the loss of the city’s iconic two-, three- and four-flats.

"In high-cost communities, the buildings often were replaced with single-family homes. In lower-cost neighborhoods they were often demolished, leaving behind empty lots.

"The changes to Chicago’s housing stock, detailed in a new study from the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, show the ripple effects of increased demand for expensive single-family homes in high-cost neighborhoods at the expense of affordable housing large enough for families. In neighborhoods where buildings were razed but not replaced, the findings highlight the need for investment in existing properties and in the broader community, the study concluded.

"Two-, three- and four-flats historically have been an accessible, income-producing homeownership opportunity and a key source of lower-cost, family sized housing for renters. Once lost, they are hard to replace with similarly large, affordable units, the study found.

"'Why is there an affordability crisis in Chicago? It’s not that there is a lot more low-income people coming to the city or living in the city,' said Geoff Smith, executive director of the institute. 'It’s actually that there’s a loss of supply of those low-income units. And this component of the stock, the two- to four-unit buildings, is really important to that affordable supply.'

"The study comes as Chicago grapples with a shortage of nearly 120,000 affordable homes, according to a September report from a city task force. Aldermen have approved several measures aimed at protecting affordable housing in rapidly gentrifying areas near The 606 and Pilsen. They also approved a new affordable requirements ordinance that tightened rules requiring affordable units when developers put up large buildings.

"DePaul’s study found that between 2013 and 2019 Chicago lost 11,775 units in two-, three- and four-flats, or 4.2% of all units. Nearly three-quarters of them were replaced with single-family homes or are no longer used for housing, with some becoming vacant lots, the study found.

"In higher-cost neighborhoods, the loss of two- to four-flats to single-family homes can make those areas more exclusive, as homes for low- and moderate-income families are replaced with homes for higher-income or smaller households, Smith said.

"Lower-cost neighborhoods, where demolished buildings leave behind vacant land, are seeing the effects of 'historic disinvestment, long-term population loss and the continued legacy of the foreclosure crisis,' according to the study. (Freishtat, Chicago Tribune, 5/13/21)

"A Chicago planning department veteran who helped shepherd city approvals for the renovation of Wrigley Field, creation of the Fulton Market Innovation District and plans for megaprojects Lincoln Yards and The 78 has been tapped to run a Cook County agency designed to give new life to tax-delinquent houses.

"Eleanor Gorski, who spent more than two decades in the city's planning and development department before leaving last fall for a role at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will start in August as the new executive director of the Cook County Land Bank Authority, the group announced. Gorski will replace Rob Rose, who announced in March he would step down from the post that month after a six-year run.

"Gorski takes the reins at an agency the Cook County Board launched in 2013 to help address the area's massive inventory of foreclosed homes. The authority acquires distressed residential properties and clears away tax liens and other debt before selling them to developers. The homes are then rehabbed and ideally sold, restoring their property tax value to the county.

"The agency has beefed up its portfolio to nearly 1,200 properties from 30 when Rose took over and has returned more than $14 million to Cook County tax rolls, according to a CCLBA statement. Gorski said the opportunity to use the Land Bank's "incredibly efficient arsenal of tools" to effect change in blighted neighborhoods helped draw her to the job.

"'I knew what a great tool it was for us as a city, and I also knew how much more it could scale up . . . not just with housing but with commercial work and open space,' Gorski said.

"In addition to working as a connecting piece between City Hall and developers on high-profile projects, Gorski played a key role in the creation of the city's Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus program in 2016, which allows developers in certain parts of downtown to build larger projects than zoning limits allow if they pay into a fund used to award grants to small businesses on the city's South and West sides.

"Gorski said she plans to build off of that experience connecting private sector partners with public goals, 'bringing my knowledge of development of other parts of the city to come to bear in these neighborhoods that may not have seen that type of activity.' (Ecker, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/22/21)

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the unexpected passing of Richard H. Driehaus of natural causes on March 9, 2021 at the age of 78. His brilliance for business was surpassed only by his passion for philanthropy.

He founded Driehaus Capital Management which became one of Chicago's largest and most successful investment firms. In 1983, he created the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and used his fortune to powerfully support historic preservation, the arts and community organizations throughout Chicago and the nation.

"Reflecting on nearly two decades in philanthropy, Richard wrote, 'I have devoted my professional life to the field of financial management and have been blessed with remarkable success. I recognize, however, that the measure of one's personal holdings is of less importance than the impact of our collective aspirations made real. I have further come to understand that maximizing the impact of donated dollars can be considerably more challenging than earning those dollars in the first place.

"Philanthropy enriched Richard's life immeasurably, and he would often paraphrase Winston Churchill's quote: 'We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.'

