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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks to our donors, we can continue to make Chicago a better city. Preservation Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit so your donation is tax-deductible as permitted by law.

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The Preservation Chicago 2023 Chicago 7 Most Endangered presentation was presented to a hybrid audience, both live in-person audience and a simultaneous virtual audience of approximately 400 people on March 8, 2023. The in-person audience was comprised of reporters, funders, board members, preservation partners, staff and Chicago Architecture Center members at the Chicago Architecture Center's Joan & Gary Gand Lecture Hall. We anticipate that this hybrid format, with live in-person audience and live virtual simulcast will become the standard moving forward as it allows maximum attendance and flexibility.

Ward Miller's 2023 Chicago 7 Most Endangered presentation was fast-paced, information-packed, and engaging. Beautiful photos and embedded media made the presentation visually rich and compelling. For those who missed the live event, the entire one hour presentation was recorded and has been posted on Preservation Chicago's website and YouTube channel. This year’s Chicago 7 is dedicated to the memory of Chicago philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus, and Pauline Saliga, former Executive Director of the Society of Architectural Historians.

The Chicago 7 Most Endangered 2023 reporting has been robust with coverage with many articles appearing in print, web, radio and television. This is media coverage is important as it powerfully amplifies the the message.

Since 2003, the ‘Chicago 7 Most Endangered’ has sounded the alarm on imminently threatened historic buildings and community assets in Chicago to mobilize the stakeholder support necessary to save them from demolition.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Chicago 7 Most Endangered program, a brief retrospective will highlight notable wins and losses. "Once a Chicago 7, always a Chicago 7," until its saved or lost. See all past Chicago 7 at Preservation Chicago's website.

“Despite seemingly impossible odds, the public interest generated by the Chicago 7, coupled with devoted advocacy, has resulted in a remarkable number of preservation victories over the 20 years,” said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago.

“The very identity of Chicago is tied to our historic buildings and the stories they tell,” said Eleanor Esser Gorski, CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center. “These are the architecturally and culturally significant structures and spaces that give our city its character. By partnering with Preservation Chicago, we’re spotlighting some of the most urgent issues facing our historic built environment today, and we are honored to host our friends for this much anticipated annual announcement.”

Founded in 2001, Preservation Chicago is a non-profit organization devoted to leveraging the power of Chicago’s historic built environment to create, nurture, and protect healthy, vibrant, diverse, and sustainable communities. From ‘lost cause’ to ‘celebrated landmark,’ Preservation Chicago has become a powerful agent of change and our impact continues to tangibly and significantly make Chicago a better city.

Preservation Chicago is committed to strengthening the vibrancy of Chicago’s economy and quality of life by championing our historic built environment. Preservation Chicago protects and revitalizes Chicago’s irreplaceable architecture, neighborhoods and urban green spaces. Through advocacy, outreach, education and partnership, we influence stakeholders to pursue creative reuse and preservation-sensitive outcomes.

The Preservation Chicago 2023 "Chicago 7 Most Endangered" Full Video (Length 3:58) Image credit: Preservation Chicago

The Preservation Chicago 2023 Chicago 7 Most Endangered Video Short (Length 1:00) Image credit: Preservation Chicago

20 Years of the Chicago 7: Incredible Wins, Tragic Losses, and Those Still Endangered. (Length 5:45) Image credit: Preservation Chicago

The Full Announcement and Presentation of the Preservation Chicago 2023 "Chicago 7 Most Endangered" (Length: 64 Minutes) Image credit: Chicago Architecture Center

In 1975, nightlife organizer Robert Williams purchased the commercial warehouse building at 206 S. Jefferson Street with hopes to transform it into a nightclub comparable to the best dancefloors in New York City. After a two year of renovation and with one of best sound system available, the Warehouse opened as a three-level nightclub. A membership-only venue, the Warehouse became wildly popular, initially with Chicago’s Gay Black community as a place of dancefloor liberation, and later become popular for a wide range of Chicagoans.

Prior to the opening of The Warehouse, Williams recruited his friend and fellow New York City nightlife figure, Frankie Knuckles, to be the club’s resident DJ. Knuckles spent the next five years honing a new style: a revolutionary dance sound that blended disco, electronic, soul, and gospel music. The Warehouse became known in Chicago as one of the best places to hear this developing sound which later took its name from the nightclub itself, and ultimately become known as “house music.”

From The Warehouse at 206 S. Jefferson Street, house music quickly spread across the globe. It emerged as one of the biggest and most successful genres in music for decades to come and became the basis for countless pop hits and revolutionizing how music sounded forever. Knuckles became a world-renowned producer due to the fame earned from his time developing house music at The Warehouse. His groundbreaking impact, as well as the overall impact of the house sound, on the world of music was deep and lasting. Outside of The Warehouse’s important place in music history, it is also a notable site of Black Gay history, a significant heritage whose commemoration that has often been overlooked within the built environment.

The Warehouse is located in the West Loop where teardowns of historic industrial structures have been occurring at a rapid pace. When the structure recently sold in December 2022, the listing noted both the building’s history and the opportunity to clear the site for new development. The new ownership has been unresponsive to persistent outreach by Preservation Chicago.

Despite its extraordinary significance to Chicago music and cultural history, The Warehouse has no protections against alteration or demolition. Preservation Chicago urges the City of Chicago to take urgent steps to initiate Chicago Landmark Designation to fully recognize and protect this highly significant site of Chicago music history. The Warehouse should be protected as a symbol of the rich history of Chicago’s Black Gay community, the incredible story of house music, and the groundbreaking impact that Frankie Knuckles had on the sound of modern music today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Century and Consumers buildings have led Preservation Chicago's annual list of most endangered spaces two years in a row. Designed by Jenny, Mundie & Jensen, the Consumers Building, a 22-story structure at 220 S. State St., opened in 1913. The Century Building, a 16-story building at 202 S. State St. designed by Holabird & Roche, opened two years later. The two structures represent the final years of the Chicago School of architecture, before the sleek, art deco style became popular.(Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 5/13/23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Feds began tearing down a vacant three-story building on South State Street this week, but preservationists may have stayed the demolition of adjacent, century-old skyscrapers that were next on the list — at least for now.

"Sandwiched between the historic Century and Consumers buildings, which were granted preliminary landmark status by the city last week, the smaller building had deteriorated so badly that the General Services Administration, which manages government-owned buildings, said the facade was in danger of collapsing on its own.

"The demolition, which will take four to six weeks, will not affect the co-owned towers, but their fate remains uncertain at best.

"The razing of the three-story building formally began on Sunday and will cost nearly $3.2 million, which is part of the $52 million appropriation, the GSA said Tuesday.

"Fenced off and obscured from view, the doomed century-old building at 208-212 South State St. once had some historic significance as well, Miller said. Designed by Marshall & Fox, the Chicago-based architects behind the Blackstone Hotel, Drake Hotel and other iconic buildings, it was 'slipcovered' by various remodeling projects over the years, rendering it a shell of its former self.

