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5 Page Letter from Preservation Chicago dated June 27, 2022 to the Clerk of the United States District Court Northern District of Illinois regarding the Century and Consumers Buildings 202 and 220 S. State Street. Image credit: Preservation Chicago. Starts on page 22 of the submittal.

17 pages of Petition Comments for Century and Consumers Buildings 202 and 220 S. State Street. Image credit: Preservation Chicago. Starts on page 37 of the submittal.

484 pages of Petition Signatures for Century and Consumers Buildings 202 and 220 S. State Street. Image credit: Preservation Chicago. Starts on page 54 of the submittal.

"Moving toward a potential standoff with the federal government, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks voiced tentative support Thursday for preserving two State Street buildings that the U.S. District Court here wants to tear down for security reasons.

"The panel asked city staffers to prepare a report that could lead to official landmark designation for the buildings, at 202 and 220 S. State St. The vote came after the panel received a petition signed by more than 22,000 people supporting preservation of the two early 20th century buildings.

"The federal government owns the buildings, which abut the Dirksen Federal Building. Congress has appropriated $52 million to tear down the buildings, but preservationists argue they contribute to State Street’s character and that demolition would hurt a stretch of the historic retail corridor.

"Despite hearing from Rebecca Pallmeyer, chief judge of the Northern District of Illinois, about the case for demolition, the panel unanimously directed city staff to prepare a 'preliminary summary of information' about the properties. The report could lead to the commission recommending landmark designation to the City Council in a few months.

"Observers said it’s doubtful any city landmark designation, which ordinarily bars a building from being wrecked, would bind the federal government. But it could build public pressure on behalf of the buildings, which are vacant and in poor shape.

"The group Preservation Chicago, which organized the petition drive, has proposed that the buildings become a cooperative archives center for religious orders and other organizations. It has cited backing for the idea from 20 religious orders and Dominican University in River Forest.

"The plan would offer controlled access to the buildings and minimize any security threat to the courthouse, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.

"Ernest Wong, a landscape architect who chairs the landmarks panel, said the buildings are important components of State Street and that alternatives for saving them should be explored. 'I think there’s a lot of examination that has to be done,' he said.

"A coalition of organizations, uniting around what they call a “sustainable vision” to save two State Street skyscrapers from the wrecking ball, plans to propose on Wednesday that they be turned into an archives center for scholarly research.

"Around 20 religious orders along with Dominican University in River Forest have expressed interest in taking space in the towers, built in the early 20th century, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago. He said nonreligious organizations, such as museums, also could join what’s being called the Chicago Collaborative Archive Center.

"The federal government owns the vacant towers, in the 200 block of South State Street, and wants them demolished, saying they pose a security risk to the neighboring Dirksen Federal Building. Advocates for saving them argue that archival storage would minimize any security threat and allow windows facing the federal building to be sealed off.

"'A collaborative archive of this proposed size is rare in the country,' said Christopher Allison, a historian and director of the McGreal Center at Dominican University. 'It would become a major hub for archive-based research and would consolidate precious sources in one space.'

"Miller said the various groups would form a tax-exempt nonprofit to manage its affairs and raise money, as well as apply for grants to get the project started. But he said costs for the redevelopment are unknown. The manager of federal property, the General Services Administration, handles the buildings.

"'I think we would really engage the GSA to be our partner,' especially with maintaining the buildings’ terra cotta skin, Miller said. JLK Architects and the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti have helped with the preservation plan.

"But Miller and others argue an archives center, with limited staff and tightly controlled access, represents an ideal use for the situation. They said it’s a better alternative than demolition. Taking down the buildings would leave an empty stretch on State Street, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Chicago Loop Alliance, representing downtown businesses, also prefers saving the buildings.

"'There is strength in a collaborative archive. The value of the individual collections within such a repository are increased by the presence of the others,' said Holly Fiedler, province archivist at Sisters of St. Francis of the Sacred Heart Province. 'There are certainly many challenges in making this vision a reality, but we are taking actionable steps forward to achieve the ultimate goal.'" (Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/18/22)

"Google is negotiating to buy the spaceship-like James R. Thompson Center in Chicago in a deal that could provide a much-needed boost to the city’s Loop business district.

"The Mountain View, California-based tech giant is seeking to buy the Helmut Jahn-designed building at 100 W. Randolph St., where it plans to expand its Chicago offices into a large portion of the 17-story building’s soon-to-be-renovated office space, according to people familiar with the deal.

"It’s the latest twist for a 37-year-old building that faced the wrecking ball until Chicago developer Prime Group emerged last year with a plan to buy it from the state for $70 million.

"It’s not known whether the Chicago developer, led by Chairman and CEO Mike Reschke, will flip the 1.2 million-square-foot structure to Google when Prime Group’s purchase is completed sometime this year or if Reschke will carry out his redevelopment plan for Google. Reschke previously said he planned a $300 million renovation that would create modern offices, outdoor terraces and potentially a luxury hotel on upper floors.

"It’s unclear how Google’s deal to buy the building would affect that agreement, which calls for 1,300 state employees to be based in the renovated space. The price also could not be determined.

"The deal is not done yet and could change, though a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services said the Thompson Center is on schedule to be sold this summer to the previously selected buyer.

"Reschke declined to comment on Google’s plans. A Google spokesperson pointed to a Chicago workforce of nearly 2,000 people and said that the company will 'explore opportunities to ensure our physical space meets the needs of local Googlers.'" (Ori, CoStar News, 6/28/22)

Google's shopping for more office space—and not just in Fulton Market; Tech giant Google plans to add 1,000 Chicago workers and has explored new workspace on LaSalle Street—including at the Thompson Center signatures, Danny Ecker and John Pletz, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/29/22

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1891, designed by architect Frederick Townsend, with additions by Theilbar & Fugard, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. Tweet credit: City of Chicago DPD

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

"Epworth Church is one step closer to becoming a city landmark just as the historical church is set to be redeveloped — possibly into apartments.

"The city’s Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted Thursday to give Epworth Church preliminary landmark status, which would give the church campus demolition protections after an earlier effort to raze its buildings.

"The 131-year-old Epworth Church at 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. held its last church services in early May before a prospective new owner applied for a demolition permit for the church campus’ two buildings.

"The developer pulled the demolition request after blowback from neighbors and a pledge from Ald. Harry Osterman (48th) to seek landmark protections for the church.

"Osterman said any development plan that comes forward will be done in conformity with the city’s landmark protections. He said he will work to include community accessible space in the redevelopment plans.

“Epworth has been an anchor in our community,” Osterman said at the meeting. “It’s very important we keep the building preserved.”

"The church has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and was given 'orange-rated' status under the city’s historic survey. That status prompted a 90-day delay and review of the demolition permit, though it was ultimately withdrawn before the timeline was up.

"Edgewater residents and preservationists Carla Bruni helped the church earn its federal historic status. The church campus, set back from the street with its ornate limestone façade, provides greenery and human scale in a dense part of Edgewater neighbored by high rises on nearby Sheridan Road.

"Epworth is worthy of landmark status because of its exemplary architect, the notoriety of its architects and its historical significance as an example of Edgewater’s earliest days, according to the city’s landmark report. (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 7/8/22)

Preservation Chicago has been working to find good preservation outcome for Epworth United Methodist Church for over two years with congregants, neighbors, the Edgewater Historical Society, and Ald. Harry Osterman (48th). A petition and periodic news articles maintained wider awareness of the threats to Epworth Church. The announcement of the closing of Epworth and a "demolition sale" sounded the alarm bells.

Despite assurances from the developer that demolition was not being considered, the receipt of the demolition permit application by the City of Chicago confirmed the true intentions of the developer. Due to extensive neighborhood advocacy, coordination and preparation, a rapid response took the developer by surprise and forced a withdrawal of the demolition permit application.

Despite the loss of many interior features due to the demolition sale, Preservation Chicago strongly supports the Chicago Landmark Designation of Epworth United Methodist Church and will continue to strongly support the neighborhood throughout this process.

During the demolition sale, neighbors and Preservation Chicago monitored the Epworth Church closely as any exterior features and fixtures would be protected by a future Chicago Landmark Designation. The Alderman's office and City of Chicago Landmarks Division was updated throughout the process.

Preservation Chicago notified the demolition sale company that it would be improper to sell any fixed objects and elements visible from on the exterior, especially the stained glass windows from legendary Chicago artists Healy and Millet. While these large windows appear to be intact, six significant rose windows in the tower appear to have been sold and removed. Ward Miller quickly contacted the St. Louis based architectural salvage company responsible and negotiated an agreement to return them to the building in the event that it is landmarked and restored. We are optimistic that they will be restored as part of the reuse of the building.

Update: Chicago Vocational High School was approved for National Register of Historic Places application by the Commission of Chicago Landmarks meeting on July 7, 2022.

"We’ve been plenty concerned about Chicago Vocational, the architecturally important but underutilized Art Deco/Art Moderne designed high school in the city’s Avalon Park neighborhood.

"Built in 1941 for 4,000 students, only about 800 pupils currently attend the school at 2100 E. 87th Street.

"The city’s second-largest public school building — only Lane Tech is larger — Chicago Vocational is so underused, officials closed off a nearly block-long wing along Anthony Avenue, a few years ago.

"There was even talk a few years back of wrecking the Anthony wing, which triggered concerns among the school’s alumni about the building’s future.

"But those fears might be allayed a bit now. That’s because the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council last month voted to recommend the National Park Service list the rambling 81-year-old school on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It is simply one-of-a-kind and thus the school is well-deserving in taking its place among other noted and honored structures,” said Michael L. Mims, a 1978 graduate of the school — he majored in architectural drafting — who is leading the National Register nomination effort.

This is good news that we hope leads to a full-on effort to preserve the historic school — and rebuild its curriculum also.

"Now called Chicago Vocational Career Academy, but best known by its original name, Chicago Vocational High School, CVS sits on a 22-acre campus west of the Chicago Skyway.