"'Richard was a dear friend, my professional mentor, and a lifelong philanthropist,' said Anne Lazar, executive director of the Driehaus Foundation in their news release. 'He spent decades making an impact in Chicago and his legacy will live on through his foundation. He was a true gentleman of grace and humility, and it is the foundation's honor and privilege to continue Richard's legacy of support.'" (Driehaus Foundation statement)

"'Richard led a life of zest and intellectual curiosity. His path and personal story were larger than life, and the impact he made as an investor is perhaps only rivaled by the extensive legacy he left as a philanthropist,' said Steve Weber, president and CEO of Driehaus Capital Management, in their news release. 'Our thoughts are with his daughters Tereza, Caroline and Kate, his sisters Dorothy and Elizabeth, and his extended family. Richard will be dearly missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.'" (Driehaus Capital Management statement)

"'Richard’s an amazing person,' said David Bahlman, the former president of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. 'The causes he supports and the projects he has funded over the years have had a great impact on the appreciation of art and architecture in Chicago.' (Sharoff, Chicago Magazine, 9/27/2007)

"In 2015, he received the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize his tireless support of historic preservation and sponsorship of architecture award programs and design competitions. Zurich Esposito, former AIA Chicago executive vice president, said, 'Richard's engagement with preservation, his recognition of working architects, and his philanthropic reach have had an immeasurable impact on the practice. His commitment to classical architectural and planning ideas, forms and principles—coupled with his willingness to support and embolden those actively working in the profession—has left a lasting legacy on the contemporary landscape.' (Massie, Architect Magazine, 8/6/2015)

His deep commitment to Chicago's architectural heritage lead him to purchase and beautifully restore the 1883 Samuel Mayo Nickerson Mansion which serves the Richard H. Driehaus Museum of Decorative Arts and the 1886 Richardsonian Romanesque Ransom Cable Mansion which serves as headquarters for Driehaus Capital Management.

"'It’s my gift to the city. The museum is about protecting the past. The idea is to display the period, the materials and objects, and to organize that as a whole experience. It’s not about any one object. It’s about the environment, the space,' said Richard Driehaus in a 2007 Chicago Magazine profile regarding the Driehaus Museum of Decorative Arts and the restoration of the Nickerson mansion. (Sharoff, Chicago Magazine, 9/27/2007)

Richard Driehaus and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation was a longtime friend and supporter of Preservation Chicago. We are deeply grateful for his long support for our organization, our mission, and for the preservation movement in Chicago. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live on through all of his incredible achievements during his lifetime and through so many preservation wins yet to come.

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

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

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

Address: 940 W. Cuyler Avenue, Buena Park

#100926339

Date Received: 06/10/2021

Ward: 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman

Applicant: Taylor Excavating & Construction, Inc.

Owner: 940 West Cuyler, LLC C/O Josephine Cronnolly

Permit Description: Demolition of a 4-story, multi-family, mixed-use masonry building.

Address: Riis Park Fieldhouse, 6100 W. Fullerton Avenue, Belmont Cragin

#100913335 and #100925159

Date Received: 06/17/2021

Ward: 30th Ward Ald. Ariel Reboyras

Applicant: Public Building Commission of Chicago C/O Paulo Hernandez

Owner: Chicago Park District

Permit Description: Demolition of the one-story masonry gymnasium (rear) in the Jacob Riis Fieldhouse for the construction of the CPS Belmont Cragin Elementary School.

Address: Cook County Jail, 2602 S. California Avenue, South Lawndale

#100913991

Date Received: 5/19/2021

Ward: 24th Ward Alderman Michael Scott Jr.

Applicant: Cook County Jail

Owner: Sheila Atkins (Cook County)

Permit Description: Wreck and remove 16 masonry buildings in 5 phases. Demo Delay previously released under permit #100809124.

Status: Released 05/28/2021

Address: 10943 S. Homewood Avenue, Morgan Park

#100912834

Date Received: 5/20/2021

Ward: 19th Ward Alderman Matthew O'Shea

Applicant: KLF Enterprises

Owner: Righteous Oaks, LLC

Permit Description: Wreck and remove a two-story frame residence.

Status: Released 05/21/2021 [Per an Administrative Order issued by the Department of Buildings to address dangerous and hazardous conditions.]

“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.