"Left to decay under the federal government’s stewardship, there is nothing left to save, Miller said.

"The adjacent towers, while also in disrepair, are an entirely different story, he said.

"'The prize is the Century and Consumer buildings,' Miller said. 'State Street is meant to be a street of grandiose, fabulous buildings that take your breath away. There are so many great buildings that are landmarked or should be landmarked, including these two.'

"Legislators approved a $52 million earmark last year to tear down the vacant Century and Consumers buildings in the 200 block of South State Street, which the government acquired in 2007 as a security buffer and potential federal office expansion behind the adjacent Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.

"The steel-framed, terra cotta skyscrapers, decaying monuments to the Chicago School of Architecture, have topped Preservation Chicago’s annual list of the most endangered historic structures for two years running. Last week, the nonprofit group achieved a significant victory when the buildings received a preliminary landmark recommendation from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

"Preservation Chicago is proposing an adaptive reuse as a collaborative national archives center for religious groups and other organizations, but the GSA is focused on demolition, with “no federal funds available for rehabilitation, preservation, or restoration of buildings,” according to previously issued public notices.

"It remains to be seen if a Chicago landmark designation would change those plans." (Channick, Chicago Tribune, 4/19/23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend that City Council designate Promontory Point as a city landmark; a decision met with jubilation from preservation advocates and city officials alike.

"For more than 22 years community members have organized around preserving the Point’s limestone stair-step revetment from both lakefront erosion and city-proposed demolition. In the past, the city has proposed replacing the park’s stone perimeter with concrete and steel, as has been done along the rest of Chicago’s lakeshore; these proposals have routinely been met with considerable pushback.

"City landmarking means that the Commission on Chicago Landmarks will review any proposed alteration, demolition or new construction at the Point. Effectively, landmarking establishes an overlay of local oversight and scrutiny of the project's design and construction, which must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties as provided through the National Historic Preservation Act.

"The Promontory Point Conservancy, a nonprofit that advocates for the park’s preservation, particularly the limestone, celebrated the unanimous vote in a statement on Thursday. 'The stage is now set for the City (CDOT), the Chicago Park District and the U.S. Army Corps to work openly with the community to fix the historic limestone revetment at the Point instead of destroying it. There is now a shared, common preservation language … for a common, shared plan for fixing the historic limestone revetment.'

"Other meeting attendees, including Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th), representatives of Preservation Chicago and Landmarks Illinois, alongside commissioners shared the good spirits.

"'The community, you just kept showing up, and it's made all the difference,' said Commissioner Suellen Burns. 'This is one of the best examples I've seen of folks coming together. Finding common ground and achieving something that will really be extraordinary.'

"Jack Spicer, co-founder of the Promontory Point Conservancy opened his statement with, 'As Mr. Rogers would say, 'It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.' We've waited so long for this.'

"Spicer then said, 'I just wanted to be really clear to everybody that for 23 long, long years (Ald. Hairston) has supported the community in their efforts to save the limestone revetment at Promontory Point. She's going to be ending her aldermanic career soon and this is a high note for that to end on.' (Monaghan, Hyde Park Herald, 3/9/23)

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

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

"As children, my friends and I often raced across the rocks churned by the waves of Lake Michigan into mountains, crevices and caves. We didn’t feel little. We felt wild, sure-footed and daring. When the rocks ran out, we leapt from the boulders into Lake Michigan.

"I have many memories of Promontory Point growing up. It’s the place that raised me. But my relationship with this human-made peninsula in the Hyde Park neighborhood has been haunted by the possibility of its destruction — with each summer marked by new 'Save the Point' signs as local activists fought city government’s attempts to tear down the point’s historical limestone revetment and replace it with the concrete that encircles much of Chicago’s lakefront. Now, at long last, Promontory Point is on the cusp of receiving true protection as a city landmark.

"If all goes smoothly, the full City Council will vote April 19 to make Promontory Point a Chicago landmark. As a new cohort of aldermen fills the chamber, including many freshman council members, it’s relevant to review why achieving landmark status would be an important victory for community activism, historical preservation, public art and waterfront access.

"The limestone revetment, built in the 1930s, is the only remaining remnant of a huge public works project to protect Chicago’s shoreline. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Promontory Point beautifully displays uniquely Chicago urban design. This alone makes it worthy of preservation, yet the limestone also contains an intimate record of the people who built a community on these rocks.

"Promontory Point is unique among Chicago’s erosion barriers in that it functions as a beach. The stone steps offer a sense of seclusion, water access and a smooth texture to sunbathe not afforded by the city’s concrete. The result is a stark difference in public use. Even the most heavily trafficked concrete installations exist as walkways only, and outside of downtown, the concrete revetment is hardly used at all. The vast slabs of concrete lie empty and sterile. Contrast this with the point, designated by the city’s most serious swimmers the best place for open water swimming, and where beach games, BBQs and sunbathing reign all summer.

"Preserving the peninsula’s limestone design, by voting for Promontory Point’s landmark status, is an opportunity for the new City Council to stand for grassroots movements, for historical and artistic preservation, for access to the waters that have defined our great city and for wild sure-footed daring. (Gross, Chicago Tribune, 3/27/23)

"Judy Blatherwick and her family put in decades of work restoring their graceful, Italianate wood-frame home in Lincoln Park, but after selling the nearly 150-year-old building to a local real estate titan, it now faces demolition.

"'There has been a lot of love put into this house, and it’s a living, breathing piece of Chicago history,' the 79-year-old said. 'Tearing it down will leave a gaping hole in the streetscape.”

"She can’t hide her sorrow over the possibility her home will be demolished to make a side yard or new mansion, and the loss of so much work and history. She and her husband, who passed away in 2010, spent years replenishing the interior, finding new mouldings, replacing window casings discarded by previous owners and painting it in vibrant colors

"The home at 2240 N. Burling St., part of the national Sheffield Historic District, is one of the few remaining wood-frame homes built in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

"The building’s new owner is Thaddeus Wong, Blatherwick’s neighbor for many years and the co-CEO of @properties | Christie’s International Real Estate, one of the nation’s largest residential real estate firms. He filed for a demolition permit in November, but city officials nearly three decades ago gave 2240 N. Burling an orange rating, reserved for properties that may be historically significant, and that put a 90-day hold on the permit.

"In the meantime, Preservation Chicago launched a petition drive to save the home, garnering more than 2,000 signatures, and plan to ask the Commission on Chicago Landmarks at its Feb. 9 meeting to either further delay the demolition or make 2240 a local landmark, hopefully saving it for future generations.

"'It’s a unique building, finely crafted and detailed,' said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago. 'It represents what the city looked like before and just after the Chicago Fire.'