"During its prime in the 20th century, the school provided a top-notch vocational education on the then-largely industrial Southeast Side.

"But rather than stick students with a bare-bones, factory-like school building, Chicago Board of Education architect John C. Christensen designed a stylish building, rippling with architectural details.

"'CVS is an exemplary building and architecturally distinct from any other public school in Chicago,' Oram said. 'But CVS is more than another Art Deco landmark. CVS is a monument of social history that represents the experiences of local students, teachers, and families.'

"But Mims and Oram’s good work shows the city must also get about the business of granting CVS local landmark status.

"A city landmark designation would help protect the building from demolition or unsympathetic alterations.

"Together, a city landmark designation and the National Register could make a solid foundation to reinvest in CVS and turn it into the academic asset it once was — and must be again." (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial, 7/2/22)

Is Chicago Vocational HS headed for the National Register of Historic Places? This is good news that we hope leads to a full-on effort to preserve the historic school — and rebuild its curriculum also, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 7/6/22

"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted unanimously during its July 7 meeting to award the KAM Isaiah Israel a $250,000 grant for exterior renovations from its Adopt-a-Landmark Fund.

"The Kenwood synagogue, 1100 E. Hyde Park Blvd., is already partway through a $5 million project that will fix the domed roof, replace the restrooms and repair the exterior masonry and interior plaster.

"KAM Isaiah Israel was created when two congregations, KAM (Kehilath Anshe Ma'arav — "Congregation of the Men of the West,") and Temple Isaiah Israel, merged in 1971. But both congregations have long histories in the neighborhood and Chicago. KAM was organized in 1847 and Temple Isaiah Israel traces its roots through its antecedent Kehillah B'nai to 1852. Prior to organizing, KAM Isaiah Israel traces its roots back to the arrival of some of the first Jewish settlers in Chicago (approx. 1841), and remains the Midwest’s oldest Jewish congregation.

"The synagogue itself was designed by architect Alfred S. Alschuler and constructed in 1924. Six years after the congregations merged, the building was designated by the city as an official Chicago Landmark.

"'It is one of the city’s oldest synagogues, tracing its roots back to the earliest days of Chicago,' said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago. '(The grant) really is a wonderful commitment by the city of Chicago to an esteemed landmark.'

"Per the synagogue’s budget submitted in its grant application to the Landmark Commission, the total cost of this window restoration is estimated to be about $430,000. This leaves a little more than $180,000 for the congregation to cover.

"KAM’s stained glass windows, which are about 98-years-old, include depictions of the prophet Isaiah and Moses with the Ten Commandments. For the restoration, the synagogue will use Daprato Rigali Studios, 6030 N. Northwest Highway, historic preservation architects with experience working on houses of worship. Rigali studios are also working on the larger renovation project." (Monaghan and Faris, Hyde Park Herald, 7/7/22)

"Tumbled-down brick walls, nubs of charred timber — even the cast-iron frame and melted strings from what was once a baby grand piano.

"Strolling through the remains of the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church — on the first public tour since the devastating 2006 fire — feels almost like traipsing through Roman ruins.

"'This is our coliseum. The Romans have theirs; we have ours,' said Mark Kuberski, vice president of Central Building & Preservation, as he led the tour Thursday.

"Except that the Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan-designed building, erected in 1890, isn’t expected to remain a ruin. It doesn’t look like much now — only two exterior walls remain, and only because they’re held in place with steel braces.

"But on Thursday, the project to transform the celebrated church into a museum of the history of gospel music got a boost, with $2.1 million in state funds. Thomas A. Dorsey, considered the 'father of gospel music,' was a choir director at the church, which many consider to be the music style’s birthplace.

"State Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, who attended the church as a child, helped secure the funding.

"The first phase of the project — repairing the original limestone-and-brick exterior walls, replacing the two that fell down and putting on a roof — is expected to cost about $10 million, project organizers said. The hope is to have that completed within the next two years, said Antoinette Wright, president and executive director of the museum project." (Esposito, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/16/22)

"Thousands of apartment units and a hotel could replace the former Salvation Army property and a neighboring site steps from the city’s first casino in River West.

"Chicago-based Shapack Partners plans to transform two areas, including the closed store at 509 N. Union Ave., into an apartment-hotel hybrid campus, according to two zoning applications submitted to the city.

"The property along Grand Avenue between Desplaines Street and Union Avenue would be divided between a 141-room hotel and a 1,110-unit apartment building. The hotel would be along Union Avenue, while the apartments would be primarily along Desplaines Street, according to the zoning documents.

"Shapack plans for a three-building apartment complex southwest of the Salvation Army property along the intersection of Milwaukee and Union avenues and Hubbard Street, according to the plans. The 1,159-apartment campus would also feature ground-floor retail and office space. There are 454 affordable units planned overall, with 222 for the hotel-apartment hybrid and 232 for the three-building apartment complex.

"Representatives from Shapack Partners were unavailable for comment.

"The Salvation Army closed in March, citing significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The site was home to a thrift store and an adult rehabilitation center, which also closed in March. Shapack Partners bought the campus in May for $25 million, according to Crain’s. (Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 6/23/22)

The Wrigley Lodge / Salvation Army Building is a unique blend of two distinct architectural styles. A soaring Streamline Modern element joins the 5-and 6-story red brick industrial lofts to create wonderfully balanced asymmetry. The result is an iconic building. Its distinctive appearance and important history make this building an important one to save. The building was designed by C. J. Furst and Charles Rudolph in 1891.

In 1929, William Wrigley Jr. purchased the building and donated the property to the Salvation Army for use as a lodging house for unemployed men. A formal ceremony was held on October 23, 1930. The Wrigley Lodge served as a homeless shelter throughout the Great Depression and World War II. Following the war, it increasingly served as a veterans’ rehabilitation center to assist returning servicemen.

Wrigley Lodge had the capacity to lodge 1,200 men nightly and to feed over 2,000. But the goals were more broad and included rehabilitation services, paid employment opportunities within the buildings, and assistance in finding employment.

After the war, the Salvation Army began a fundraising campaign to remodel the building, and on December 9, 1947, a permit was issued for the alterations. It was remodeled in the Streamline Moderne style including the striking, asymmetric, vertical entryway with glass block and rounded corners. (Preservation Chicago 2021 Chicago 7 Most Endangered)

Preservation Chicago applauds Chicago-based Shapack Partners for their planned adaptive reuse. The Salvation Army building is an outstanding structure that deserves to be protected and preserved as part of the site redevelopment. While the specifics are still unknown, we are encouraged by recent reporting that indicates a preservation-sensitive outcome for this important building.

"A plan to redevelop the long-vacant Laramie State Bank is moving forward.

"The Chicago Plan Commission voted Thursday to approve a sweeping proposal to transform the historic bank building, 5200 W. Chicago Ave. into a museum, mixed-income housing, community plaza, business incubator and café. The proposal now will go to the City Council’s Committee on Zoning before a final vote from all 50 alderpeople.

"The $44.2 million redevelopment is part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Invest South/West initiative aimed at funneling public and private investment toward historically neglected neighborhoods. The plan by Oak Park Regional Housing and Heartland Alliance to overhaul the building was selected from a pool of seven developers vying to build on the site in March 2021.

"The nearly century-old bank has deteriorated heavily over the years and requires fixes to extensive water damage. The project will restore the building and preserve its historic Art Deco architecture, city officials said.

"The project is aimed at jumpstarting Austin’s local economy and building on the momentum of other economic opportunities and investments happening along Chicago Avenue, which neighborhood groups have rebranded as Soul City Corridor.

"The Laramie State Bank building has been vacant since it was foreclosed on in 2012. The redeveloped building still have a bank to improve access to financial services for residents in the areas as well as a café and an incubator to support emerging entrepreneurs and attract businesses to the corridor, officials said.

"A museum honoring the contributions of Chicago artists to blues music also will be launched inside the building, aligning with efforts to rebrand Chicago Avenue as Soul City Corridor by the Austin African American Business Network Association.

"Plans also include several lots surrounding the old bank building, which will be developed into 78 units of mixed-income housing. There will also be a courtyard between the bank building and the housing complex that will include a community plaza, gardens, and several public art installations, developers said." (Sabino, Block Club Chicago, 6/16/22)

This is an ideal development project for INVEST South/West and we strongly applaud Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Maurice Cox for selecting Laramie State Bank for the program. We recognize and applaud their strong leadership in ensuring a outstanding outcome for the building and community, and their commitment and efforts to strongly reinvest in Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Preservation Chicago has been advocating for Laramie State Bank building for many years, but with more urgency since it became vacant after its 2012 foreclosure. It was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2019. We have attended many building court hearings to provide support for the building. We been in regular communication with the owners and stakeholders with ties to the building, including the alderman and Cook County Land Bank. We have attempted to find private developers with an interest in tackling this restoration and reuse of this building. We’re thrilled the City has stepped forward. This is a outstanding outcome for the building.

"The project is a blend of historic preservation and new construction. It would save the Second Church of Christ, Scientist, at 2700 N. Pine Grove Ave. — by grafting on a six-story residential addition. The church, built in 1901 in the style of a Greek temple, is a typically standout design of architect Solon S. Beman, famous for his work on George Pullman’s factory town. The church has showed up on landmark groups’ 'most endangered' lists.

"Changes at the property have been kicked around for years. Many in the neighborhood didn’t want another tall building to replace the church. City documents about the project say the congregation has dwindled and has a harder time supporting the building.

"The church has struck a deal with Ogden Partners to build an addition containing 22 homes and 31 parking spaces, according to material prepared for the plan commission. The church would remain in about 5,000 square feet. Representatives of the church and the developer could not be reached for comment.

"'This saves the exterior and the whole front part of the building so that the congregation can still worship. It’s a compromise and it’s a good one,' said local Ald. Michele Smith (43rd). She said the homes will be for sale, not rentals.