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

"Reset gets an update on efforts to save the James R. Thompson Center from being demolished after a state panel recommended that the building be nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

"GUEST: Jonathan Solomon, partner in the Chicago firm Preservation Futures, associate professor at the School of the Art Institute"

“Governor Pritzker has the opportunity, after years of neglect by his predecessors, to lead thru the sale of the Thompson Center by giving it new life. Repurposing the building the right way could go beyond what the building ever was, making it better, more public, and a place where you want to work, stay overnight, live or just visit and feel good. Miracles and dreams can become real.” (Helmut Jahn, 2020)

"For the 2021 Chicago Prize, the Chicago Architecture Center and the Chicago Architectural Club call for new visions for the State of Illinois Center/James R. Thompson Center.

"Overview

Designed by Helmut Jahn, the State of Illinois Center, also known as James R. Thompson Center, is facing the threat of complete demolition. Located in the Chicago “Loop” it is a major transportation node, commercial center and workspace. The building has been criticized for being ugly, oversized, inefficient, and poorly maintained. However, the Thompson Center has been pivotal to urban transit and a highly democratic contemporary civic center. At the time of its construction in 1985, Helmut Jahn’s State of Illinois Center was a stark contrast to Chicago’s historic and modernist architecture, yet today it is an architectural icon in its own right. For the fourth year in a row, the Thompson Center has been listed in the Landmarks Illinois’ annual Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois and it was included in Preservation Chicago’s Chicago 7 Most Endangered list in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The Chicago Architectural Club and the Chicago Architecture Center ask the 2021 Chicago Prize participants to envision a new life for the building through restorative architecture.

"Inside the building the atrium is revealed: a breathtaking 17-story high public space covered by a slanted skylight 160 feet across. The circular atrium space is a contemporary interpretation of the rotunda, a classic architectural shape historically used for civic and public buildings. “Ringed at the lower levels by shops and restaurants, and on the upper tiers by state offices, this space is what the building is really about. [...] Here, a very elegant and spidery structure enfolds the void and becomes the matrix on which everything is hung. Layers of office floor trays encircle the atrium, and the mechanics of getting up and down are celebrated. Seemingly freestanding elevator banks and articulated suspended stairways lend an air of kinetic sculpture, an impression compounded almost to limitless degrees by the kaleidoscopic reflective spandrel rings. These segmented bands turn the reflections of moving people into everchanging Duchamp paintings. The views, whether from top, middle, or ground floor are spectacular and endlessly changing.” (Murphy J., 1985)

"With this building Helmut Jahn proposes a new type of civic space open to the public. The floor plan’s 'open office' concept and the use of glass symbolically express the idea of an accessible and transparent government. Despite its high tech aesthetics, the human is at the center of the Thompson Center’s design. 'It is intended that it provide a humane, stimulating environment, thus reestablishing the “social role of architecture.' (Murphy J., 1985)

"Competition Brief

The architecture of Chicago is defined by its many layers of innovative architecture that have occurred throughout its history--the preservation, rethinking, repurposing and renewal of its most important buildings is critical to carry on the city’s long-standing reputation as a center of architectural innovation.

"The Thompson Center’s design was progressive for its time. Dwelling in the vertical shadows of modern icons like Mies van der Rohe’s Daley Center, Helmut Jahn’s mid- rise Thompson Center pierced the trends of neighboring International Style and Neoclassical buildings with a revolutionary concept for a civic building, one that represents a promising future of “transparency and accessibility”. Bringing together the various services of government offices in one building, the Thompson Center is also a major transit hub and a place for gathering to enjoy art, shop, and dine. Jahn brings open space indoors with the remarkable glazed 17-story grand atrium. Known as a “people’s center” or a “people’s palace”, the building was a symbol of government accessibility, transparency, and commitment to serving the people. This was a bold departure from how government buildings used to interface with the public.

"With modern materials adorning the slight colorful twists of the patriotic red, white and blue, and a building shape referencing the grand domes of the government structures in our state’s capitol, Jahn’s postmodern marvel has been recognized worldwide in both praise and criticism. Often mistaken for a stadium or perhaps a spaceship, since its construction, the James R. Thompson Center has generated contrasting feelings: it has been praised for its progressive architecture, and criticized for being oversized, inefficient, and costly to operate. Deferred maintenance and the lack of long-term reinvestment has taken a toll on the building through worn surfaces and failing systems. Helmut Jahn’s original design specified the use of double pane glazing for the building’s facades, which was later substituted with single pane glazing due to cost considerations. This resulted in overheated offices in the summer and severe condensation/ice buildup in winter. Additional cooling towers were later installed to regulate these drastic conditions, which have proven costly to maintain and operate. It is reported that the building’s energy usage is double that of similar downtown structures.

"The Thompson Center has been pivotal to Chicago as a transit hub, a revolutionary civic center that opened itself to the city, and an architectural milestone that symbolized a bold transition and looked toward a new future of architecture. Can our approach to renewal be one that doesn’t result in erasure but that builds upon the foundations of the past?

