May 2019 Month-in-Review Newsletter
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PARTIAL LOSS: Demolition of Crawford Power Station Underway (Chi 7 2019 and 2014)
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Crawford Power Station Demolition. Photo Credit: Mary Lu Seidel / Preservation Chicago
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Crawford Power Station Demolition. Photo Credit: Mary Lu Seidel / Preservation Chicago
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The demolition of the Crawford Station is underway, and the loss is a tragedy for Chicago. Due to the enormous scale of the building and the high quality of construction, Preservation Chicago is continuing to advocate for those portions of the building that remain standing.
On June 22, 2019 the Illinois General Assembly approved a new casino in Chicago with location to be determined. Governor J.B. Pritzker says it shouldn’t be located downtown or near McCormick Place. Preservation Chicago recommends the adaptive reuse of the Crawford Power Station the new Chicago casino. Crawford's massive structure could accommodate the new use. Additionally, the mostly vacant site is 72-acres so there is ample room for parking lots and other new construction and it has excellent access to the Stevenson Expressway. The site is located on Chicago's southwest side but is close enough to be convenient to the Loop. A casino use would provide vastly more jobs and produce vastly less pollution than the currently proposed mega-truck cross dock.
Designed by architects Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, Crawford is on par with the firm’s other commissions including Chicago Union Station, Soldier Field, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago’s old Main Post Office and the Merchandise Mart (once the world’s largest building). Upon its completion in 1926, Crawford Station was considered an engineering marvel of the modern world yet the demolition permit hold was released on the very first day of its 90-Day Demolition Delay hold.
Despite strong objection from neighbors and community organizations, on March 1, 2019 the Chicago City Council voted to approve the demolition of historic Crawford Station and redevelopment of its site. Additionally, they approved a $19.7 million tax break for Hilco Development’s planned distribution center on the site. Activists from organizations including Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and the Sierra Club attended the overflow meeting at City Hall to protest the tax-break and proposed new construction. At the September 13, 2018 Plan Commission meeting, opponents loudly protested the vote before being removed from the chamber by security guards. (Cherone, Block Club Chicago, 9/13/18)
The 72-acre site will be cleared to make way for the construction of a 1-million-square-foot, cross-dock truck facility with 188 truck docks. Little Village Environmental Justice Organization Executive Director Kim Wasserman-Nieto said given the historic respiratory issues in the neighborhood from industrial pollution and diesel trucks inundating the neighborhood, the development should not receive financial incentives. (Pena, Block Club Chicago, 3/13/19)
Meleah Geerstma, attorney and Midwest director of Health Equity and Water for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the proposed replacement of coal plant pollution with a warehouse that will bring [more] diesel trucks to the neighborhood is “the wrong thing to do for the health of this community.” (Cherone, Block Club Chicago, 9/13/18)
It’s possible that this development would not have moved forward without the strong support of former 22nd Ward Alderman Ricardo Muñoz. Muñoz had not been seen at City Hall since Dec. 31, 2018 after his arrest for unrelated matters. However, he returned to City Hall for the March TIF hearing to silence the objections of fellow alderman and the community to force through the tax break for Hilco. (Quig, Block Club Chicago, 3/1/19)
After roughly an hour of questioning from aldermen about the project, Muñoz grew frustrated. “I don’t mean to cut anybody off, but for crying out loud people, this is a local matter!” (Quig, Block Club Chicago, 3/1/19)
35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, 31st Ward Alderman Milly Santiago, 45th Ward Alderman Ald. John Arena, and 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar voted against the tax break. The new 22nd Ward Alderman Mike Rodriguez has not taken a public statement on the development plan.
Engineering magazine in July 1925, noted that “Probably no power station ever built has commanded greater interest during the period of its construction than has Crawford Avenue Station in Chicago.” The magazine made numerous references to the world power conference in London, England and the interest in Chicago’s new power plant.
The Crawford Station innovative technology conquered the previously difficult task of employing steam engine turbine technology to create the world’s largest electrical generators. The massive electricity production allowed Chicago to grow and prosper at a magnitude not previously seen. The success of the Crawford Station was replicated around the world, but it all began in Chicago.