"Current zoning would allow a developer to plop 77 units on the site, so the lower density represents a concession to the neighborhood. Booth Hansen Associates, the architecture firm on the job, made several changes in response to critiques from planning officials, Smith said. The addition is designed 'not to compete with the existing façade, but to subtly complement it,' the development team said in its report to the city."

Preservation Chicago has long been advocating to save the Second Church of Christ Scientist and it was a 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered. Second Church of Christ was designed by Solon S. Beman in 1901. By any measure, it should be protected by a Chicago Landmark designation.

In 2020, Preservation Chicago was able to secure the interest of a major philanthropic foundation to purchase and restore the magnificent church building and convert it into a cultural arts center.

Additionally, the congregation would have continued to have access for religious services. The congregation flatly rejected the offer preferring to monetize the value of the land.

The decision of the development team to save the exterior walls is an improvement over the initial plans, but the building, including its magnificent dome, should be preserved in its entirety. This building presented a unique opportunity that has been squandered.

Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago, spoke at the public meeting to encourage preservation and landmarking of the historic building and for a cultural use for the historic gem in November 2017

As reported by Peter von Buol in the Skyline in 2017, Ward Miller said, “We do not need another residential high-rise at this site. It will adversely affect the quality of life, sunlight, air and throw shadows on adjacent buildings. What we do need collectively, is a great and amazing resource and cultural center, for an already dense neighborhood. This is a once-in-a-life-time chance. Let’s not blow it, with another embarrassing loss and demolition of one of Chicago’s great architectural treasures.”

“‘The church mentioned they will consider a donation of the building to a good steward, so let that steward be all of us collectively and let’s all advocate for a collective reuse that benefits all Chicagoans, looking to the near future,’ said Miller, who added that Preservation Chicago will work with the congregation and the community to help make the community-center vision a reality.

“Built in 1901, the classical façade of the building recalls one of Beman’s most celebrated design, the ‘Merchant and Tailors’ Building” of Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. “The World’s Fair building had received numerous awards for its designs. Beman worked with members of the Christian Science Movement and its leaders, including Mary Eddy Baker, the faith’s founder and leader, to design “a most perfect church prototype’ for subsequent Christian Science buildings. Beman included few, if any, traditional religious symbols and symbolism, in designing a beautiful light-filled sanctuary and with an auditorium and assembly-space as a sanctuary,” added Miller.

“‘The sanctuary of the church, with its art glass and gilded dome, its magnificent column-free space, with wide arches and honey-colored art windows; its rare Austin organ, could be an unparalleled space for concerts, cultural events, music, lectures, presentations affiliated with the local museums and institutions, including The Lincoln Park Conservatory, the Lincoln Park Zoo and The Peggy Notebaert Nature Center. This would all be located a mere half-block from Lincoln Park, and would be an amazing resource for the Lincoln Park community, and for all of Chicago,’ suggested Miller.

“‘The Chicago Cultural Center was constructed as the Chicago Public Central Library in 1897. It was rethought as the Chicago Cultural Center in 1977 and has been one of the best reuse projects in the city’s history. It’s still a remarkable center and proof of a visionary series of decisions that were made in the 1970s, by elected officials, city leaders, and philanthropic organizations. Let’s continue to have that visionary outlook and reuse the church building for everything both cultural and imaginative. Let’s ask the church, city, elected officials to work together with our Chicago philanthropy community to make this vision a reality,’ Miller said.” (Von Buol, Skyline, 11/22/17)

"Developers of a multimillion-dollar project that would transform a historical Englewood firehouse into an eco-food hub could break ground this fall as they work through the summer to get final approvals.

"McLaurin Development Partners, a real estate development team, received a key city approval this month from the Community Development Commission to bring its Englewood Connect project to fruition.

"Englewood Connect will turn the vacant, 98-year-old firehouse at 63rd and Halsted into an eco-food hub and year-round community 'living room' where neighbors can gather and local businesses and entrepreneurs can grow and operate.

"The project was the winning proposal in the city’s INVEST South/West initiative, created by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to bring new developments to West and South Side neighborhoods.

"Phase one of Englewood Connect, which will include restoration of the firehouse and construction of the 'Living Room,' is estimated to cost $15 million. Previous estimates placed costs around $10 million.

"'Englewood Connect would be one of the catalysts that not only continues the turning of the tide of perception of Englewood but also as a shining example that there is a viable economic development opportunity in Englewood and the South Side,' McLaurin said. (Reed, Block Club Chicago, 6/28/22)

"South Side healthy living center will soon open on 79th Street, bringing neighborhood essentials to the community, nearly two years after winning a $10 million citywide prize. The Healthy Lifestyle Hub, 839 W. 79th St., will open July 29, said Carlos Nelson, director of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation.

"The four-story Healthy Lifestyle Hub will house a myriad of tenants, including Mikkey’s Retro Grill, Bank of America, UI Health, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Illinois and a UIC Neighborhood Center. The Illinois Tollway will train Black and Brown community members at the hub for jobs with the organization, Nelson said.

"A UI Health Clinic and Urgent Care Center will occupy the entire second floor and a portion of the third. The clinic will offer medical, dental and mental health services. It’s expected to serve more than 30,000 patients per year, Nelson said.

"A high-tech kitchen and training center sponsored by the Chicago Bears will open on the first floor, giving local chefs, neighbors and students a place to master healthy cooking. A cafe has already been built to house a local coffee shop. The hub will also offer free wifi throughout the building.

"Nelson said the best charm of all will be the 18-by-18-foot windows on the first floor. The oversized windows will “bring in light and light up 79th Street and Auburn Gresham, figuratively and literally,” Nelson said.

"The site of the hub was once home to the Rusnak Bros. Furniture Store and Showroom, which opened in 1925. The building had bricked-in windows on almost every floor with ground-floor retail, Nelson said.

"In the 1970s, the building became a dark public aid office with no windows, Nelson said. For years, the building stood vacant. But once the development corporation got to work, they used 'a lot of money and a lot of time' to restore it and add something new. They took 'painstaking measures to preserve the terra cotta of this building' and 'cored out' the center of the building to add an elevator, Nelson said. They also 'blasted out windows' on every floor, he said.

"In 2020, the Healthy Lifestyle Hub was the winner of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s $10 million Chicago Prize. The hub also received $4 million from the city’s Invest South/West program. The Bears donated more than $600,000 to power the high-tech kitchen, Nelson said. Companies like Whirlpool and Kohler donated appliances and fixtures for the bathrooms and offices, as well.

"'Almost 30 graduating classes at Leo High School have walked past this bricked-up vacant building, and it became a backdrop of their existence,' Nelson said. 'For me, it was important for us to design this from a standpoint that says, 'Hey, kids, we live in a place that is just like the West Loop.'" (Reed, Block Club Chicago, 7/8/22)

Preservation Chicago and The St. Jude League Building/The Williams Building at 205 W. Monroe donated 16 large, original cast iron window members on July 11, 2022 to the Illinois Railway Museum. The current plan is to incorporate these building elements into the IRM visitor center. We wish to applaud the The Williams Building management as well as the Illinois Railway Museum for their interest, patience and support of this effort.

The Williams Building was commissioned by Jon Williams in 1898-1899 and designed by the architectural firm of Holabird & Roche, one of Chicago’s most famous architectural firms. This building is a surviving example of the “Chicago School of Architecture” also known as “The Chicago Commercial Style.”

The 205 W. Monroe Building is a ten-story building clad with red-brick and terra cotta. The building's metal frame supporting allows for large windows and relatively thin exterior walls for a building of its height. These cast iron components of the building’s façade and expression divided the large bands of windows vertically. This is similar in design and grouping to many of the world’s first skyscrapers within blocks of its location during the 15 years prior to its construction.

It was a multi-use building with the lower three floors intended to be sales floors and showrooms with their signature expansive glass storefronts on the ground floor and large “Chicago Windows” on floors two and three on the Wells Street façade. The upper seven floors were designed for manufacturing to service the “wholesale district” of garment manufacturers in Chicago's Loop. (Preservation Chicago)

"Like this red brick honey at 205 W. Monroe that caught my eye last week. Built in 1898 as the Williams Building, this early skyscraper is almost buried among much taller and newer buildings, and semi-obscured by the “L” tracks running next to it down Wells Street.

"But it wants to be seen, so let’s look closer. Notice the building is glassy and minimal — one of the many downtown skyscrapers of that era (such as the Reliance Building/Hotel Burnham) that seem to foreshadow the architectural modernism that would come decades later.

"And that grid of Chicago windows, each composed of a big, fixed center window flanked by sets of two originally operable windows.

"The Williams Building is the work of Holabird & Roche, a firm that later became Holabird & Root. It’s not their most notable work. That honor would go to (take your pick) City Hall/County Building, the former Daily News Building at 400 W. Madison, the Chicago Board of Trade, or many others.

Still, the Williams Building is a solid, graceful and nicely-maintained piece of early Chicago architecture: an old friend you’re glad is still around." (Bey, WBEZ Chicago, 11/25/13)

"After a rough five years, including a stop in receivership, the bedraggled Pittsfield Building near Millennium Park has hit the market, bringing the landmark tower a step closer to the major overhaul it badly needs.

"A new owner could pull the 38-story high-rise out of its funk, ending a dysfunctional drama that included an international financial scandal and a bitter court dispute for control of the property. The city’s tallest building when it opened as an office property in 1927, the Pittsfield could be reborn as a residential tower—part if it already is apartments—with views of the park and the lakefront.

"CBRE is courting buyers for the building at 55 E. Washington St., designed in a hybrid Gothic and art deco style that one trade journal called 'another great edifice of decided distinction.'

"Two investors control the Pittsfield. Marc Realty, a Chicago-based landlord, owns apartments on floors 13 through 21, which aren’t part of the sale. Xiao Hua “Edward” Gong, a Chinese-born businessman who lives in Toronto, owns the rest of the building, much of it vacant and raw space.