"For the 2021 Chicago Prize, the Chicago Architectural Club and the Chicago Architecture Center are calling for new, creative visions for the State of Illinois Center to give it new life while preserving its architecture and public character.

"Schedule

Competition Announcement: May 21

Early Registration Closes: June 25

Regular Registration Closes: July 2

Competition Submission Deadline: July 19 at 5pm CST

Winners Announced: August

Chicago Architecture Center Exhibition: Early Fall

"Awards

First Place: $1,500

Second Place: $1,000

Third Place: $500"

"The Chicago Cultural Center reopened this month, and part of it is getting a very careful new coat of paint. The building remains a mecca of art and culture, but when it opened in 1897 it served as the central library and a memorial hall for Civil War veterans. That hall has become a hard-hat zone of restoration and preservation.

"So the city dedicated an opulent hall on the north end of the building to the men who fought for the North. It was a meeting space, the 19th century equivalent of the VFW. And it served the Union veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic, the GAR. The GAR Memorial Hall is currently undergoing a vigorous restoration. The site is now the front line for a small army of workers caring for a piece of history. Much of the work is done on scaffolding 30 feet above the floor.

"Another team does forensic analysis on paint finishes to determine the original colors. It’s time-consuming work.

"Gunny Harboe, preservation architect: 'We spent over a year on the research. But the key thing was doing the physical investigation to expose the color scheme, to see what it was and how they’d achieved it, and then to do the mockups to see how we could replicate it.'

"Tim Samuelson, cultural historian emeritus: 'It wasn’t a simple paint job. The colors are actually made by layering up as many as five different colors thinly on top of each other to create the finished color.'

"Vitali: 'This neoclassical palace of granite and limestone was designed by the same firm that designed the Art Institute four years earlier.'

"Samuelson: '1897 is when the building opened, and this was part of a big effort that followed around the time of the 1893 World’s Fair and continuing into the 1890s and the 20th century where Chicago wanted to demonstrate that it wasn’t just some upstart young city of stockyards and smokestacks. This was a city of culture.'

"'This building almost was toast years ago, and there was only a limited number of people who were standing up for it and it managed to survive and not only survive, it was repurposed.' (WTTW Chicago)

"The first gay rights organization in America formed right here in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood — decades before the Mattachine Society in 1950s Los Angeles or the 1968 Stonewall uprising in New York City’s Greenwich Village.

"Organized in 1924, the Society for Human Rights lasted less than a year, harassed out of existence by a police raid and lawsuits.

"But its origins are in a limestone row house at 1710 N. Crilly Court. In the 1920s, it was a boarding house, where founder and secretary of the Society, Henry Gerber, and the group’s trustee, Henry Teacutter, rented rooms. Today it’s been made into a single-family home.

"When the group applied for a state charter, they stated their purpose was to: “Promote and to protect the interests of people who by reasons of mental and physical abnormalities are abused and hindered in the legal pursuit of happiness.” There was no mention of the words gay or homosexual, and the Society received nonprofit status. The group’s efforts included a newsletter called Friendship and Freedom, which only lasted two issues.

"The wife of one of the men later described her husband’s bisexuality to a social worker, who went to the police, according to the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Gerber and others were arrested in a police raid.

"Then, in 1962, 37 years after the Society for Human Rights was forced to shut down, Gerber wrote a letter to the gay rights publication ONE detailing the short history of the Society for Human Rights.

"Prior to forming the group, Gerber had served in the Army in Germany, where homosexuality was more accepted. He wrote, 'I had always bitterly felt the injustice with which my own American society accused the homosexual of 'immoral acts.' I hated this society which allowed the majority, frequently corrupt itself, to prosecute those who deviated from the established norms in sexual matters."

"Gerber’s letter — where he wrote passionately about the group’s studious efforts to reform Illinois laws that criminalized homosexuality — is now a kind of founding document of the movement to secure the right to love. He died in 1972.

"In 2015, the house was declared a national landmark.

“The National Park Service is America’s storyteller, and it is important that we tell a complete story of the people and events responsible for building this great nation,' U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in the announcement. 'As we honor the pioneering work of Henry Gerber and the pivotal role this home played in expanding and fighting for equality for all Americans, we help ensure that the quest for LGBT civil rights will be told and remembered for generations to come.'" (Rodkin, WBEZ Chicago, 6/26/21)

"Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, joins Anna to talk about the importance of preserving the Thompson Center and the tragic death of famed architect Helmut Jahn."