"The possible teardown fits a pattern seen across Lincoln Park, according to preservationists. Longtime residents sell out, and new owners, frequently very wealthy, demolish and replace old properties with imposing mega-mansions or use the spaces as side yards. Hundreds of homes were lost this way in recent decades, including ones with orange ratings. And unless more protection is offered, perhaps by making the entire district a local landmark, advocates say the neighborhood will lose the elegance that attracts so many eager buyers, as well as its few remaining affordable units.

"'There just aren’t that many wood-based houses like 2240, mostly because, for obvious reasons, wood construction became less common after the Chicago Fire, but this is not just about the architectural significance of an individual house,' said Landmarks Illinois Advocacy Manager Kendra Parzen. 'We’d really like to see a more complete solution for the district, because right now, the same house-by-house fight keeps happening over and over again.'

"The Sheffield historic district, first created in the 1970s and later expanded, now covers most of Lincoln Park between Lincoln Avenue on the east and Clybourn Avenue on the west, but the designation doesn’t provide protection to individual buildings, Parzen said. Between 1993 and 2019, more than 350 buildings, roughly one-third of its stock, were either demolished or significantly altered, often transformed from three-flats or other multifamily properties into single-family homes or new condominiums.

"Lincoln Central Association, the local community organization, is also fighting to save 2240 N. Burling. According to the organization’s December newsletter, its loss would continue a decadeslong process that led teachers, firemen and other service workers to leave the neighborhood.

"Mid-North Association President Melissa Macek said securing local landmark status for the neighborhood would provide more protection for vulnerable properties. She lives several blocks east in the Mid-North District, a local landmark area, and its 19th-century brick rowhouses, Queen Anne-style homes and several pre-Chicago Fire workers’ cottages are largely protected.

"'I want my daughter to be able to see all this architecture when she grows up,' she said. 'People need to raise their voices, otherwise it will be gone.'

"City officials have picked three projects totaling 1,000 apartments to kick off their push to revive the beleaguered LaSalle Street business district by providing subsidies to developers that convert office buildings there into mixed-income housing.

"The developers of the projects at 111 W. Monroe St., 135 S. LaSalle St. and 208 S. LaSalle St. are seeking a combined $188 million in tax-increment financing from the city, money they say they need to make the developments financially feasible. In return, the developers would set aside nearly 320 apartments for low- and moderate-income renters.

"Mayor Lori Lightfoot is betting that the initiative, known as LaSalle Reimagined, will spark a wave of development and create new energy in the central Loop, which has suffered greatly since the beginning of the pandemic more than three years ago as many office professionals have worked remote or hybrid schedules. The downtown office vacancy rate hit a record high at the end of 2022, but the downtown apartment market remains healthy.

"'The LaSalle Street corridor is a vital economic engine for our entire city, and we must ensure it remains that way by transforming it from a homogenous office district into a thriving, mixed-use community,' Lightfoot said in a statement. 'By converting underutilized office space to residential units, we will make the Loop a safer, more dynamic and vibrant place to live and work.'

"City officials selected not one but two projects proposed by Chicago developer Michael Reschke, one totaling 280 units at 208 S. LaSalle St and one with 349 units at 111 W. Monroe St. that he would develop with Chicago-based Capri Investment Group.

"Reschke, chairman and CEO of Prime Group, has invested heavily in LaSalle Street over the years, developing the JW Marriott, Marriott Residence Inn and LaSalle Hotel there. He and Capri are also teaming up with Google on a major redevelopment of the James R. Thompson Center across from City Hall and is revamping an office building at 115 S. LaSalle St. where the state of Illinois plans to move.

"City officials also picked a $258 million proposal by Chicago-based Riverside Investment & Development and New York-based AmTrust Realty to build out 430 apartments in the lower floors of the landmark high-rise at 135 S. LaSalle, the former home of Bank of America.

"The city chose the developments from a short list of six proposals that developers presented to the public at the beginning of March. City officials scored each project on multiple criteria, including the amount of affordable housing created, historical preservation factors, the financial structure of the deal and the developer's ability to execute on its plan, said Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development.

"To receive TIF funds or other incentives, the LaSalle Street developers are required to set aside at least 30% of the units as affordable, more than the 20% minimum for many new high-rise residential developments in the city. The affordable units in the LaSalle Street projects will target tenants earning 60% of the area median annual income, or $50,040 for a two-person household. (Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 3/28/23)

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

"The Monroe Residences & Hotel, 111 W. Monroe St.  

The $180 million proposal from The Prime Group Inc. and Capri Interests LLC would adaptively re-use 610,000 square feet of space to create 349 studio, one-, and two-bedroom units within the upper stories of a 1910 National Register high-rise. Related improvements would include lobby renovations, a bar and restaurant, and basement parking. The proposal’s TIF request is $40 million. A separate, 226-key hotel project would proceed simultaneously within the building’s lower floors.

"The Field Building, 135 S. LaSalle St.

The $258 million proposal from Riverside Investment & Development and AmTrust Properties would adaptively re-use 750,000 square feet of space to create 430 studio, one-, and two-bedroom units within a 1934 landmark high-rise. Related improvements would include the activation of more than 80,000 square feet of multi-level retail space that could include a neighborhood grocer. The proposal’s TIF request is $115 million.

"The LaSalle Residences, 208 S. LaSalle St.

The $130 million proposal from The Prime Group Inc. would adaptively re-use 222,500 square feet of space to create 280 studio, one-, and two-bedroom units within a 1914 landmark high-rise. Related improvements would include 6,900 square feet of retail upgrades, a full-service restaurant, plus a variety of tenant amenities. The proposal’s TIF request is $33 million."  (Chicago Press Release, 3/28/23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vacant and suffering deferred maintenance since 2004, the Schulze Baking Company building needs to be renovated. Located at 40 E. Garfield Boulevard (55th Street) in Washington Park, this architecturally exuberant building was designed by Chicago architect John Ahlschlager & Son in 1914.

The Schulze Baking Company building is a beautifully designed industrial building and was thoroughly modern for its time. Its design is highlighted by a combination of its strong classical form, extensive geometric patterns and detail in the white glazed brick, vivid blue terra cotta, and exuberant Sullivanesque-inspired terra cotta ornamentation with wheat shafts, corn, and other grains.

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

"1535 N. Pulaski Road is no ordinary Chicago building. Modeled after 17th- and 18th-century Spanish Baroque style architecture, rising two stories with an ivory-colored, terra-cotta facade, the Pioneer Arcade building in Humboldt Park was once a hub for indoor recreational fun, a bowling and billiards hall that was operational for about 80 years.

"Now, the building’s ornate outsides have disguised its hollow insides since the early aughts, with more vacant years likely to come as redevelopment plans have stalled.

"The proposed project for the site is in jeopardy as Chicago’s Department of Housing has twice rejected the Hispanic Housing Development Corp.’s request for a financial letter of support to receive $1.5 million in low-income housing tax credits from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to construct 61 rental units of affordable senior housing.