"Gong paid $20.8 million for his floors in a 2017 bankruptcy auction, raising hopes that the building might finally undergo a major redevelopment. But those hopes faded within months, after Canadian prosecutors charged Gong with criminal securities fraud. Prosecutors froze his assets, obtaining a restraining order on the Pittsfield, which put any redevelopment plan on hold. Another Illinois property owned by Gong, the former Motorola campus in Harvard, went up for sale.

"Meanwhile, the city filed a lawsuit over the Pittfield’s deteriorating physical condition, eventually installing a receiver to oversee the property. The case degenerated into a messy multiparty court battle involving Marc Realty, Gong’s attorneys, the city and receiver Courtney Jones.

"But Jones and multiple companies are still owed money for the maintenance and rehab work they completed on the property. In February, Jones filed a foreclosure suit against the building, alleging that nearly $5 million in bills hadn’t been paid.

"Converting Gong’s portion of the building into apartments or condominiums would be a major undertaking, easily running into the tens of millions of dollars. Several years ago, a developer hatched a plan to convert some of the building into a hotel, but the city changed the property’s zoning to thwart the project, triggering a lawsuit.

"Also complicating a sale is the building’s divided ownership. A buyer could try to take over the entire property by also acquiring floors 13 through 21 from Marc Realty. Marc took over the space after its original owner defaulted on a loan for the property from Marc." (Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/15/22)

"A South Side neighborhood once known for its fancy auto dealerships now has a pedestrian-friendly look thanks to city investments.

"Michigan Avenue between Cermak Road and 24th Place — part of the area known as Motor Row — has been reduced to three lanes, had its sidewalks widened and received landscaping, LED smart lighting and improved crosswalks as part of an $11 million, multi-year project that recently wrapped up.

"Motor Row also has new benches, trash receptacles and bike racks as part of the project; they’re upgrades that will benefit walkers and neighboring businesses, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at Revel Motor Row, 2400 S. Michigan Ave.

“Investment in the infrastructure of our neighborhoods is an investment in improving public safety, encouraging economic development and deepening racial equality. They are all intertwined,” Lightfoot said.

"The city wants to install and improve 10 other streetscapes in neighborhoods across Chicago; $584 million will be set aside for streetscapes, from which $146 million will be focused on traffic safety efforts, officials said." (Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 7/7/22)

Motor Row is comprised of a collection of early 20th Century automobile architecture by architects including Holabird & Roche, Alfred Alschuler, Philip Maher, Albert Kahn, and Christian Eckstorm. It was also home to The Chicago Defender, a important newspaper which served Chicago's African American community.

As a vibrant music hub, Motor Row was home to Chess Records which during the 1940s recorded blues and rhythm and blues and later gospel, soul, jazz, rock and roll. Motor Row was designated a Chicago Landmark on December 13, 2000.

"Brittle scraps of Scotch tape stick to the marble walls, chipped and gouged from decades of comings and goings — and if it were any darker in the lobby of the Fine Arts Building on South Michigan Avenue, a flashlight might come in handy.

"Inside, hidden almost in plain sight, is the newly renovated Studebaker Theater. With its glittering mirrored walls and ice-white lighting, the grand old theater once again radiates a kind of frosty warmth.

"'It’s unique. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I don’t know that I’ve found a true comparison [in Chicago] because there are few theaters that are this grand but of this size,' said Jacob Harvey, the theater’s managing artistic director, leading a tour last week of the all-but complete multi-million dollar, two-year renovation.

"By 'this size,' Harvey means the relatively small capacity. It has 600 seats now, though when the theater first opened back in 1898, it could seat about 1,300 people. That’s back when patrons were jammed in up to the rafters. It opened only five years before the Iroquois Theater went up in flames during a performance, killing 602 of the 1,700 attendees.

"'This was also the very early years of theater technology. There were still early experiments in terms of lighting and sound,' said Tanya Palmer, a Northwestern professor and Chicago theater historian. 'A lot of what people would go to see were music-hall kind of experiences. … It was quite an event to go to this space.'

"Though The Studebaker, 410 S. Michigan Ave., has hosted live events in recent years, it hasn’t been 'fully functional' since the early 1980s when it was chopped up and converted into an art-house cinema. It closed in 2000, Harvey said.

"'Basically everything is new, with the exception of the physical architecture itself,' Harvey said.

"What hasn’t changed, Harvey said, is the expectation the theater will return to its 125-year-old theater roots, offering locally produced shows and those coming from out of town.

"The Studebaker is also set to become the new home of the Chicago-based NPR quiz show, 'Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!'" (Esposito, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/1/22)

"The Latin School of Chicago bought an 1890s building on Dearborn Street, its fourth purchase on the same block in recent weeks, and says the $10 million group of buildings will remain on property tax rolls although the school’s other properties are tax-exempt.

"On May 25, the elite private school paid $2.1 million for 1505 N. Dearborn, a greystone built in the 1890s and divided into apartments since the 1940s.

"Earlier in May, the school bought the next three addresses north, for a total of nearly $8 million.

"Randall Dunn, Latin’s head of school, said last week in a prepared statement that the school “is not planning to make any changes to the properties, aside from general upkeep and maintenance,” and that the purchases were made because “opportunities to acquire properties like these do not come up often and Latin looks forward to using these properties to continue creating an environment that meets the needs of its students and respects its place in this historic neighborhood.”

"With the latest purchase, Latin now owns eight of the 10 addresses on the east side of Dearborn between North Avenue and Burton Place.

"The four new acquisitions had property tax bills totaling $188,311 in 2021, according to the Cook County treasurer. Katie O’Dea, Latin’s director of communications, said all four buildings will remain on the property tax rolls.

"That's a different strategy than Latin took with two other properties it acquired in years past on the same block of Dearborn.

"The property at 1547 N. Dearborn, an 18,000-square-foot mansion with a side garden, had a property tax bill of $209,102 in the last year before Latin bought it for $12 million in 2017. The property has since been tax-exempt, according to the treasurer." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/2/22)

For the past number of years, Preservation Chicago has been working with community groups and elected officials to create a new Gold Coast Landmark District. It would be wonderful for the Latin School of Chicago to support this effort. Now is a great time to move forward with the process of formalizing a Designated Chicago Landmark District that would include North Dearborn Parkway and North State Parkway.

"A steel-and-glass building on Bronzeville’s northern edge is among Chicago’s finer modernist structures, yet it has gone relatively unnoticed and uncelebrated since its construction 60 years ago.

"But that could change over the next year or so.

"The long-vacant, two-story former Lake Meadows professional building at 31st Street and Rhodes Avenue is set to come alive again in early 2023 as office space for the Howard Brown health organization.

"Work has already begun, with the building stripped down to its steel bones as part of the transformation.

"'It’s a jewel on the prairie,' Lee said.

"Designed by architecture firm SOM and completed in 1959, the two-story, 26,000-square-foot building originally was office space for telephone company Illinois Bell. Soon after, the building was converted to professional offices largely serving Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center — now demolished — located across 31st Street.

"Built in 1954 by local real estate titan Draper & Kramer and designed by SOM, the Lake Meadows complex was also the city’s first urban renewal project.

“We love the building,” said Gordon Ziegenhagen, Draper & Kramer’s senior vice president." (Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 7/2/22)

"The owner of a long-vacant, landmarked South Side theater needs millions to bring it back to life and pay off his tax debt — and now he’s partnering with a cryptocurrency company to raise money.

"The Avalon Regal Theater, 1641 E. 79th St. in South Shore, has been closed since 2010. Jerald Gary bought the theater in 2014 for $100,000.

"Gary has only a few months remaining to settle tax debts before the Cook County Land Bank could take ownership of the decaying theater, the Sun-Times reported in April. He outlined his latest plans to revive the theater at a community forum Tuesday.

"Joined at the forum by local leaders, including the neighborhood chamber of commerce director and the former land bank director, Gary estimated it will take $12-$15 million to make the repairs and pay the debts needed for him to reopen the Regal.

"'To be completely honest, that is really a bargain as far as what these kinds of projects typically take,' Gary said.

"Gary is looking to raise $7.6 million in government funding, $5 million in private equity and $3.5 million in private fundraising for the project. He’s pushing to reopen the theater by early next year if he can raise the funds and hold on to the building, he said.

"Solidblock partnered with the Avalon Regal Theater to create digital “ArtCoins” offering shares in the project. The coins have yet to launch, though its website references the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend and the 2020 Year of Chicago Music.

"Kanye West, who grew up in South Shore, has put up about $600,000 of the $1 million commitment he made to the restoration in 2019, Gary told Block Club last week. The rest is dependent on additional investment in the project, he said.

"The theater renovation also received a $150,000 state grant for small businesses in May.

“The city is investing a lot of resources along the 79th Street corridor to attract new businesses that will potentially bring more residents and patrons into the South Shore community,” said Tonya Trice, South Shore Chamber executive director.

“The Regal Theater will be the anchor of entertainment, and the most transformational project — aside from the Obama Presidential Center — that South Shore has seen in a long time,” Trice said.

"The city granted the Regal landmark status on June 17, 1992, which prohibits it from being demolished or its exterior altered extensively unless for safety reasons.

"The Moorish-style building on 79th first opened in 1927 as the Avalon Theater, designed by movie palace architect John Eberson.

"The original Regal Theater in Bronzeville showcased several prominent black entertainers, including Lou Rawls, Nat King Cole, Etta James, Miles Davis, Curtis Mayfield and Cab Calloway. That building was torn down and the Avalon was renamed the New Regal in the 1980s. (Evans, Block Club Chicago, 6/15/22)

Driven by dreams but strapped for cash, owner strives to restore Avalon Regal Theater; Jerald Gary has been the landmark building’s steward, but he needs reinforcements to bring the onetime center for African American performers back to glory, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 9/20/21

"An upstart theater company is bringing a performing arts space to Andersonville hoping to spark a revival in the city’s play scene following the pandemic.