The Crawford Station is composed of red-brick, stonework masonry, Modern Gothic forms and Renaissance-Revival detailing to create an eclectic mix of historic styles, now termed “Industrial Gothic.” The main Turbine Hall is a stately, massive red-brick building, resembling the front façade of a church or religious structure with its large flanking towers dominating the front facade. A mammoth three-story, arched window opening is divided with slender brick piers.
This industrial reuse plan is tragically ironic, considering the extraordinary 12-year effort to close the Crawford Station to eliminate the toxic pollution it generated. This was led by a consortium of neighborhood activists and organization such as Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Delta Institute, Sierra Club Task Force and community activists. The massive truck staging facility will generate high levels of exhaust and noise pollution.
The Little Village community’s voice has been unrepresented in these redevelopment plans. Instead of a plan that threatens the safety and quality of life of community residents and destroys important architectural history of Chicago, Hilco could be a more responsible corporate neighbor and work with the community to find a healthy balance between the company’s profits, the people’s right to live in a healthy and safe neighborhood and one that retains its historic built environment.
It is possible and essential to redevelop this site in a way that minimizes harm to the community, honors the history and architecture and yet profitable for a developer. Little Village residents should not be required to sacrifice their quality of life in exchange for a corporation maximizing its return on investment on the Crawford site.
In London, the once shuttered coal-fired plant built in 1947 was adaptively reused and is now the celebrated Tate Modern. This river-front art museum has become the third most visited attraction in the United Kingdom with 5.8 million visitors in 2016. That shuttered power planted building faced repeated threats of demolition for nearly 20 years prior to its reuse in 2000. Currently in Savannah, Georgia, the former Georgia Power Plant located on the Savannah River is being turned into a 670,000-square-foot, mixed-used development by Marriott.
Hilco recently acquired another significant property in the Pilsen community, the Fisk Generating Station at 1111 West Cermak. The company can practice profitable and sensitive redevelopment at Crawford to gear up for the same model at Fisk. Our city’s history should not be erased for these insensitive developments.
Preservation Chicago is not opposed to community-sensitive redevelopment for the Crawford site, but it strongly encourages the 1926 portion of the 72-acre campus be adaptively reused in any redevelopment plan. The historic structures could incorporate some of the existing equipment to tell a story of Chicago’s place on the world stage in the history of electricity and the production process. This concept was employed at the former Sears Roebuck headquarters on Chicago’s West Side where some of the old powerhouse equipment was integrated into the new high school, known as the Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center.
Community residents, including those involved with the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, favor a reuse on the site that retains the historic buildings and offers potentially food-related growing and production operations within those structures. Hilco could then find a use on the site’s vast vacant lands that is respectful of the community’s quality of life goals. Jobs can be created and profits can be turned without causing harm to the community and erasing our historic built environment.
The 1 million-square-foot facility proposed at Crawford would never be considered on Chicago’s North or Northwest sides, and it should not be forced on the neighbors in Little Village/South Lawndale. Residents there have endured decades of disinvestment and environmental pollution with minimal investment of City resources toward protecting its built history.
Additional Reading:
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Preservation Chicago Recommends National Park Designation for Chicago Lakeshore
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Chicago Lakefront Parks. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Jackson Park Comfort Station at South Shore Drive and 67th Street by D.H. Burnham with evidence of deferred maintenance. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Chicago Lakefront Trail. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Is it time to designate Chicago’s Lakefront and adjacent parks a National Park?
Chicago’s Lakefront and parks are a precious resource and amenity valued by nearly all Chicagoans, but periodically, politicians mistake these open park spaces as empty vacant sites awaiting development. To protect these priceless green spaces in perpetuity, Preservation Chicago is advocating for a National Park designation for Chicago’s Lakefront and parks.
In 1836, Chicago founding leaders declared our park space to be ‘forever open, clear and free.” Yet precious resources are expended both publicly and privately each time a developer threatens to violate those protections.
The goals of the National Park designation are to:
- Protect our lakefront parks and the legacy of important landscape architects like Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux, Daniel Burnham, Edward Bennett, May McAdams, Swain Nelson and Alfred Caldwell from insensitive and heavy-handed plans that could destroy the peoples’ parklands.
- Take the politics out of the parks and redirect innovative development ideas to locations within the Chicago where the developments can be successful. This avoids squandering extensive city staff resources administering ill-conceived plans that have failed after years of expensive time-consuming court challenges.