Hear the interview at WGN Radio 720 (8 Min)

Roger Stolle, a blues-loving promoter, tourism director and owner of Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art shop in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Photo: Credit: Mark Konkol / Chicago Patch

"Driving south on Blues Highway from Memphis, it's difficult not to remember that the miles of cotton fields once were harvested by enslaved people and their descendants, many who made the Great Migration to Chicago.

"In 1943, the King of Chicago Blues — the late McKinley Morganfield, better known as 'Muddy Waters' — made that trek north from the Mississippi Delta. He got a job at a Chicago paper mill, bought his first electric guitar, plugged it into an amplifier and, you know, changed popular music forever.

"On a recent afternoon, I stopped to read the sign marking where Waters lived in a wooden shack on the Stovall Plantation outside Clarksdale that was his primary residence until he moved to Chicago. I thought about the battle to designate Waters' home in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood as a historic landmark. And how little effort beyond an annual music festival that Chicago leaders have made to keep the history of the blues alive in our town. And to think, our town isn't the sweet home of a museum preserving the legacy of Chicago Blues.

"While visiting Clarksdale, locals told me I'm not alone in my befuddlement over the brazen lack of respect for the electrified version of Delta Blues birthed in Chicago on Muddy Waters' guitar — and ripped off by Led Zeppelin and borrowed by the Rolling Stones and too many other rocker bands to count.

"'The thing about Chicago, it's insane to me .... Yeah, we had the first blues museum in the world in Clarksdale. That makes sense. But the second one should have been in Chicago, 'cause that's where all the musicians from here went,' said Roger Stolle, a blues-loving promoter, tourism guru, author, producer and owner of the Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art shop in Clarksdale, where I found him.

"'The first place of significance up there is so underpromoted it's ridiculous, the Blues Heaven Foundation at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, the Chess Records building where all that music was recorded,' Stolle said. 'It's the most important thing musically in Chicago. It should be like Sun Studios [where Elvis recorded in Memphis] they pack 'em in there, it's a great tour. Chess Records should be just like that. Every blues artist recorded there in the '50s and '60s. But it's not. Crazy, just crazy.'

"It took years, a good amount of bullying — and, most recently, a $50,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation — to convince Chicago decision-makers to designate as a city landmark Waters' first home at 4339 S. Lake Park Drive in Kenwood, which had gone into foreclosure and onto the city's demolition list, marked with a red 'X' as a structure not worth saving.

"Now, Cooper — Waters' great-great-granddaughter — is raising cash with plans to turn the house into a MOJO [Muddy Waters Official Jam Outfit] Museum with an educational studio in the basement where Waters jammed with his legendary contemporaries including Chuck Berry, Otis Span and Howlin' Wolf.

"Saving Muddy Waters' house in Kenwood, well, it's a start, said Brooks." (Konkol, Chicago Patch, 6/15/21)

Logan Square Workers Cottages. Image credit: Tom Vlodek / Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative

"As developers continue to raze workers cottages for single-family homes and condos in gentrifying Logan Square and other parts of the city, preservationists are embarking on a project to raise awareness about the historical yet overlooked homes and to shape policies that would save them from demolition.

"Leaders with Preservation Chicago and the newly-formed Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative recently teamed up with students in the historic preservation department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on a data project that aims to shed light on the loss of workers cottages throughout the city.

"'If you see two poor-conditioned workers cottages next to each other, that’s a threat,' said Mary Lu Seidel with Preservation Chicago. “Developers will buy them up, get a 50-foot-wide lot and build their mega-mansion Barbie dream house.”

"After the surveying process is complete, the data will be sent to the city, Seidel said. The data is meant to lay the groundwork for city policies around preserving workers cottages, she said.

"Eventually, the group would like the city to craft a policy or legislation to protect workers cottages from demolition. Seidel said that could mean creating a thematic landmark district across city neighborhoods to protect against teardowns or helping the owners of workers cottages with renovation projects so they’re able to stay in their homes.

"In the coming months, the preservationists plan to expand the project and collect data in other neighborhoods home to a lot of vulnerable workers cottages, such as McKinley Park, Pilsen and Wicker Park. But the groups started with Logan Square because the gentrifying neighborhood has seen more teardowns in recent years than other neighborhoods.

"Logan Square resident Tom Vlodek, who helps run the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative, said he’s watched many of the workers cottages around him disappear in favor of single-family homes and condos. Vlodek said in recent years he’s counted as least nine teardowns in the four-block radius around where he lives.

"In 2018, Logan Square resident Matt Bergstrom, who is also helping with the workers cottage effort, documented the transformation of his street, which at that time had lost roughly two dozen homes for construction.