"Bramble Theatre Company is working to open the Bramble Arts Loft at 5545 N. Clark St. The second-floor of a historic auto garage will hold a 101-seat theater plus a 50-seat moveable 'black box' space.

"Work on the venue is ongoing, with its debut planned for early next year, Bramble co-founders Matthew Lunt and Karissa Murrell Myers said.

"The space, however, is already being used for rehearsals as the city’s battered theater industry continues to ramp up following the coronavirus pandemic. Bramble is hoping its theater will contribute to the industry’s revitalization.

"'We lost so many theater spaces during the pandemic,' Murrell Myers said. 'This space is not just for us. Our hope is this becomes a theater hub.'

"Bramble formed in 2019, when a group of students at The School at Steppenwolf decided to start an ensemble.

"One issue since the reemergence of live theater is the loss of performing arts spaces, Bramble’s co-founders said. For example: Lakeview’s Stage 773 no longer rents out space to companies following a new business model and and Playground Theater has lost its longtime Lakeview home.

"'If you want to find a place to rent right now, it’s nearly impossible,' said Murrell Myers. Bramble’s artistic director as well as co-founder.

"Renting a theater space can account for half the cost of a production, Lunt said. Having their own theater can help Bramble control costs while providing space for other companies.

"Bramble’s leadership team began looking for a theater space and was steered to the Capital Garage building at 5455 N. Clark St.

"The second floor of the circa 1920s auto garage was recently the home of Metropolis Coffee Company’s roastery (which has since moved to Avondale). The area has been renovated, with its bow truss roof restored, and would make a great space for a venue, Lunt said.

"The building has a capacity of about 300, he said. It will host a stage with 101 seats plus a 50-seat 'black box' stage that can be modulated to host comedy, spoken word and music. (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 6/7/22)

"The Standard Club, homeless since deciding to close in 2020 and agreeing this year to sell its Plymouth Court building, is loaning—and potentially donating—some of its artwork to the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Four Great Chicago Fire-themed murals by 20th-century painter and woodcarver Edgar Miller will be conveyed to the museum under a four-year loan agreement, according to what members were told last night in a Zoom call annual meeting. If the club fails to find a new home by the end of the period, it will offer to donate the nearly 70-year-old murals to the Art Institute.

"The Standard Club lives on, with about 300 remaining members, reduced dues and hopes of occupying another building. In the meantime, members enjoy reciprocal privileges with the Union League Club of Chicago and other clubs across the country. The Standard Club's 11-story property was sold to real estate investor Remo Polselli, with a recorded purchase price of $9 million.

"The Miller panels are in climate-controlled storage after being removed from the club's first-floor bar room in February by Methods & Materials, an art installer and rigger based on the Northwest Side. Roger Machin, its director, confirmed they were destined for the Art Institute.

"Unlike other fixtures at the club, the panels were not auctioned off.

"'I think that Miller's work is not particularly well known, and they're very large pieces,' some 12 feet by 6 feet and more suitable for a museum, says Zac Bleicher, executive director of the Chicago-based Edgar Miller Legacy project. 'What makes the murals at the Standard Club so unique, you have to carve into (black) linoleum,' he added, citing the technique as popular with railroad car decorators of yore.

"The Standard Club's most visible work of art—'Complex Forms With Color Ink Washes Superimposed' by Sol LeWitt—was a mural in the third-floor dining room that measured 16 feet by 27 or 28 feet. Painted on a wall, it will disappear, by design, if it hasn't already. Rights to recreate it were auctioned off by Sotheby's last year for $189,000. (Strahler, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/29/22)

"Chicago, they say, is a city of neighborhoods. And the origins of those neighborhoods occupy a unique place among American cities – neither master-planned communities nor built on land controlled by old money. Much of Chicago is defined by its residential buildings, a beautiful mishmash of styles, sizes, and ages.

"In recent years, preservationists have started calling attention to a style of home known as workers cottages – an original form of affordable housing that’s facing down demolition.

"On a chilly April morning, a group of historic preservation students from the School of the Art Institute gathered in McKinley Park before heading out into the neighborhood to survey its workers cottages. They’re simple homes of four to six rooms with a gabled roof at the front of the house and an entrance off to one side – usually one story, sometimes two.

"Workers cottages are ubiquitous in Chicago, though they’re perhaps not as well known by name as their younger sibling, the bungalow.

"'But once you start recognizing this type of house, you start seeing them all over the place. They’re interesting, the history of the families that lived in them – it wasn’t famous people or rich people. They were regular Chicagoans,' said Matt Bergstrom, co-founder of the Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative.

"Bergstrom got interested in the cottages because he saw them being demolished all around his home in Logan Square – where the group launched its first survey with the help of Art Institute students and Preservation Chicago last year.

"'When they’re knocked down and they’re being replaced by much bigger houses, it is really changing the character of a lot of neighborhoods,' Bergstrom said.

"'It’s important to recognize the significance of the workers cottage not only because of who they housed in the past, but who they can house now,” said Elizabeth Blasius of Preservation Futures. “There’s still such a potential for workers cottages to fulfill our housing needs today.'

"In many places where workers cottages are knocked down, the new homes are larger and more expensive – meaning preservation isn’t just about history, it’s about holding onto the city’s rapidly declining affordable housing.

"'Chicago’s architecture is housing, because we have so much housing in Chicago. And housing, where people live, really resonates with Chicagoans,' Blasius said.

"In McKinley Park, students found nearly a quarter of the four thousand-plus parcels they surveyed were workers cottages. There’s also a survey of cottages in South Chicago that’s set to wrap up soon. And, the initiative’s planning to tackle another part of town next spring.

"'We hope to see that the houses are kept up, and that people value the houses, and that there’s a pride in living in a workers cottage, so why would you knock it down? It’s a great place to live,' Bergstrom said. (Blumberg, WTTW Chicago, 5/12/22)

"Don Flesch is known for passing out little snacks to his customers. 'Grab a chocolate,' Flesch reminds them on their way out.

"Now, the 73-year-old is back in action behind the counter at Central Camera’s store, which reopened at 230 S. Wabash Ave. in March after being looted and burned down during 2020’s civil unrest after police murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis. First opened in 1899 by Flesch’s grandfather, the store attracts shoppers from around the world looking for unique camera finds and in-person service.

"The May 2020 fire, which started in the basement, took about 30 firefighters and six hours to put out. Only about 50 items were salvageable out of the shop’s collection of 10,000 items.

"It was a total loss, but it was no comparison to the loss of Floyd’s life “and the countless other Black lives lost,” Flesch said at the time.

"After the smoke cleared, Flesch and his staff almost immediately started selling what was left on the sidewalk in front of the shop. They eventually moved the shop into a temporary space next door.

"Chicagoans rallied around Central Camera’s staff, donating nearly $230,000 to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Flesch’s daughter and an employee. The money helped Flesch rebuild the shop and its inventory.

"Flesch remembers a donation for $1,899, commemorating the year the business was founded. As the donations poured in, he was brought to tears, he said.

"Hanging on the shop’s newly painted white walls are photos from Chicago’s history alongside shots of the shop’s old interior. Two photographs of Flesch’s father and grandfather were destroyed in the fire, but they’ve been replaced by other photos the family was able to salvage and bring in from Flesch’s home.

"Central Camera has had three locations: The first opened in 1899 at 31 E. Adams St. It relocated inside the Palmer House around 1907, and the business moved to its current location in 1929.

"'Our store is like a museum, a history of photography,' Flesch said. 'Over the years I’ve waited on so many people that are second-, third- and fourth-generation customers, which is really fun.'" (Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 6/16/22)

"The Milshire Hotel’s neon sign is no longer for sale after the building’s owner bowed to community pressure and reversed his plans, agreeing instead to work with neighbors on a plan to keep the historical sign in Logan Square.

"Well-known property investor Mark Fishman listed the 15-foot-tall sign on Live Auctioneers at the end of May with a starting bid of $5,000, rattling community leaders who feared the sign would be “shipped out” of Logan Square when the Milshire Hotel is redeveloped.

"The sign is believed to be at least 80 years old, and is a Milwaukee Avenue staple. Local leaders with the neighborhood group Logan Square Preservation launched an online fundraiser May 29 to buy the sign and preserve it.

"But not long after Block Club highlighted the fundraiser, Fishman’s real estate company, M. Fishman Co., changed course and took the listing down, according to Logan Square Preservation’s president Andrew Schneider.

"Now, Fishman’s company is pledging to work with Logan Square Preservation to make sure the sign stays in the neighborhood. M. Fishman Co. officials didn’t return messages seeking comment.

“They saw our campaign, and indicated to us that Mr. Fishman was concerned that the sign would end up sold to somebody and removed from the neighborhood,” Schneider said. “He felt that was not a desirable outcome and that, no matter what, the sign should remain in the neighborhood. I think that’s the correct impulse, and that’s something we appreciate and applaud.”(Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 6/8/22)

"The sign was installed sometime in the 1930s or 1940s. It was one of many similar signs on Milwaukee Avenue at the time, but few remain today, Logan Square Preservation’s president Andrew Schneider said.

"'We only have a few survivors left,' Schneider said. 'To see one of them removed when I don’t know that it’s strictly necessary, it’s a tremendous disappointment and a huge loss. If we can do something to prevent that loss, I think we should.'

"'When you take something out of its context, it becomes a piece of collected ephemera in someone’s private collection,” Schneider said. 'When that happens, our city’s streetscape is impoverished … the city, as a whole, loses.' (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 6/1/22)

"A Bridgeport staple near the home of the White Sox is closing next week, ending its long history serving diner classics and its famed corned beef sandwich on the South Side.

"Bridgeport Restaurant, 3500 S. Halsted St., will close June 30, owners Irais and Josie Rodriguez confirmed. They are trying to sell the business.