- Ensure the parks on the lakefront have good stewardship, and that the National Park Service carries the bulk of that lift with City of Chicago and Chicago Park District support. Funds are desperately needed to restore the buildings, bridges, roadways and pathways which have suffered from deferred maintenance for more than half a century.
- Protect Chicago’s lakefront parks as an urban retreat for the people of Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois and national and international visitors.
- Protect the natural landscapes to support the plant, wildlife and migratory birds which inhabit the area.
- Provide protections against inappropriate developments that may adversely and negatively impact important vistas and viewsheds in our openlands and world famous parks.
Vacant land is abundant throughout Chicago, and developers – whether for-profit or non-profit – should be looking to these lands for their future development sites. From the previous attempt to build a George Lucas museum on lakefront property to the current and expensive efforts to build the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, defenders of Chicago’s lakefront parks have to mobilize in a David and Goliath-like battle against well-funded and politically connected individuals, foundations and developers.
Additional Reading
Make Lakefront National Park, Group Urges, Samantha Smylie, Hyde Park Herald, June 5, 2019
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WIN: Pilsen Preliminary Landmark District Moves Forward, But More Community Meetings Required
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1639 S. Throop Street in Pilsen. Photo Credit: Cathie Bond / Preservation Chicago
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1730, 1732, and 1734 W. 18th Street in Pilsen Threatened with Demolition. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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After many years of advocacy, outreach and preparation, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved Final Landmark Recommendation proposed Pilsen Chicago Landmark District in May 2019. This means that the Commission has now recommended this process to Chicago City Council and committees for review, meetings and hearings, including community public hearings and educational outreach. The timing had been accelerated from the typical one-year process between preliminary and final approval to a three-month process due to the open status of a demolition permit request by a developer for three contributing properties on 18th Street. With the new preliminary protected status, the demolition permits will not be issued, unless the Chicago City Council does not vote to make it a Landmark District within 90 days.
A series of community meetings are typically conducted prior to a Chicago Landmark designation to help inform community members about the details of the designation, to educate about the benefits, and to dispel some of the common myths. However, few of these meetings were held due to former Alderman Daniel Solis being absent from public view for many months after being prominently featured in the news and linked to a federal investigation. This left the Pilsen community without the support of their elected official to schedule and conduct community meetings.
Pilsen has a dense and varied collection of historic buildings built by Bohemian immigrants in the late 19th century and early 20th century and preserved and enriched by Mexican immigrants over the past 50 years. Preservation Chicago supports the proposed Chicago Landmark designation of the many buildings of Pilsen, extending for nearly a mile-and-a-half along 18th Street, between Leavitt on the west and Sangamon on the east, and the 13 blocks bounded between Ashland Avenue, 21st Street and Racine Avenue.
Newly elected 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez wrote an op-ed published in the Chicago Sun-Times in which he neither supports nor opposes the proposed Landmark District. He acknowledged the significant threat to the community fabric of Pilsen, voiced concern regarding the accelerated process, indicated the need for additional public meetings and insisted that the voice of the community needed to be better heard.
“We need ample community input and a comprehensive understanding of the benefits, consequences and options available to ensure that this is a net benefit for our residents, many of whom are losing their apartments and homes to the lure of big money from developers. It is critical that we hold more public meetings and make an informed and responsible decision on a proposal that would determine the trajectory of a neighborhood that’s been home to generations of immigrants, Mexican-Americans, artists and families.” (Sigcho-Lopez, 5/15/19)
Preservation Chicago agrees with Alderman Sigcho-Lopez on every point. Pilsen has been under intense and sustained pressure from speculative real estate developers. This development pressure threatens the historic building stock, drives up sale and rental prices, and accelerates community displacement.
As reported by Carlos Ballesteros in the Chicago Sun-Times in “Death of a Pilsen Gift Shop,” after nearly 20 years in business, the owners of Lili’s Gift Ship located on 18th Street were forced to close after rents skyrocketed and their lease was not renewed. Unable to find another storefront in Pilsen at a rent they could afford, owners Hermalinda and Edelio Raygoza had no choice left but to sell their remaining stock at weekend flea markets.