"'You’d be hard-pressed to think of [workers cottages] as affordable housing or anything in Logan Square anymore, but I see this as our mandate. These are Chicago’s original affordable, single-family homes, built for workers that built the city. Once you tear down one of those homes, there will never be an affordable home there again,' he said." (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 4/15/21)

"The 2 to 4 unit housing stock plays a unique and critical role in Chicago’s overall housing supply by providing affordable rental housing, homeownership, and wealth-building opportunities. More than any other type of rental housing in Chicago, 2 to 4 unit properties are the most likely to offer lower-cost rents and family-sized units and these units make up a substantial portion of the housing supply in Chicago communities of color, particularly the city’s Latinx communities.

"Building on this work, this analysis uses a unique data set to document the loss of the 2 to 4 stock in Chicago neighborhoods in an effort to understand the different ways that market forces put pressure on this key segment of Chicago's housing market. For more details on the importance of the 2 to 4 stock in Chicago neighborhoods, see The Characteristics of the 2 to 4 Stock in Chicago Neighborhoods report released in tandem with this research.

"This analysis finds:

"These findings highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to preserving 2 to 4 unit buildings that 1) recognizes the stock’s critical importance to providing affordable rental housing, homeownership, and wealth-building opportunities in all Chicago neighborhoods and 2) addresses the spectrum of challenges facing these buildings, their owners, and tenants in different market contexts.

"Background: Buildings with 2 to 4 units are a critical component of Chicago’s housing stock and play a unique role in providing both renter- and owner-occupied housing, comprising 26 percent of all residential units in the City of Chicago. According to forthcoming research from IHS's 2021 State of Rental Housing in Cook County, 2 to 4 unit properties made up over 35 percent of the city’s rental housing supply. These buildings are often owned by small “mom and pop” landlords who may also occupy a unit as their home while renting out the remaining units, providing affordable homeownership and wealth-building opportunities for these households. In Chicago, roughly 54 percent of 2 to 4 unit buildings had active homeowner exemptions in tax year 2019 and are likely to be owner-occupied.

"Units in 2 to 4 unit buildings are also a critical component of a community’s supply of affordable rental housing for lower-income households, particularly in Chicago’s communities of color. According to national research from the University of Southern California and Enterprise Community Partners, rental units in 2 to 4 unit buildings tend to have the lowest rents of any building type and also serve renters with the lowest incomes. In Chicago, 2 to 4 unit buildings have the highest share of rental units with rents below $900, a key benchmark for affordability. Compared to multifamily properties, 2 to 4 unit properties are much more likely to offer family-sized units with roughly 40 percent containing three bedrooms or more. Additionally, 2 to 4 flats are particularly important to the housing stock in communities of color and to residents of color citywide. Roughly 60 percent of Latinx-headed renter households and 32 percent of African American-headed renter households live in 2 to 4 unit buildings. Nearly 46 percent of the total housing units in majority Latinx census tracts and nearly 30 percent of total housing units in predominantly African American census tracts are in 2 to 4 unit parcels.

"The temporary or permanent loss of the 2 to 4 unit building rental stock is a critical community development issue impacting all Chicago neighborhoods. More than other residential properties, IHS analysis shows that 2 to 4 unit buildings were more significantly impacted by foreclosure during the Great Recession than other property types with nearly 30 percent of 2 to 4 unit parcels associated with at least one foreclosure filing since 2005. In the years following the Great Recession, as rental housing demand and the overall rental supply in Chicago grew, the city still saw losses to the 2 to 4 rental stock. IHS's upcoming State of Rental Housing in Cook County report finds that between 2012 and 2019, the city lost roughly 6 percent of its 2 to 4 unit rental stock. As this analysis will show, it is likely that many of these units have been permanently lost to conversion or demolition and, once lost, are unlikely to be replaced and if replaced are unlikely to be affordable. Due to the importance of this type of housing, it is critical to affordable housing policy to understand the factors driving the loss and instability of these rental units and buildings in different neighborhood market contexts. Without intervention, this essential component of Chicago's affordable housing stock could be further threatened by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic." (Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, May 13, 2021)

"Last week, as I was walking around my Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago, I noticed the above scene. These three buildings–a 3-unit apartment building built in 1909, a 5-unit apartment building built c. 1966, and a 3-unit condominium building built in 2018–sit right next to each other. At PlaceEconomics, we argue that older, smaller, densely-built neighborhoods are a critical source of affordable housing across the nation, so I wondered if this microcosm might support our theory about older housing stock and affordability.