"Looking to retire, the Rodriguezes put the restaurant up for sale in 2019. The couple has owned and operated the restaurant for about 15 years, almost always working seven days a week, Irais Rodriguez said. Now, they’re ready to close and spend more time with family.

"'In this area, we’ve had customers for so many years. It’s kind of sad, they don’t want me to go,' he said. 'But they understand that we’ve been working for so many years here.'

"Also known as Bridgeport Family Restaurant, the diner has been in the neighborhood at least 75 years, Irais Rodriguez previously said. It has long been known for its steak and eggs, melts and the 35th Street Special Sandwich: sliced corned beef and sauerkraut topped with Swiss cheese.

"'We have so many memories with people in the neighborhood,' Irais Rodriguez said. 'We’ve been in some TV shows, ‘Chicago P.D.’ and ‘Chicago Fire,’ and those memories will always stay with my family and my kids. I’ll miss everyone around here, but it has to come to an end somehow.' (Mathewes, Block Club Chicago, 6/23/22)

"The Bellinger Cottage, one of only a few buildings in the Burnt District that survived the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, has new owners who plan to update it while honoring its history.

"'How cool that my family gets to be a little bit of Chicago history,' said Kristal Herr, an advertising executive who, with her husband, marketing executive Brian Herr, bought the house on Hudson Avenue yesterday.

"The family of four is delighted to be 'moving into this place that has such a great story and so much history,' Kristal Herr said.

"Recently moved from Manhattan—but past residents of Lincoln Park, where they met in the early 2000s—the Herrs kept their eyes on the Bellinger Cottage while selling their New York home. 'We watched the listing every day and held our breath,' Kristal Herr says. They put it under contract in early May.

"The Herrs, who have two young children, plan to update the four-bedroom interior from what the sellers did in 2005 when they expanded the historic cottage to 3,650 square feet. The rehab will include moving the kitchen from the ground-level part of a rear addition up to the main floor, and make the overall living space 'more modern and elegant,' Kristal Herr said.

"Most of the historical interior is gone, except for a brick wall in the front rooms, which are in the historical section, the original cottage. The facade, with hooded Italianate windows, carved wood brackets supporting the roof and painted wood siding, is generally believed to look as it did in 1871.

"The house is part of both history and folklore in Chicago. Police officer Richard Bellinger built the house in the late 1860s for himself and his bride, whose first name Crain’s has not been able to find. During the catastrophic fire of October 1871 that destroyed about 17,450 structures, Bellinger protected the house by ripping out the wooden sidewalk and fence and cleaning up leaf debris to create a barrier zone, and used water from nearby ditches to wet down the roof.

"A folk tale that sprung up soon after the fire says he wet the roof with cider from a barrel in the basement. Mrs. Bellinger later said it wasn’t true, that sufficient water had been available.

"Kristal Herr said she wants to create a 'family tree' of the people who've owned the historic house. That would include Albert and Lucille Liebrich, owners in the 1950s and 1960s who fanned the flames of the cider story by painting a mural on an interior wall that depicted Richard Bellinger pouring cider on the roof, even though the story had been debunked almost half a century before." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 6/29/22)

"The man who prevented the demolition of a historically significant bungalow in Beverly and spent a decade restoring it has it on the market.

"'Nobody was living there but a possum when I bought it,' David Kroll says of the 1909 bungalow on the Southwest Side.

"One of seven Prairie-style homes on one street designed by Walter Burley Griffin before he moved to Australia in 1914 to design that nation’s capital city, the house was boarded up and foreclosed by a lender before Kroll bought it in 2005 for $275,000.

"At the time, Kroll says, the house had been vacant for something like five years, and 'the next step for it was going to be demolition.'

"Kroll is now asking $489,900 for the five-bedroom, roughly 2,200-square-foot bungalow on 104th Place, which is also called Walter Burley Griffin Place.

"Over the course of a decade, Kroll restored the plaster interior walls and the stucco exterior, replaced the wood floors and rebuilt the cantilevered canopy on the front, doing much of the work himself. In some places, he did a modern take on Griffin's original, such as the stacked-stone fireplace mantel in the living room. Kroll also added two full baths and one partial bath, supplementing the original single bath.

"'It was a labor of love,' Kroll says. 'I grew up around the corner and always liked these houses.” This one, known as the Edmund C. Garrity House, is the second in the group that Kroll restored. (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 5/20/22)

"This HUGE stately, oversized Austin foursquare-style home on Washington Boulevard is overflowing with vintage charm and is ready for its next chapter. Five bedrooms (including finished attic w/stairs) and loads of potential!

"Be sure to view the floor plan for layout. Corner lot, with side-entry garage. Needs considerable interior and exterior work, but there are many original details worth saving. Original wood paneling, light fixtures, built-ins, and stained glass. Bring your ideas for updating or restoring. Original windows, but kitchen and bathrooms are updated. Boiler is 3 years old.

"Bring your contractor and see this grande dame of a home! Sold as-is."

"A rare find in Woodlawn is now on the market! This Victorian masterpiece built in 1872 is a one of a kind. You'll be awed by the meticulous detailing and fine craftsmanship on the exterior.

"An expansive front porch is the perfect greeting spot to welcome your guests. The foyer features a wood burning fireplace and coffered ceiling indicative of the era. This grand style Victorian features three large bedrooms, two and a half baths and an updated kitchen with white shaker cabinetry. The piece de resistance awaits in the huge finished attic filled with natural light from the four skylights and the original windows.

"The possibilities are endless! Don't wait, this is your opportunity to buy a piece of Chicago history. Sold AS-IS"

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.

#100975594

Date Received: 06/10/2022

Ward: 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith

Applicant: Quality Excavation, Inc. C/O Grainne Keane

Owner: GrowCor, LLC C/O Charles Grode

Permit Description: Wreck and removal of a 2.5-story, masonry, multi-family residential building.

#100968140

Date Received: 06/10/2022

Ward: 29th Ward Ald. Chris Taliaferro

Applicant: McDonagh Demolition

Owner: Vanessa Perea, Jaime Enriquez, et al.

Permit Description: Emergency wreck and removal of a three-story, frame residential building.

#100970938

Date Received: 05/17/2022

Ward: 47th Ald. Matt Martin

Applicant: Demox, Inc. C/O Vitalii Grygorashchujk

Owner: Jerald and Pamela Kreis

Permit Description: Wreck and removal of a 2-1/2 story frame residential building.

1325 W Carmen Ave, Chicago, IL 60640

$899,000

Sale Status: Contingent

About This Home

DEVELOPER ALERT! ATTENTION DEVELOPERS, INVESTORS AND REHABBERS! Unique and Exceptional opportunity on one of the best blocks in the area. Coveted 40x136, RT-4 zoning, in exceptional residential area. Outdated property best suited for teardown or rehab project. Bring your ideas to transform this vintage home with incredible potential, or tear down and build a multi-unit condo development. Originally built as a three-unit, property was converted into single-family home. The home's current condition needs updating and repairs throughout. SOLD AS-IS.

#100970529

Date Received: 05/12/2022

Ward: 48th Ald. Harry Osterman

Applicant: Heneghan Wrecking & Excavating Co., Inc.

Owner: LS 5251, LLC C/O Steve Ciaccio

Permit Description: Demolition of a one- and two-story masonry church building with a basement.

#100958829

Date Received: 04/14/2022

Ward: 47th Ald. Matt Martin

Applicant: Moss Design, Inc.

Owner: Ellen Bradley

Permit Description: Partial demolition of a two-story, masonry residential building to accommodate a two-story side and rear addition.

2109 W. Wilson Ave., Ravenswood. Photo Credit: Google Maps

#100956171

Date Received: 03/14/2022

Ward: 20th Ald. Jeanette Taylor

Applicant: McDonagh Demolition, Inc.

Owner: City of Chicago

Permit Description: Emergency wreck and removal of a two-story, multiple-unit, masonry building per an Administrative Order dated October 20, 2021, deemed to be imminently dangerous to the public and in hazardous condition.

#100944882

Date Received: 02/23/2022

Ward: 47th Ald. Matt Martin

Applicant: Longford Design, Development + Construction C/O Brian Connolly

Owner: 3914 N. Lincoln

Permit Description: Demolition of a three-story masonry building.

#100946230

Date Received: 12/3/2021

Ward: 40th Ald. Andre Vasquez

Applicant: Alpine Demolition Services, LLC

Owner: Doris Eneamokwu

Permit Description: Opening of closed existing windows, install new window frame and glazing, repair existing glazed brick as needed (tuckpointing) [removal of ornamental masonry panel]

"As of September 2, 2021 it seems that the beautiful terra cotta face that has looked down over Devon Avenue for more than 100 years is no more. No one is quite sure what happened, but there was scaffolding on the building and someone was chipping away at it in the morning, and it was gone by the afternoon. And the Assyrian American Association name is no longer on the building either.

"The New Devon Theater, with its distinctively austere glazed block façade featuring a large arch and a large bust of a woman’s face, was built in 1912, and was quickly eclipsed by the nearby Ellantee Theater. It disappears from news listings after October, 1917.

"By 1923 it had been converted to a Ford dealership. By 1936 it had become an American Legion hall. In the 1950s it operated as a radio and TV store. Since 1963, it has served Chicago’s Assyrian community as the home of the Assyrian American Association of Chicago." Cinema Treasures.org

“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.

"We’re intrigued by a preservation group’s plan to save a seemingly doomed pair of Loop office buildings by turning the towers into a local archives center.

"As first reported by the Sun-Times’ David Roeder this week, Preservation Chicago has lined up 20 religious orders, including Dominican University in River Forest, that are interested in converting the Century and Consumers buildings, 202 and 220 S. State St., into the proposed Chicago Collaborative Archive Center.

"Museums and other non-religious entities could have space there also, said Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller.

"The buildings’ owner, the federal General Service Administration, ought to give a proper hearing to this proposal — or any other legit, preservation-minded efforts aimed at saving these buildings.