Lili’s Gift Ship was located in one of the three buildings threatened with demolition and its pending development permit has caused the accelerated landmarking process. Despite the building’s need for major repairs caused by years of neglected maintenance, the long-time owner sold it in 2013 to a suburban real estate agent for $390,000. It was then flipped in 2014 to a Chicago-based development company for $575,000. It was then flipped again in 2016 to a suburban development company for $950,000. The current owner/developer applied for a demolition permit with plans to build a $1.5 million new building. During public comments at the Commission on Chicago Landmarks hearing, representatives of the developer suggested that the Landmark designation would prove a hardship as it would prevent the demolition of their building. The only way for them to make a profit on their speculation would be new construction, high-end tenants and high-end rents. (Ballesteros, 3/3/19)
When new construction is more profitable than the existing building, a property’s value is in the land. In this case, owners have a strong disincentive to invest anything more than the bare minimum to maintain their building as they reasonably assume that a new buyer will demolish the building regardless of its condition. By preventing demolition, a Chicago Landmark District prevents demolition and powerfully shifts the value of the property from the land to the existing historic building. Once the building becomes an important asset, building condition matters to a prospective buyer and reinvestment in building maintenance is incentivized.
When demolition of contributing buildings and new construction on those sites is prevented by historic Chicago Landmark District protections, buyers of income properties -- such as retail storefronts and apartments -- evaluate purchase price again off projected rents in the existing building versus projected rents from a newly constructed building. In general, older storefronts and older apartments rent at lower rates than new construction making these spaces more attainable and sustainable for locally owned mom and pop entrepreneurs and business owners. Had the real estate speculators based their purchase price on rent increases, profits made on subsequent sales would have been modest. The rapid increase in the real estate speculators’ purchase prices was based on the prospect of demolition and new construction.
The proposed Pilsen Landmark District encompasses a portion of the earliest boundaries of the City of Chicago, dating back to when the City was first incorporated in 1837. The community was initially settled in part by the builders and workers of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, the development of nearby railroads in the 1840s and 1850s and by the McCormick Reaper Company plant in the 1870s. Later, this was followed by other factories and industries and the construction of the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, opened in 1900, which reversed the flow of the Chicago River and diverted polluted water away from Lake Michigan. This area of Chicago’s Lower West Side has always been a port of entry into Chicago and its neighborhoods by waves of immigrants—very much like New York’s Lower East Side and Bowery District.
From the Irish and Germans to the Bohemians—Czech, Slovak and Eastern European communities, to the Latino and Mexican-Americans that have settled there over the past decades, Pilsen has an amazing richness in both its built environment and its ethnic fabric. Preservation Chicago absolutely supports and celebrates these layered histories and hopes this designation will further encourage long-term stakeholders and the diversity of this community’s fabric to remain. This Landmark District designation should also protect the incredible collection of large-scale murals and artwork located throughout the community.
Pilsen, also known as the Lower West Side and Community Area Number 31, has over 800 buildings identified as significant structures in the Chicago Historic Resource Survey (CHRS). This large number of significant buildings puts Pilsen among the top five largest community areas with the most significant historic structures identified in the entire city of Chicago. Only West Town, Lincoln Park, the Near West Side and the Near North Side have a greater concentration of these types of significant buildings. Many of those communities have multiple Chicago Landmark Districts, where Pilsen has none.
Pilsen also has some of the most intact historic streetwalls, and these are among some of the oldest in Chicago, with many structures dating to the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. These structures range in a wide variety of architectural styles from Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Romanesque, Renaissance Revival, Gothic Revival, Victorian, Workman’s Cottages and the Vernacular to name several styles represented here. Some of these buildings are defined by large corner bays, multiple groupings of dormers extending from their rooftops of the commercial buildings along 18th Street, and many exhibiting incredible craftsmanship, details and integrity. There’s also a unique selection of fine-quality buildings in Pilsen, which exhibit a certain scale and architectural quality, dating from the last decades of the 19th Century, which distinguish it from other communities and both residential and commercial districts across the City.
We’ve been honored to work with members of the community, elected officials and the City over the past four years towards this Chicago Landmark District. This outreach also includes efforts to save nearby historic St. Adalbert Church—called “the Mother Church of Chicago’s South Side Polish Community,” designed by architect Henry Schlacks.