"These types of buildings–small-scale, 2- to 4-flat buildings–have long been the workhorses of Chicago’s residential housing stock and make up approximately 26% of the City’s residential property types, 90% of which are more than 75 years old. However, Chicago’s flat-type buildings are being torn down at an alarming rate and are being reconstructed at lower rates than any other housing type.*

"Nationally, older housing stock plays an important and often overlooked role in providing unsubsidized affordable housing. About 29% of housing units in the country were built pre-1960 and they house around 32.4% of households with incomes below $40,000. Older units are also more likely to be renter occupied.

"I decided to run some numbers on these three buildings. Using data from the Cook County Assessor’s Office, I found the 2020 estimated market value for each building and calculated the estimated value per square foot.** As demonstrated in the graph below, the value per square foot of the 2018 building is 3 times greater than the 1909 building. This has drastic implications for the future affordability of the neighborhood.

"Further digging revealed that the new building replaced an older, cottage-style multi-family building of comparable size. We often look at the citywide-level when studying this phenomenon, but it’s useful sometimes to shift the scale. This is just a small vignette and it gives us an understanding of what happens at the block-level when one older residential building is replaced with new construction. But, if we take this one example and extrapolate it across the city, the loss of older, affordable housing represents a significant loss. Over time, if this pattern repeats, it leads to displacement and gentrification that changes the feel of the neighborhood and affects who is able to live there.

"During a community engagement session for a recent PlaceEconomics project in Nashville, something that a stakeholder said stuck with me, and probably always will. When talking about tear downs in her neighborhood, she made the observation that once an older, smaller house is lost, that site will never be affordable again. As she put it, 'This creates a cycle that is not reversible–it will always be a rich neighborhood from now on.' It’s also important to note that the three buildings used in this micro-analysis don’t fall within the boundaries of an existing historic district, meaning they aren’t protected from demolition and could be torn down and replaced with new construction at any time.

"As this micro-analysis illustrates, preservation of older 'missing middle' housing is an important way to retain affordability. Unfortunately, land values and existing zoning laws make it virtually impossible to build smaller, affordable multi-family housing without generous subsidies, which makes preserving those that do exist that much more important. As Donovan likes to say, 'You can’t build new and rent or sell cheap.'

"Missing Middle Housing refers to multi-family or clustered housing types that are compatible with single-family neighborhoods and includes common pre-World War II housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, bungalow courts, courtyard buildings, and other small apartment buildings. These tend to be prevalent in older neighborhoods that pre-date existing zoning laws."

"A significant but often overlooked contribution to American art and culture is Chicago’s role in the development of the early comic strip. Through its countless newspapers and its publishing industry, Chicago led the transformation of comics from daily fantasy and joke features into ongoing stories grounded in the textures and details of real life, its first real step towards legitimacy as an expressive language and semi-literary art form.

"The exhibition focuses on the origins of the comics in popular publishing, the immeasurable importance of African-American cartoonists and publishing, the first woman cartoonists and editors, the first daily comic strip, and finally the art and comics of undeservedly forgotten Frank King, who with “Gasoline Alley” captured not only the rhythms and tone of everyday existence in his characters that aged not only at the same daily rate as its newspaper readers, but were also fictionalized versions of real people.

"Curated by artist and author Chris Ware, and Chicago Cultural Historian Emeritus, Tim Samuelson, this exhibition is designed and planned as an intentional historical companion to the concurrently appearing survey of contemporary Chicago comics at the Museum of Contemporary Art, in which Ware’s work also appears." (Chicago.gov)

"Welcome to the Pritzker Military Museum & Library’s newest exhibition, Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin & The Art of War, a retrospective of the provocative work by two-time Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin about our nation’s time of war, civil rights, and social justice.

"Explore Mauldin’s largest collection featuring 150 framed drawings and published cartoons, as well as personal material from his exceptional career including his Pulitzer Prize awards, fan letters, and Purple Heart medal. #WhoIsBillMauldin

"Learn more and purchase your exhibit tickets ahead of time here:"

"On Saturday, July 10, the Society of Architectural Historians will host a book sale at its landmark headquarters, the Charnley-Persky House. Proceeds will help support the maintenance of the Charnley-Persky House, designed by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright (1891–1892). The sale will take place from 10 am to 3 pm in the driveway behind the house, which is located at 1365 North Astor Street in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago.

"Architecture and design titles, monographs, and books on gardens, landscapes, urban planning, and other built environment topics will be available for purchase at the following prices:

1–2 hardcovers at $5 each

3–4 hardcovers at $4 each

5+ hardcovers at $3 each

1–2 paperbacks at $2 each

3–4 paperbacks at $1.50 each

5+ paperbacks at $1 each

"The book sale marks the 26th anniversary of the date the Society of Architectural Historians moved its office from Philadelphia to Chicago. In 1995 Seymour Persky donated the James Charnley House to SAH for its international headquarters, ensuring that it would be open and available to the public.