"Without city support, the organization might have to leave a $6 million grant from Housing and Urban Development on the table, as well as the potential for an additional $24 million in federal rental subsidies to help the developer maintain affordability for the proposed building over a period of 40 years.

"The development corporation received a deadline extension from July 2023 to July 2024 from HUD for when it has to break ground on the project, and the group can receive only one more extension before the five-year time limit.

“We are dead in the water with the project,” said Hipolito “Paul” Roldan, president and CEO of the Hispanic Housing Development Corp. “We don’t know whether HUD would give us another extension on top of this, given the city has not expressed interest in supporting (our project).”

"The $6 million grant came from HUD’s Section 202 funding, money that is earmarked for supportive housing for low-income elderly residents. For HUD’s fiscal year 2020 funding round, 37 projects out of 132 applicants were selected for grants totaling around $150 million, with the Hispanic Housing Development Corp.’s project the only one in Illinois. (Kane, Chicago Tribune, 3/8/23)

"In its current state, the building’s exterior is mostly intact, with only very minor alterations to the main facade. On the interior, the bowling lanes and billiards hall have been significantly altered with no historic significance remaining. In an unusual circumstance, the building came before the commission with a redevelopment plan to demolish the back portion of the building and use the front section as part of a new development by Hispanic Housing Development Corporation.

"With UrbanWorks serving as the architect, the plan calls for the restoration, repair, and integration of the front 35 feet of the Pioneer Arcade, with the rear 85 feet set to be replaced with six stories of senior housing. This new addition will be setback significantly from the street and a new building planned for the vacant site south of the Pioneer Arcade will also be setback from the historic building for visual relief. The muted palette of the new design does not aim to compete with the Pioneer Arcade facade.

"The developers have received site plan approval from DPD under the property’s existing Planned Development and came to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks consenting to the designation. While a designation usually covers the entire building, there are precedents for the landmarking of a building where it is partially demolished for new construction." (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 11/8/22)

After over a decade of vacancy, the Pioneer Arcade received Final Chicago Landmark approval on December 8, 2022. This protection is long-overdue and essential to protect its beautiful ornate facade as part of an adaptive reuse project. The Pioneer Arcade was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2015 and Preservation Chicago has made many attempts over the years to advocate on behalf of the building. We applaud the Chicago Department of Planning and Development for encouraging to the developer to pursue adaptive reuse and Chicago Landmark designation. We encourage the Chicago Department of Housing to prioritize this supportive housing redevelopment, especially since it is the only HUD Section 202 allocation in Illinois.

"The overhaul of the former Lawson House YMCA is taking shape after more than a year of construction.

"Developers hosted a walkthrough of the property, 30 W. Chicago Ave., last week, giving a first glimpse into the renovation, which started in December 2021.

"The 24-story art deco building is being transformed into 406 apartments for low-income renters. The $122 million project in the heart of the Gold Coast will include residential amenities, on-site social services and ground-floor retail.

"Many of the rooms get natural light. Rooms are 145-160 square feet complete with a kitchenette and a bathroom, something the previous units did not have. Each unit will be furnished with a twin bed, drawers, kitchen table and chairs.

"Part of the 19th floor roof is being converted into a rooftop terrace with a bathroom and a food prep area. The roof will also be used as program space for social service organizations, developers said.

"Historical elements are being preserved on the third floor, such as a small chapel room with stained-glass windows.

"Lawson House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, dates to 1931. It was built as a gift to the YMCA from Victor Lawson, publisher of the Chicago Daily News.

"The building first operated as a full-service hotel with social services to help people through the Great Depression before shifting to housing after World War II. The Lawson House was once the largest single-room-occupancy building in the city with 583 apartments.

"The Lawson House sold to developer Peter Holsten in 2014 for $1 with an agreement in place to keep the building as affordable housing for at least 50 years. The renovation is being completed by Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation and Holsten Human Capital Development." (Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 3/3/23)

"The future of the long vacant Ramova Theatre is coming into clearer focus as work progresses to turn the 1920s movie house in Bridgeport into an entertainment complex.

"Work is slated to wrap up this year on the massive redevelopment project, which will turn the Ramova Theatre, 3518 S. Halsted St., into a concert venue, restaurant, brewery and events venue, developer Tyler Nevius said.

"The Ramova is nearing its second act after sitting vacant for more than 30 years. Developers and officials are hoping its revival will be a destination and economic engine in Bridgeport.

"'It’s going to be a big economic boom, make for a second major attraction in the ward' after Sox Park, Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) said. 'This performing space is going to be a beautiful rounding out of things to do in the neighborhood.'

"Once a movie palace that anchored the Halsted Street corridor, the Ramova will soon be revived. Its main feature will be a 1,800-capacity concert venue.

"The portion of the building that housed the movie theaters is being converted into a performance hall with three tiers of standing-room areas on the main floor and a 'thrust stage' that juts out into the crowd, said Pete Falknor, director of operations for the Ramova.

"The concert venue will have balcony space, including one that will make use of the old movie projector rooms, the development team said.

"It is the latest concert venue to open in Chicago, following Radius near Pilsen and the Salt Shed, another redevelopment of a historical structure into an entertainment complex. Ramova will book national touring acts for its concert space, Falknor said.

"A revived Ramova Grill will also inhabit the theater complex. The beloved diner is being resurrected by Bridgeport native Kevin Hickey, chef-owner of The Duck Inn.

"A brewery, which has yet to be publicly named, will also open inside. Excavation work is underway to fit the equipment needed to brew on the site. An exterior space just south of the theater will be turned into a beer garden.

"The theater complex’s second floor is being turned into a roughly 200-capacity events space. It is being built out as a black-box space capable of hosting a variety of events, including private dinners, community events and all-ages shows.

"The city bought the theater in 2001 to preserve it for development and spent more than $350,000 on roof repairs. City leaders struggled for years to find developers who were willing to invest in rehabilitating the deteriorating structure.

"In 2020, the theater was sold to a venture led by Nevius’ Our Revival Chicago LLC and local development firm Baum Revision. Quincy Jones — a music legend, 28-time Grammy winner and South Side native — is also an investor.

"The city, which sold the complex, also pledged $6.8 million in tax-increment financing to help with what was then pegged as a $23 million project.

"'The reality is, if we want projects like this done, we’ve got to do everything we can to pave the way,' Lee said. (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 3/24/23)

"Unable to secure financing from the city or the state, the developers that planned to build 120 units of affordable housing in an empty McKinley Park warehouse have given up and put the property up for sale.

"The $41 million project might have been well underway and maybe even finished by now if it wasn't for a stinky neighbor: a controversial asphalt plant around the corner. Worried about emissions from the MAT Asphalt plant, first city and then state officials denied funding for the development, which is all but impossible without tax credits and other government subsidies.