"As we said back in 2019, rehabbing and reusing the buildings is better for State Street and downtown than the GSA’s patently wrongheaded plan to wreck the skyscrapers to build a landscaped security buffer for the neighboring Dirksen Federal Building, which sits just west at 219 S. Dearborn St.

"Historian Christopher Allison, director of the McGreal Center at Dominican University, said the proposed archive makes sense.

"'A collaborative archive of this proposed size is rare in the country,' he said. 'It would become a major hub for archive-based research and would consolidate precious sources in one space.”

"The GSA has sought demolition for the buildings since 2019, following a federal law enforcement assessment that found the reoccupied buildings could pose a threat to the Dirksen.

"The assessment caused the city to pull the plug on a $141 million redevelopment deal that would have preserved the buildings.

"The Century and Consumers’ walk to the gallows quickened in April when U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill, earmarked $52 million for the GSA to raze the terra cotta-clad towers and two small buildings between them.

"But an archive, which would have limited public access and could be designed with no windows or rooftop access overlooking the Dirksen, could preserve and reuse the buildings while addressing the federal government’s security concerns.

"There are still many questions to answer regarding the proposal, such as the cost of rehabbing the buildings and restoring their weathered, terra cotta-clad exteriors.

"And given that archives are not money-makers, what other uses, designed to help pay the freight of it all, can be baked into any deal to acquire the structures from the GSA — without again raising security concerns at the Dirksen?

"Fortunately, there’s time to consider all this and more. Under the National Historic Preservation Act, the GSA must 'identify and assess the effects its actions may have on historic buildings ... [and] consider public views and concerns about historic preservation issues when making final project decisions.'

"Public meetings are planned for this summer and would go on until next year, according to the GSA. Demolition, if it happens at all, wouldn’t occur until 2024.

"Here’s hoping that reason, good sense and preservation win out." (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 5/19/22)

"It’s been an open secret for the past decade that McCormick Place’s ragged Lakeside Center needs a major, big-ticket rehabilitation.

"Additional proof came Monday evening when a big section of the brick cladding adorning the structure’s mammoth podium suddenly collapsed and spilled onto the Stevenson Expressway ramp to northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

"The collapse is another reminder that the hall’s owner, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, needs to step up repairs at Lakeside Center and give some serious thought to the 51-year-old building’s future before things inevitably worsen.

"In April, the MPEA reported the building needs a staggering $400 million rehabilitation, including a new 19-acre roof and fixes to the hall’s parking structure, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems.

"Lakeside Center’s exterior glass — and there are acres of that, too — needs replacing, and the voluminous interior spaces need work also.

MPEA could seek state funding to rejuvenate Lakeside Center, but nearly a half-billion dollars is still a mighty big ask for a building that now represents McCormick Place’s past more than its future

"And demolishing the building and reclaiming the lakeshore on which it sits is a tough option.

"According to the MPEA, Lakeside Center’s 30,000-square foot kitchen serves the McCormick Place campus. The agency also says the building has a host of mechanical and communications equipment, and chilled air lines that service the other McCormick Place buildings also.

"When Lakeside Center was being considered for a casino site earlier this year, the MPEA responded that taking the building offline meant a $1.7 billion hall would have to be built to replace the lost meeting hall’s space and functions.

"Demolition could run into the tens of millions at least, experts tell us. And it would also likely cause a Donnybrook of a preservation battle, given the modernist building’s history — it was once among the most impressive convention halls in the nation — size, architectural significance and architects: the acclaimed Gene Summers and a young Helmut Jahn.

"It’s a civic embarrassment — and a dangerous one at that — for one of the city’s most visible and iconic structures to just up and crumble into the street like a common shack.

"But the incident could also be a call to duty, for the MPEA, the city, the state and Chicago’s considerable architectural talent to begin now mapping out a new day for the old building."

"The Laramie State Bank Building, in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, strikes an alluring profile on the corner of Chicago and Laramie avenues. A hulking, concrete box built in 1928 with ornate exterior terra cotta, it’s one of the city’s rare examples of Egyptian Revival design. Architect Katherine Darnstadt, AIA—whose firm Latent Design is working on a $37.5 million, city-supported adaptive reuse project seeking to re-envision the structure—says the enormity of the landmarked space, with the double-height banking hall and interior columns, makes it one of a kind.

"'It communicated power, finance, and trust, announcing that, ‘Yes, we are an important place,'' Darnstadt says. 'What we found interesting about the project was the idea of bringing it back to that sense as much as possible.'

"That’s no easy task after decades of disinvestment in both the building and the surrounding neighborhood. After short stints as a banquet hall and other temporary reuses, the building was foreclosed on in 2012, and the Austin neighborhood has seen its population plunge nearly 20% in the past two decades following economic and social disinvestment. Darnstadt describes entering the building as exploring a cave, with so much water damage from poor maintenance that she expected a stalactite to fall from the deteriorating plaster ceiling. The excitement she feels for this project, part of a larger vision to create a 'Soul City Corridor' featuring a blues museum and affordable housing, is palpable, with permitting expected to be complete by the end of the year.

'Honestly, it’s the dollars; it’s showing the city [is] investing in these areas,' Darnstadt says. '[It’s] a stark contrast to the previous administration, which focused on the central business district. Every component of it ties into a neighborhood strategy, instead of a single building reuse strategy.'

"When Maurice Cox, commissioner of the city’s Department of Planning and Development, was discussing the city’s new Invest South/West Initiative, he described these buildings as 'sleeping beauties': buildings on formerly active commercial corridors that loomed large in people’s minds and just needed someone to reactivate them. The initiative is a $1.4 billion 10-neighborhood vision to find community-oriented catalyzing developments in oft-overlooked neighborhood corridors, including the Laramie State Bank Building.

"The projects that Darnstadt and others have embarked on or will embark on—revitalizing the modern skeletons of once-vital community and economic infrastructure—highlight the potential of adaptive reuse not just to ring a classic building back to life but to heal a void in one of the city’s disinvested neighborhoods. Often, these projects an be completed with a speed and more economical cost that make them a key part of larger development strategies. It’s a running theme both across the nation and especially in Chicago: The resurrection of the South Side Pullman neighborhood, a worker’s village erected by railroad magnate George Mortimer Pullman, has become a national monument and magnet for millions in economic development. The continuing art and preservation work of local artist and professor R. Theaster Gates, whose Rebuild Foundation has created cultural and community hubs in the city’s Grand Crossing neighborhood, dovetails with the recent news that one of the city’s postmodern gems, the spaceship-like James R. Thompson Center, will be spared the wrecking ball and transformed via a $280 million restoration into a new vital downtown destination with its soaring atrium intact.

"Part of the reason Chicago has so many of these projects is the age of the building stock, especially compared with cities farther west, says architect Matt Nardella, AIA, whose firm, Moss Design, recently redeveloped a bank in the city’s Northwest Side. Older Chicago buildings also offer the unique potential of transit-oriented development ordinances and the city’s fairly suburban zoning ordinance. In 2020, the city was leading the nation in the number of adaptive reuse housing projects that were underway.

"'Many of the buildings we do adaptive reuse projects with couldn’t be built as they are today,' Nardella says. By utilizing adaptive reuse’s potential for the Northwest Side bank redevelopment plan, which turned the triangular site into apartments and ground-level commercial space with a brewery and coffee shop, Moss Design was able to do a Flatiron-style building without having to provide the standard 20 parking spaces. 'The last thing we want to see is a good building be demolished,' he says."

"While building affordable housing is a hot topic, new buildings only account for about a quarter of the affordable housing market. The rest is comprised of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing, or NOAH, which falls between subsidized housing and high-rent buildings. However, that too is that risk. In Chicago, 10% of NOAH housing was lost from 2012-2019.

"One Chicago CDFI has been working to preserve that housing for decades. Called Community Investment Corporation (CCI), they have a wide range of programs, including their Troubled Building Initiative, to support the acquisition, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable rental housing.

"CEO Stacie Young says they started in the ’80s by creating access to credit for primarily local owners to buy and rehab multi-family housing in historically disinvested neighborhoods, as well as for small-business owner acquisitions. They did this in part by creating funding pools of lenders with a shared-risk model. Now, they have $330 million dollars of loan capital committed by 40 lenders to preserve naturally affordable rental housing.

"They also offer a suite of services to support and educate the landlords who borrow from them, including training on best practices, resources and building code updates. The goal is to help landlords serve as better stewards of affordable buildings. Young says a survey found that half of their borrowers are people of color, and many are local.

"'We usually don’t think about landlords as businesses, but they are,' Young says. 'They need the same support.'

"Their 20-year-old Trouble Buildings Initiative (TBI) is aimed at unresponsive landlords. Instead of the city of Chicago filing code violations, TBI pulls together multiple city departments including housing, police and building, to identify at-risk structures and appoint CIC as a stakeholder to make repairs.

"One notable product of this multi-org collaborative is tax relief for multi-family housing which incentivizes low- to moderate-income owners to improve buildings while keeping them affordable. This is critical to preserving more locally-owned NOAH stock as national markets face speculation from aggressive investment groups without stake in community stability.

“Here in Chicago, we’re looking at rents of $800-$900 a month for neighborhoods without subsidy,” Young says. “And in higher-cost neighborhoods, they’re going up to $1,200-$1,700 a month. This tax incentive is a way for owners to keep rents affordable in those higher-cost markets where the rents are going up.” (Patterson, Urbanist News, 6/8/22)

"Long before North Halsted Street became the epicenter of Chicago queer nightlife, a vibrant drag scene thrived on the South Side, buoyed by jazz clubs in Bronzeville and Woodlawn.

"Jazzheads know the headliners’ names, even if the venues are now a memory. Clarinetist and bandleader Jimmie Noone played female impersonator shows at the Cabin Inn, 3119 S. Cottage Grove Ave., until the club was shut down because of a licensing dispute.