"SAH normally offers guided tours of the house on Wednesdays and Saturdays, however, tours have been suspended until further notice due to the pandemic. The interior of the house will not be open during the book sale.

"Visitors are encouraged to bring their own bag and arrive early for the best selection of books. SAH accepts cash or card (Visa/MasterCard, AmEx, Discover) payment."

Please join the Promontory Point Conservancy Sunday, July 18, 10:30am for a clean-up at the Point. At the clean-up, we will have three crews working to:

"While we were sheltered in place over the winter, teacher, writer and public historian Paul Durica held trivia games with the Hideout over zoom as part of our Rec Room series with Soup and Bread which raised thousands of dollars for local food pantries thanks to our generous community. With the help of the Chicago History Museum and The Newberry Library Paul is bringing trivia to the Hideout patio every 3rd Tuesday of the month! Tickets are sliding scale and all proceeds benefit different mutual aid funds each month. This month we're raising money for Community Dinners meal program.

"21+. Please arrive with your e-ticket ready on your phone at full brightness for door staff to scan. Door staff will also check ID and vaccination card. Please have these ready when you arrive.

"Seating is available for all guests but we do not reserve tables. Please seat yourself upon entry.

"Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Please review your order carefully before confirming."

"Architect Helmut Jahn’s kaleidoscopic, controversial State of Illinois Center in Chicago, which shocked the world when it opened in 1985, may not be long for this world. Today the building is a run down rusty shadow of its former self, occupying a lucrative downtown block and deemed expendable by the cash-strapped state legislature.

"Despite initial construction flaws and hefty refurbishment costs, this singular architectural vision of an open, accessible, and inspiring civic building—defined by its iconic, soaring atrium--remains intact. Four years after the stinging loss of brutalist icon Prentice Women’s Hospital, Chicago preservationists, along with the building’s original champion, Governor James R. Thompson, are gearing up for a major battle to save the city’s most provocative architectural statement."

Includes interviews with:

Watch Starship Chicago: A Film by Nathan Eddy (15:50 Minutes)

"In this video, we visit Chicago's most endangered building--the Thompson Center--and discuss issues related to its preservation and impending demolition."

"Perhaps no building in Chicago is closer to a date with the wrecking ball than the Thompson Center. While those responsible for initiating this threat cite years worth of deferred maintenance and high costs of operation as the primary reasons for their decision, these are not the real reasons for the building’s demise. It suffers from a much more lethal ailment — treating it like a normal building. In this video, Stewart explains why the Thompson Center is definitely not a normal building and offers alternative ways to evaluate it. What if we considered it to be a piece of urban infrastructure or public plaza instead? Relating the building to Rem Koolhaas’ theory of ‘Bigness’, this video builds the case that the Thompson Center should be valued for how it brings people together in space rather than its colors, or material palette, or any other normal ways of evaluating mere buildings."

"Roseland’s South Michigan Avenue Commercial District is the commercial center and heart of this Far South Side community, located approximately 15 miles from downtown Chicago. Situated on a hilltop ridge, the corridor extends between 100th Street and the viaduct just south of 115th Street, with the central core of the existing commercial district located between 110th and 115th Streets.

"Once referred to by local residents as 'The Avenue,' the street’s viability as a commercial corridor began to deteriorate and fade in the mid-1970s. Over the decades, some historic buildings have been remodeled and covered with new facades, and many other notable and significant commercial buildings, which further helped to define the district, have been lost to demolition.

"However, it is important to protect, restore and reuse the remaining structures, many of them noteworthy in their overall design and materials. This would honor the legacy and history of this remarkable community and encourage a holistic approach to further promote economic revitalization along the South Michigan Avenue commercial corridor." (Preservation Chicago)

Special thanks to project partners including the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce, the Roseland Community, Andrea Reed, Alderman Beale, Open House Chicago, Chicago Architecture Center, and Preservation Chicago staff!

Host, Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago guides you on a tour of one of Lincoln Park's most important historic districts.

Learn how the district developed following the 1871 Great Chicago Fire: from modest frame homes to enormous mansions built by noted architects for prominent Chicago families.

Ward meets restoration expert, Susan Hurst with Bloom Properties for an exclusive tour of the newly restored Sarah Belle Wilson House at 522 W. Deming Place.

Features special guests, historian and Preservation Chicago board member, Diane Rodriguez; and Ed Vera, Formlinea Design+Build and Vera Rice Architects.