"With a big park across the street and strong demand for low-cost housing in the neighborhood, the proposed project at 2159 W. Pershing Road, called Parkview Lofts, held promise. But it got caught in the political crossfire between community activists, MAT's owner and the city, which had been facing a backlash for allowing the facility to open in 2018. Now, nearly four years after filing its development plans with the city, the owner of the building and one next door, at 2139 W. Pershing Road, has had enough and hired a broker to sell them.

"Parkview's developers argued that the asphalt plant posed no health threat, citing a consultant's study to back up their position. And former Ald. George Cardenas, 12th, who represented the neighborhood until December, supported the development.

"But Marisa Novara, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Housing, caved into pressure from "environmental justice warriors," said Tom Brantley, one of the developers. In August 2020, the Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointee rejected about $8 million in city funding for the affordable housing project.

"They just yanked the DOH funding out from underneath us," said Brantley, president of Downers Grove-based Fifth Avenue Capital Partners. "No one at DOH pointed to anything that said, 'Here's why we can't do this.'"

"After consulting with the Chicago Department of Public Health and the city's chief sustainability officer, 'DOH ultimately concluded that funding Parkview Lofts would directly contradict our mission and values due to the site's close proximity to an asphalt plant," a spokeswoman for the department wrote in an email. 'The proposed location of the 120-unit project would diminish the quality of life of the residents due to truck diesel and asphalt odors/emissions.

"Though the DOH denied funding for the project, concerns about its location didn't prevent the Chicago City Council from approving a zoning change for it in May 2021.

"By then, the developers had moved on to the Illinois Housing & Development Authority, agreeing on a funding package with the state agency that included about $19 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits. But in mid-2022, the IHDA pulled its funding at the last minute, citing environmental concerns."

"Residents have raised numerous concerns about MAT Asphalt, built across from the community’s namesake park, but many of those same neighbors support the housing project and now are doubly upset.

"'Not only is MAT Asphalt harming our quality of life and our park, but now it’s obvious they are sabotaging the type of investment our neighborhood deserves,' said Robert Beedle, a member of Neighbors for Environmental Justice. 'It’s frustrating to keep hearing about Chicago’s commitment to investing in neighborhoods like ours, but when it comes down to it none of these plans or promises materialize.'" (Chase, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/28/20)

Preservation Chicago strongly support the adaptive reuse of 2159 W. Pershing Road as affordable housing. The negative environmental impact of the MAT Asphalt plan is well documented. It was opened without public notice or public meetings in 2018 and has been operating without a permit since 2019. The City of Chicago should close the MAT Asphalt plant and allow developers and tens of millions of redevelopment dollars to revive the long vacant Central Manufacturing District.  (Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 3/6/23)

"Further details and renderings have been revealed for the finalist of the Central Manufacturing District RFP. Located at 1769 W Pershing Road in McKinley Park just west of the intersection with S Ashland Avenue, we last covered the project in January as the city narrowed it down to three finalists with mixed-use proposals featuring everything from housing to movie studios on the multi-site lot. The Chicago Department of Planning and Development is leading the selection process with the bids being presented earlier this week at a community meeting.

"Occupying 256 acres of land in the neighborhood, the Prairie-style complex is considered the nation’s first modern planned industrial district opening in 1905. Now the city’s RFP is hoping to repurpose the easternmost building holding 571,476 square feet of space along with the adjacent 3.2-acre site with a building as well, the following are the three bids in the order they were presented:

"IBT Group LLC - Proposing to redevelop only the main building of the complex and not the adjacent site, the proposal’s largest element is carving a massive new atrium into the 350-foot by 300-foot structure. The linear atrium would allow for sunlight to reach down all of the new office space and residential units that surround it with new balconies and foliage creating an active zone. This would be capped by a 105,000-square-foot green roof with a retail space for a cafe or office, playground, and massive running track over the adjacent two historical buildings.

"While not many other details were made public, if all three rooftops were converted to parks it would provide seven acres of land most likely open to the public. As for the program we can expect 50,000 square feet of retail, a 200,000-square-foot flex lab/office space and 120 residential units of which 24 will be affordable. The overall cost would be covered via $39-63 million in debt, $12-24 million in Historical Tax Credits, $18-30 million in C-PACE funding, and more, potential TIF funds are also expected.

"Outpost Studios LLC - Hoping to build a new creative mixed-use campus, the team is seeking to attract various production types while also providing affordable housing for actors and actresses. This would be achieved by a new rooftop addition holding 49 affordable residential units topped by solar panels and a rooftop park. For the ground floor a 50,000-square-foot flex space and public food hall on the ground floor is planned along with a food truck plaza along the main entry, which would boast a new entry gate sign.

"The second floor and above would focus on production with plenty of open workspace, set construction, and wardrobe workshop spaces along with large storage rooms for each. With the third to sixth floors containing sound recording studios, an animated video studio, medium studios ranging up to 15,000 square feet, large 20,000-square-foot studios and lounges as well. The adjacent building would also become a production studio, with the developers hoping to secure $12 million in TIF, $10 million in tax credits, and $50 million in debt among others to finance the development.

"Pershing Road Studios LLC - This team is proposing the most changes to the existing structure, demolishing around 300,000 square feet of the existing building while preserving the north and east sides to be repurposed. The roughly 228,000 square feet remaining would receive a new elevator core and have 13,500 square feet of commercial space added on the northern side topped by two floors of indoor parking holding 100 vehicles. The east side of the L would contain studio back of house space on the first three floors, with the full remaining footprint holding office space on the final two floors.

"The demolished area would be replaced by two large multi-story soundstages connected to the existing by a large multi-level 20,000-square-foot shop space. The grounds would hold 200 additional parking spaces and spots for 25 production trailers, with the adjacent building being completely demolished in exchange for four additional sound stages with air locks in between them. The high-tech filming spaces would benefit from Cinelease’s reputation as they operate other studios in California, New Mexico, Georgia, New York, and Pennsylvania." (Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 3/10/23)

"@mckiesdjlounge relayed the news that there had been a partial building collapse at the former Hotel Guyon. I drove over to check it out. The first photo is what it looks like today. The second photo is from Google in 2021. You can see the brick that was there but now isn't." Tweet on March 21, 2023 from Debbie Mercer @53viroqua

"Emergency repairs are underway at the vacant Guyon Hotel in Garfield Park after bricks fell from the exterior, forcing neighbors to evacuate, officials said.

"Witnesses reported bricks had fallen from the property, 4000 W. Washington Blvd., Monday evening, said Mike Puccinelli, spokesperson for the city’s buildings department. The bricks 'caused significant damage' to occupied residential buildings next door, and firefighters evacuated residents in the damaged homes, Puccinelli said in a statement.

"The building failed an inspection in February 2022, Puccinelli said. The buildings department cited the owner for doing work on the first floor without a permit, without submitting plans by a licensed architect and with no registered structural engineer to approve the project, Puccinelli said.

"'The city will seek to add any additional violations to the court case and will request that the court order the property owner to submit a structural engineer’s report to the Court,' Puccinelli said in a statement. The Buildings Department “and the city will hold the property owner accountable in this matter.'