"The Kitty Kat Club, 611 E. 63rd St., was known as a haven for gay South Siders and its on-the-pulse music programs, tapping jazz talents including pianists Ahmad Jamal, John Young and King Fleming before their ascents.

"And Sun Ra and his Arkestra, icons in avant-garde jazz and Afrofuturism, backed drag shows at Queen’s Mansion, a venue which succeeded Joe’s DeLuxe, another longtime drag venue at the same address, 6323 S. King Drive.

"Venues came and went, and new genres arose to occupy jazz’s pop-cultural dominance, but drag balls stuck around the South Side through all these transformations. The buildings that housed these popular shows are long gone, driven out amid cultural and economic changes.

"Northalsted is known now for its thriving drag scene — but drag events flourished on the South Side starting in the 1930s.

"The South Side’s longest-lasting and most famous drag event was Finnie’s Masquerade Ball, a racially integrated Halloween drag show founded in 1935 by Alfred Finnie, a gay, Black man-about-town. A gambler, Finnie was killed after one of his bets went south in 1943, but the ball he founded continued for nearly 50 more years in various venues.

"The Jewel Box Revue — a touring impersonator troupe long emceed by Stormé DeLarverie, a lesbian and drag king later credited with inciting the Stonewall uprising — held extended residencies on the South Side from 1958 to 1966.

"Singer and drummer Earl 'Teddy' Thomas, now 92 and living in South Holland, played in a trio backing the Jewel Box Revue in its short-lived but popular stint at the Roberts Show Lounge, 6620 S. King Drive.

"'It was a great show — very entertaining, very well-received. Some performed as Sarah Vaughan, some as Dinah Washington. … They imitated all the stars, and they did it well,' Thomas said. “Not many clubs put on full shows. But that’s what Jewel Box Revue was.'

"The Chicago Defender remains the most thorough press record of South Side nightlife.

"From the Cabin Inn’s revues of the late 1930s to the roving Finnie’s Ball, the paper covered female impersonator shows as part of its nightlife columns. The paper gave glowing reviews to Valda Gray’s short-lived revues at the Cabin Inn border.

"There should be no reason why Valda Gray’s shows are not considered the best on Chicago’s great South Side,' a Defender writer said in 1939." (Edgar, Block Club Chicago, 6/30/22)

"The small settlement of single-family homes huddled just south of the Stevenson Expressway’s Cicero exit may no longer be the swampy marsh it was when Dutch farmers arrived more than 120 years ago. But some residents still call the tiny hamlet in Garfield Ridge by its early name: Sleepy Hollow.

"There are no plaques or markers to commemorate the tiny Southwest Side village, but Sleepy Hollow is itself a living remnant of the area’s early pastoral history when it was one of dozens of independent, free-standing communities that sprang up during Chicago’s 19th-century industrial boom. Each with its own early identities, local characters and points of interest.

"The city’s current map of 77 communities and neighborhoods was created by the University of Chicago’s Social Science Research Committee in the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to create order and identity and ease the census-taking process. But some old neighborhoods pop up in online maps, revealing glimpses into former lives.

"One hundred and eighty years ago, the mostly rural area around Armitage and Grand avenues was known as Whiskey Point thanks to the saloon George Merrill opened to farmers and travelers out of his family home. Around the same time, a subdivision in north Lincoln Square became known as Bowmanville after a local hotel innkeeper and swindler who sold plots of land he didn’t own and skipped town. Nearby, a part of the North Center community was known as Bricktown for the brick quarries in the area. All three can still be found on online maps despite no longer existing.

"Experts say every corner of the city is awash in defunct names and neighborhoods that disappeared. The names come from old settlements that preceded modern Chicago. Some were communities built on commuter transit lines in the rapidly expanding city. Others were the creations of real estate agents eager to create branding for new housing construction.

"'It’s layers-upon-layers of names, often overlapping and in conflict with each other. All come from different origins, circumstances and periods of time,' said Tim Samuelson, the city’s emeritus historian, who has done exhaustive research on neighborhood names and how they came to be. It was a daunting task given how many cropped up across the city and how some disappeared completely while others lingered.

"'The deeper you dig, the more you’ll find! It never ends. My head swims just trying to write this,' Samuelson said in an email.

"'Some were originally named to reflect familiar places of origin for dominant immigrant ethnic groups, but the names can still solidly remain when the dominant population group changes,' Samuelson said, citing Pilsen, which now has a large Mexican population but was named by Czech immigrants." (Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5/29/22)

"Lisa Burback lived in a Chicago Bungalow growing up on Chicago’s North Side, learning over those formative years it was more than just a roof over her head.

"'My dad made sure I understood how special it was that we had that kind of house,' she said. 'He pointed out changes that previous owners had made, and said it’s our job to take care of it before handing it off to the next owners.'

"It’s a lesson she took with her when she moved from the North Side to Pullman in 2016, buying a 19th century worker’s cottage in a neighborhood she had only recently become aware of.

"The spirit of being a caretaker of history is a natural fit in her role as the newest park ranger at Pullman National Monument, Chicago’s only National Park Service property.

"Moving from the bustling North Side to 'the very far reaches of the South Side' constituted a lifestyle change, Burback said.

"'I didn’t know what I was getting into,' she said. 'The community is so involved. You can’t walk down the street without people checking in on you, saying hi, seeing what you’re up to. Living in that kind of small-town environment was new to me, and it’s great.”

"'The community has come to gather so much around the national park,' Burback said. 'We’re so engaged with visitors and making sure everyone has a good experience when they come here.

"'This is not a regular neighborhood, this is a living historical park, and people take that seriously.'

"Though Burback has wholeheartedly embraced the neighborhood, she’s still a relative newcomer to Pullman. But her job gives her the chance to preserve the stories of the area’s lifelong residents through oral history interviews.

"She recently interviewed some longtime residents who had first alerted authorities when the Pullman clock tower building caught fire in 1998.

"'She was involved in plans to make it a transportation museum, and watched that literally go up in flames,' Burback said. 'It was very emotional to hear them tell it.'

"Burback also has met descendants of Pullman Porters and other factory workers, and even a few old-timers who used to work at Pullman themselves and who were very interested in 'making sure the workers’ side of the story is told,' Burback said.

"There are lots of historical facets to Pullman National Monument, but on a personal level, the people of Pullman have had the greatest impact.

"'History is here for everyone to learn and is accessible through books and tours, but experiencing the community here has changed my life,' she said. 'It changed my career, and my personal life.

"'There’s nothing else like this in Chicago. I don’t know anywhere else in a major urban center where you can feel like you live in a small town." (Eisenberg, Daily Southtown, 6/5/22)

"Imagine touring 50 of Chicago’s most striking homes. No need to knock or ring. Here’s your chance to take a ramble through imposing stair halls, lavish dining rooms, inviting bedrooms, and more!

"At Home in Chicago: A Living History of Domestic Architecture is the first extensive look at the city’s most private residences. You’ve probably heard of some of these places: Frank Lloyd Wright’s sleek Robie House (shown above), H. H. Richardson’s urban residential masterpiece - Glessner House, Mies van der Rohe’s groundbreaking 860-880 Lake Shore Drive, and Jeanne Gang’s sublime Aqua Tower. But most of the residences featured are off-limits to Chicago’s famous architectural tours.

"This presentation will be given by author Patrick Cannon and photographer James Caulfield. Cannon has had a long career as a publicist, journalist, and editor and has led tours of Chicago-area architecture for more than four decades. James Caulfield is a professional photographer with more than 30 years of experience concentrating on everything from architecture to food and beverage. He has also restored a bank in Chicago, a Midcentury Modern home in Glencoe, and a bungalow in Berwyn. This is the sixth book on architecture published by the duo.

Copies of the book will be available to in-person attendees for purchase and signing.

At Home in Chicago: A Living History of Domestic Architecture

Thursday, July 21, 2022

7:00 to 8:00 PM

Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Avenue Chicago

$12 per person / $10 for members

Unity Temple Guided Interior Tours

Unity Temple Audio Self-Guided Tour

Unity Temple In-depth Tour

Unity Temple represents a defining moment in Frank Lloyd Wright’s early career. Designed in Wright’s Oak Park Studio, it is considered the greatest public building of the architect's Prairie era. Discover how the harmony of the building’s strikingly geometric architecture and decorative elements exemplifies Wright’s theory of organic design. Unity Temple is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

"Enjoy views of the historic homes of Edgewater in our own unique outdoor museum. Edgewater has three historic districts designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior and many blocks filled with historic homes.

"There is a limit of 20 in each tour. Our tour guides, who will have microphones, will lead you through the tour, and share with you our researched brochure. Face masks are recommended but optional. The fee for each tour is $15, which supports the Edgewater Historical Society Museum.

• Surprising Broadway - June 12 at 1:00 p.m.

• Surprising Broadway - July 30 at 1:00 p.m.

• Edgewater Beach North - June 16 at 6:30 p.m.

• Edgewater Beach North - July 6 at 6:30 p.m.

• Bryn Mawr - June 22 at 6:00 p.m.

• Bryn Mawr - July 20 at 6:00 p.m.

• Edgewater Glen - June 23 at 6:00 p.m.

• Edgewater Glen - July 28 at 6:00 p.m.

• Edgewater North - June 26 at 11:00 a.m.

• Edgewater North - July 30 at 11:00 a.m.

• Magnolia Glen - June 29 at 6:00 p.m.

• Magnolia Glen - July 21 at 6:00 p.m.

• Lakewood Balmoral - July 14 at 6:00 p.m.

• Lakewood Balmoral - July 27 at 6:00 p.m.

• Discover the Art Underfoot - July 23 at 10:30 a.m.

• North Magnolia Glen - July 24 at 1:00 p.m.

• Edgewater Beach Hotel - Aug 14 at 1:00 p.m.

• Andersonville - Aug 20 at 11:00 a.m.