"The hotel was designed in 1927 by Jens J. Jensen and commissioned by J. Louis Guyon, a local businessman and dance instructor of French origin, for $1.6 million, according to Chicago Magazine. That’s about $27.5 million adjusted for inflation. The hotel hosted various radio programs over the years, including the WGRB gospel radio station and WFMT classical music station.

"It was once part of a thriving commercial, business and entertainment district on the West Side, which included Paradise Theater nearby. Disinvestment in the community and changes in ownership caused further degradation with the property.

"The hotel was converted into affordable housing in the mid-’80s. It received a visit from former President Jimmy Carter when he came to Chicago for a building rehabilitation project with Habitat for Humanity. The property had problems even then, with reports from Crain’s saying Carter stayed 'in a roach-infested room, furnished with only a couch and a milk crate.'

"Though the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is not a Chicago Landmark and therefore has no legal protections against demolition.

"The Guyon Hotel has been listed on Preservation Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered List three times.

"Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago’s executive director, thinks the building should be refurbished into affordable housing units and preserved rather than demolished entirely.

"'We need the city to step up to the plate and be a good leader,' Miller said. 'It’s so wrenching for a city that needs housing that this is deteriorating. We really need to get this building repaired.'

"Miller said the building’s state is a symptom of systemic disinvestment in the neighborhood, and he hopes to preserve it.

"'This administration knows we want to renovate this building and [Chicago Housing Authority] should step in and do the right thing,' Miller said. 'It could cost tens of millions to demolish it, so it would be better and more cost-effective to simply make it into housing again.' (Arline, Block Club Chicago, 3/22/23)

"New renderings have been released of the potential future condition of the northern lakefront as part of the Redefine the Drive efforts currently underway. Led by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the study of North Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive encompasses the area between Grand Avenue and Hollywood Avenue along the corridor.

"With extensive community engagement and design development underway, the team has released the new renders to help answer some of the questions from the public and better illustrate the potential user experience along the north lakefront. These views incorporate input from the Summer 2022 Access and Experience at the Lakefront Survey, along with the Public Life Study. (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 3/27/23)

"Transportation officials have released 20 new visuals as part of an ongoing study being done to revamp the northern leg of DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

"The 'Redefine the Drive' study aims to overhaul many parts of Lake Shore Drive, covering the seven-mile stretch from Grand Avenue to Hollywood Avenue. The newly released visuals - which do not represent the final designs - show what the changes to the roadway could look like.

"The agencies released the new visuals this month to show the proposed changes to the lakefront parks and pedestrian and bike pathways that flank Lake Shore Drive, in addition to roadway improvements.

"For example, one visualization shows adding more green space and expanding the beachfront next to Oak Street Beach. Another proposes expanding the Chicago Avenue Lakefront Plaza.

"The project also focuses on improving the eight-lane Lake Shore Drive, evaluating the condition of the 22 bridges and tunnels and making the roadway and surrounding areas more accessible. The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Chicago Department of Transportation have been leading the project since 2013.

"As a part of the study, city and state officials last year unveiled five redesign proposals: keep the existing system and giving buses “priority junction;” maintain four lanes of traffic with a new fifth lane only for buses; convert an existing lane into a bus-only lane; make an existing lane a shared lane for buses and toll drivers; or convert two of the four lanes for bus and tolls.

"The agencies will continue soliciting input from Chicago residents this year through public meetings with the community. Anyone interested in submitting feedback can email info@ndlsd.org." (Washburn, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/31/23)

Preservation Chicago is concerned that the plans for the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive appear to be heavy-handed and will adversely and negatively impact the historic winding, tree-lined nature of both the park greenspace and lakefront, extending from Navy Pier to Hollywood Avenue. Lake Shore Drive, which is part of the Chicago Boulevard System, will look and feel less like a parkway boulevard when plans are developed and much more like an interstate highway, as sections of Lake Shore Drive will inevitably be forced to comply with current highway grade standards. If these changes are made, perhaps it will come to be thought of as the Lake Shore Highway or Lake Shore Tollway.

It seems that each time Lake Shore Drive is rethought, it takes on an increasingly Interstate-quality, rather than a park-like boulevard effect. This seems to occur whenever sections of Lake Shore Drive are considered for 'improvement'. For example, the area around the old “S Curve” near Navy Pier, where traffic lanes were expanded, portions of the drive now have confusing, dark, visually unpleasant, series of upper and lower ramps. The near Another example is near McCormick Place, where the soaring flyovers ramps and viaduct-like structures have been totally rebuilt, and they look much like the Interstate highway ramps that were implemented in the 1960s, modifying the previous pastoral Lake Shore Drive.

That experience is completely different from the pleasant tree-lined boulevard which one experiences when driving past Grant Park or Lincoln Park and along one of Chicago’s most beautiful boulevards. The “improvements” near Navy Pier in the past have resulted in a highway style tangle that is discouraging to pedestrians, bike riders and even cars, trying to both enter and exit Lake Shore Drive from below.

On a variety of metrics, most of these 'heavy-handed solutions' have proved unsuccessful and many 'great improvements' have resulted in expensive ongoing maintenance. Now we are forced to spend millions of dollars to correct the bike paths that were ignored during the reconfiguration 25 years ago. That plan “pitted” cars, pedestrians and bike riders in the same path for decades. And even this project is only partially complete and is stalled at this time. This project was so poorly designed that the iconic Lake Shore Drive Art-Moderne Bridge towers are now being considered for demolition to allow the bike path to continue southward across the Chicago River.

If the currently proposed North Lake Shore Drive 'improvement' studies are accepted, it will likely result in the loss of acres of parkland in Lincoln Park, the cutting of hundreds of trees, including many bordering the Drive with a mature tree canopy to make space for extra lane expansions and straightening. Additional landfill parkland is proposed to compensate for the loss, but there is a real concern that this wildly costly new parkland will never be built.

The North Lake Shore Drive 'Improvement' proposals will also require the destruction of the thirty years ago tree-lined and flower-planted median which have now matured nicely, and are a source of pride for many Chicagoans. These mature trees and planting will all be cut down completely and destroyed.

"One of England's most popular restaurants, rated No. 1 on a world's best steakhouse list, is coming to Chicago.

"Hawksmoor, which opened its first U.S. location in New York in 2021, has targeted Chicago for its next U.S. opening in early 2024. Co-founders Will Beckett and Huw Gott debuted Hawksmoor in 2006 in London and now have eight other restaurants in that city. Hawksmoor is ranked on top of the "World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants" list, published by Upper Cut Media House based in the U.K.

"After its U.S. debut, New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells asked, "Does New York need a British steakhouse? Yes, if it's Hawksmoor."

"Beckett and Gott have leased the LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse, a 16,500-square-foot, three-floor building at 500 N. LaSalle St. that formerly housed Gino’s East and Michael Jordan’s Restaurant. The pair plans to restore the designated landmark that dates back to 1887.

"There will be a big focus on the bar, as Hawksmoor has twice been awarded “best international restaurant bar” at the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards. The restaurant will have 220 seats across the three floors and a 150-bottle wine list; the bar will have a separate menu.

"'Chicago is one of the great cities of America,' Beckett said. 'We love the restaurant scene here, and we feel inspired by the beef history. We love the building. We love bringing beautiful old buildings back to life, and this old cable car powerhouse is one such building.'

"'Great hospitality cities are driven by passion and a desire to look after people,' Beckett said. 'Those two things exist in spades in Chicago, a city we associate with artisanship and hospitality. We’re trying to build a world-class restaurant, and to make it a place where people can come enjoy what we do and feel comfortable and happy when they dine with us.' (Bendersky, Crain's Chicago Business, 3/23/23)

"The LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse is a rare surviving artifact of Chicago's cable car system, which at its peak in the 1890s was the largest in the country, operating thousands of cable cars over 82 miles of track. The powerhouse was built by the North Chicago Street Railroad Company organized by Charles Tyson Yerkes, the leading transit entrepreneur in Chicago during the late 19th century. At the height of his influence, Yerkes controlled eight separate street railway companies and 250 miles of track in the city.

"The powerhouse was constructed to house engines that moved two miles of cable through channels laid in streets on the Near North Side and in the Loop business district. Those cables, in turn, pulled the thousands of cable cars that, at the peak of their operation, brought approximately 100,000 workers into downtown Chicago each day. The LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse helped make possible the rapid development of the city's outlying North Side neighborhoods during one of the greatest boom periods in the history of Chicago." (City of Chicago Landmarks Division)

"Growing up in Back of the Yards, Jesse Iñiguez remembers the shops at 47th Street and Ashland Avenue as the place his family went for everything.

"From clothes and electronics to even the cardboard boxes he used for school diorama projects, it was all right there.

"Since then, its bustle has faded to vacant lots and empty storefronts. But a long-awaited transformation through the city’s Invest South/West program is finally getting underway, promising to bring affordable housing, a health center and retail options — including a coffee roaster helmed by Iñiguez.

"The project, called United Yards, combines two proposals for a site targeted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s signature plan to bring investment to underserved communities.

"The first proposal, from Celadon Partners and the Blackwood Group, focused on housing. The second, from Iñiguez’s group, Back of the Yards Works, focused on locally owned retail.

"Stores owned and staffed by neighborhood residents and for neighborhood residents are vital to the longevity of the project, Iñiguez said.' (Loria, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/14/23)

"Updated plans have been revealed for a mixed-use development along 47th Street in New City. The expanded design was recently reviewed by the Committee on Design and builds upon the original RFP submission for the area’s Invest South/West land. Located across five parcels centered on the corner with S Ashland Avenue, the project is being led by developers Celadon Partners and Blackwood Group, LLC with local firm DesignBridge serving as the architects.

"4701 S Ashland Avenue - Further west on the main corner is the existing Depositor’s Bank Building most commonly known for its large Rainbow clothing store on the first floor. The roughly 40,000-square-foot structure built in 1912 would be restored with its original facade including re-opening the upper floor windows. This would allow for 30 new senior housing units along with a new front for Rainbow, and a coffee shop from the Back Of The Yards Works proposal.

"4707 S Marshfield Avenue - Across the street is the former Goldblatts department store building built in 1915 and designed by prominent Chicago Architect Alfred S, Alschuler. Currently it holds over 100 assisted living units which were completed in 2014 as part of a $33 million rehab by the same developers, all of which will remain. However a new senior medical clinic, dialysis facility, and blade sign for the new project will be added. (Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 1/18/22)

"Tony Fox never planned to own a movie theater. Fox bought The New 400 Theaters and surrounding storefronts in 2007 as a redevelopment project. Two years later, he began operating the theater, which has been open in Rogers Park for more than 100 years.

"Fourteen years and thousands of movie tickets later, Fox said he’s ready to get out of show business.

"Now the movie theater is in jeopardy of permanently closing. Rogers Park resident Dona Vitale knows all about the theater’s long history.

"'The 400 Theater was originally called the Regent Theater when it opened in 1913,' Vitale said. 'And when it opened, it showed all the first-run silent films including ‘The Perils of Pauline.’'

"Digging through the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society archives, Vitale found pictures and stories of a theater that has also served as a community hub.

"At one point, there were up to 10 cinemas in the neighborhood, Vitale said. But The New 400 Theaters is the only one left.

"'It would be really good for the neighborhood if we could keep it going and operating as a theater,' Vitale added, 'so I hope there’s somebody out there that will do that.'

"I’m hoping one of the bigger movie operators comes and takes it over and keeps it as a movie theater,' Fox said. 'I can’t guarantee that, of course.'

"There’s even a neighborhood initiative called the New 400 Street Team, a group of locals holding community movie nights to keep the theater in business.

"Some residents are concerned the historic building could be demolished. But Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward) said Fox has been working with her to make sure that doesn’t happen." (Paddock, WTTW Chicago, 3/16/23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Renovation permits have been issued for the adaptive reuse of the former St James United Methodist Church at 4601 S. Ellis. Located at the southeast corner of S. Ellis Ave and E 46th St, the church is being developed by Creative Designs Builders.

"Designed by ZED Architects, the project looks to renovate an existing vacant church into a mixed-use development that features residential and office space. The old church space will be transitioned into new coworking office space. The attached original support spaces for the church will be renovated into 29 residential units." (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 2/25/23)

“That’s down from the 43 originally planned, according to owner Ibrahim Shihadeh, who cut back after seeing the “beauty” of the church’s sanctuary, chandeliers and stained glass. Instead, the sanctuary will be restored to its original condition and used as a cooperative working space. Individual offices, long tables and cubicles would combine for a total of 15 co-working spaces.

“Ald. Sophia King (4th) hosted the developers as they gathered feedback at a community meeting Tuesday evening. King said she was pleased with the group’s “good ideas” for reusing the old church building.

“I’m just happy that they want to preserve everything,” King said. “If we deal with the parking and get the blessing to go forward … the co-working space would be an enhancement to the community.” (Evans, 9/18/19)

Preservation Chicago applauds the developer for his preservation sensitive adaptive reuse. St. James United Methodist Church is a beautiful building and Preservation Chicago encourages the developer to take the steps to designate this building as a Chicago Landmark. In addition to providing it recognition and long-term protections, it could make the building eligible for a variety of funding benefits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"New details have been revealed for the mixed use redevelopment of 465 W Cermak Road in Chinatown. Located directly on the south branch of the Chicago River and on the intersection with S. Canal Street, the multi-story structure has seen its fair share of redevelopment proposals in the last few years with none coming to fruition yet. Years after 465 W Cermak Road was proposed to be turned into residences, then into a hotel with a home furnishings store, now Aurora-based Windfall Group is set to try again with a change in plans as it now becomes known as Pacifica of Chicago.

"Rising six stories above ground, the massive W.M. Hoyt warehouse building was erected in 1909 for the namesake grocery wholesaler. Designed by Nimmons & Fellows, the Prairie-style structure is located within the Cermak Road Bridge District which houses the city’s only double leaf rolling bridge. Now the area is well known for the Jefferson Square marketplace and Radius Chicago music venue, all within walking distance from the heart of Chinatown.

"The 280,000-square-foot building will be cleaned and restored, with the installation of new windows having been started by the previous owner who planned for over 200 hotel rooms on the top floors.

"The new plans, though vague, include a large retail component with riverfront access, education, dining, food hall, spa, and a grocer, all of which will be topped by over 100 residential units. Serving as a community destination like many of the developers other Pacifica projects, it will also include leisure activities, services, and cultural amenities.

"Currently there are nearby parking spaces visitors may use and the developer claims to have also purchased an additional structure on an adjacent parcel, to be used for a future second phase allowing for a comprehensive development.

"No budget nor building permits have been submitted to the city, and while the site won’t require a rezoning, it will need plan approvals and to secure funding. However it is worth noting that the Windfall Group’s website shows a groundbreaking date of spring 2023." (Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 1/13/23)

The four buildings that comprise the Cermak Road Bridge District include the Thompson & Taylor Spice Company Building at 465 W. Cermak, the W.M. Hoyt Building at 465 W. Cermak, the Western Shade Company Building at 2141 S. Jefferson and the Wendnagle & Company Warehouse at 2120-2136 S. Jefferson. This Chicago Landmark District was originally know as The Spice House District.

"Architects and maritime history lovers are raising money to restore the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, which was built in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

"The red and white lighthouse was moved to its current location off of Navy Pier in 1919 and has fallen into disrepair. Now, nonprofit Friends of The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse wants to preserve, restore and celebrate the lighthouse so future generations can enjoy its history, President Kurt Lentsch said at a meeting at the Chicago Maritime Museum.

"Over the next two to 10 years, the group members hope to turn the lighthouse into a museum and event space that people can reach by boarding a boat at Navy Pier. They expect the entire project will cost $3-$5 million, Lentsch said.

"'We could really make this something special for the city of Chicago, for the Great Lakes experience, for historical preservation. It could really work out,' Lentsch said at the Feb. 17 meeting.

"Due to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, city officials are only required to maintain the light for navigational purposes and aren’t responsible for repairing the physical structure, which has remained largely the same as when it was built.

"Members of the nonprofit are in the initial stages of this project. They are mainly focused on raising money and awareness at this point, Lentsch said.

"The group has support from city officials and is consulting with a project manager about next steps, which include determining a pin number and address for the site as well as figuring out which ward oversees it.

"These things have to happen before building permits can be granted, said Edward Torrez, an architect who’s helping lead the venture.

"Ideally, visitors will eventually be able to visit the lighthouse, climb past exhibits detailing its history — complete with artifacts — and to access an observation deck at the top. Individuals and companies could rent the space for events.

"'You would never be able to see the city from this angle anywhere else,' Lentsch said. 'Everyone should be able to experience this view of our beautiful city. The city of Chicago is so rich in its history, in its architecture, so it’s just a shame that the lighthouse is sitting out there empty right now.' (Padar, Block Club Chicago, 2/27/23)

"The Eugene S. Pike House built in 1894 is a historic home designed by Harry Hale Waterman. It is located in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago at 1826 W. 91st Street in Chicago. This picturesque home is nestled at the southern edge of the Dan Ryan Woods in Beverly, very near the 91st Street Rock Island Metra train station and facing a beautiful residential area. The home has been vacant since 2015 and is deteriorating. It is in the Ridge Historic District, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The Pike House is owned by and on land that is part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPCC). Currently, FPCC needs to find an outside user who can occupy and invest in the property through a licensing agreement. The FPCC issued a Request for Expressions of Interest on April 28, 2023.

"The Forest Preserve District of Cook County is seeking creative uses including: arts, education, non-profit, B&B, event space, etc. for the Pike House/Watchman’s Residence.

"The Ridge Historical Society and Beverly Area Planning Association have been leading the preservation advocacy effort with the support of Landmarks Illinois and Preservation Chicago.

"The Eugene S. Pike House Foundation is working with a local not-for-profit organizations that wish to submit a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) for an end use for the Pike House. The new Foundation will also submit a proposal that outlines the intention to raise awareness, funds, and assistance needed to underwrite essential repairs and updates for the Pike House.

"The Foundation welcomes volunteer assistance from area people who represent fields such as tax law, construction and restoration trades, real estate, not for profit organization, and historic preservation, as well as interested members of the community.

For more information, contact:

Debra Nemeth, Ridge Historical Society, dnemeth.rhs@gmail.com or

Grace Kuikman, Beverly Area Planning Association, gkuikman@bapa.org

"The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum will mark its anniversary this weekend with a gala and fundraiser to support its $30 million expansion and work to create the country’s first Black Labor tourism district.

"Leaders want to expand the museum inside three floors of a Pullman rowhouse at 10406 S. Maryland Ave. to include a new wing, a cafe and other features. It is part of several planned projects, including a research library, visitors plaza, community garden and women’s history museum.

"Eventually, organizers hope to rename the strip A. Philip Randolph Way, honoring the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the country’s first nationally recognized Black worker’s union made up of Pullman Porters.

"The project could break ground this spring.

"Rep. Robin Kelly, whose district includes the museum, said honoring the history of the Pullman Porters is especially important.

"'That’s really where the labor movement and the union started, from the work and the strike and the bloodiness even of what the gentleman went through that worked for Pullman and were Pullman porters,' Kelly said. 'That’s where it all began. So that’s why it’s so important to highlight as part of not only Chicago history [and] Black history, but American history.'

"Established in 1995, the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum uses photography, archival material, videos and more to teach visitors about the porters, Black men who were an integral part of George Pullman’s railcar company.

"The museum expansion will help leaders tell the story of the Pullman Porters on a larger scale, Peterson said.

"'We’ve done so much work that spills outside of the community into the region, not just even our immediate community,' Peterson said. 'We’ve outgrown our space, frankly, and we have to now expand in order to protect, preserve and interpret. That’s our mission.'

"The first phase of the work will add the Jesse Jackson Civil Rights Wing to the museum, providing “the opportunity to tell some of the stories that are there and add a couple of more,' Peterson said. That work also will add an honorary wall to list notable or famous people who are descendants of Pullman Porters.

"A new youth and young adult wing will host the museum’s young historians program, Peterson said. There, attendees will be able to also enjoy the Green Initiatives Program Division and A. Philip Randolph Advocacy Training Organization, Program Division, Peterson said." (McDonald, Block Club Chicago, 2/23/23)

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

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

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

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