We at Preservation Chicago wish to thank the Department of Planning & Development’s Historic Preservation Division, Commissioner David Reifman, Eleanor Gorski, Dijana Cuvalo and Matt Crawford, in addition to Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez for their efforts to bring forth a Pilsen Chicago Landmark District.
Recognizing the Illinois Bicentennial and celebrating 200 years of Statehood, we cannot think of a better honor than to recognize a unique and diverse community in Chicago with an amazing history like Pilsen and its contributions over time to our City, the State of Illinois and the Union, as a designated Chicago Landmark. We are grateful for the opportunity to fully support this proposed Landmark District and look forward to continued outreach and community discussions with the residents of Pilsen.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Demolition Threat to Lakeside Center Rapidly Emerges (Chicago 7 2016)
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Lakeside Center at McCormick Place by C.F. Murphy and architect Gene Summers in 1971. Photo Credit: Lee Bey
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Lakeside Center at McCormick Place by C.F. Murphy and architect Gene Summers in 1971. Photo Credit: ChicagoArchitecture.org
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Lakeside Center at McCormick Place by C.F. Murphy and architect Gene Summers in 1971. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Bridges at Chicago's Century of Progress World's Fair in 1933 and 1934. Postcard Credit: Chuckman Postcard Collection
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View from Proposed Rooftop Cafe at northeast corner of Lakeside Center at McCormick Place Photo Credit: Google Maps
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With little to no discussion, the Illinois State Senate approved an end-of-session bill that would allow the demolition of Lakeside Center at McCormick Place and the imposition of an expansive new $600 million tax on bars and restaurants and bars in dozens of Chicago neighborhoods. A flurry of media and social media attention brought this issue to light. Fortunately, Mayor Lori Lightfoot quickly released a statement to oppose the proposal prior to the bill being taken up by the Illinois House the following day where it was expected to pass. Exposed to light, the bill has been withdrawn. However, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the agency that oversees McCormick Place and Navy Pier, and its political allies perhaps plan to bring it up again in during the next session.
The loss of Lakeside Center would be tragic for Chicago. Lakeside Center is an extraordinary building by architecture firm C.F. Murphy and designers
Gene Summers and Helmut Jahn, both acclaimed students of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at Illinois Institute of Technology. In Lakeside Center they took Mies van der Rohe’s design principles and numerous design studies by Mies, his office and and his graduate students and applied them on an enormous, convention hall scale. The construction of Lakeside Center was an amazing feat and is on par with the City’s other superstructures of that period, specifically the John Hancock Building and the Sears Tower. However, unlike the vertically oriented Hancock, Sears and Standard Oil Buildings, Lakeside Center is a mammoth horizontal long-span
structure. The result was a monumental architectural achievement for Chicago which helped to reinforce Chicago’s title of convention city with the largest roof, convention hall and space-frame structure in the world. The first McCormick Place was a
windowless exposition hall dating from 1960, dubbed the “mistake on the lake,” was destroyed by fire in 1967. The current modernist steel and glass building was designed for the site and construction grand opening was held on January 3, 1971. The building has been featured in the book "Chicago's Famous Buildings" in multiple editions by various editors and scholars over the past 50 years since its construction.
In addition to the building’s architectural significance, it presents a wonderful opportunity for a dynamic adaptive reuse that would return this prominent lakefront location to use by Chicagoans. The Lakeside Center could be easily retrofitted into a Mid-South Cultural Center and Field House and anchored by the Arie Crown Theater for cultural and community events. The cavernous space could accommodate a wide variety of first-rate facilities all under one roof. The upper levels of the center could be used for indoor tennis courts, running track, yoga, Zumba and weights, and other recreational uses overlooking Lake Michigan, harbors and parks. The expansive lower level halls could be used for an Olympic-sized swimming pool, basketball courts, climbing walls, squash courts, roller rink, roller derby track and perhaps even a bike velodrome track. The massive rooftop could be greened and activated for jogging path, tennis courts, and basketball courts. A café located at the northeast corner of the Lakeside Center rooftop would have such incredible panoramic views of the city and lakefront that it would likely become a must-see destination for locals and tourists alike.
The Lakeside Center as a Mid-South Cultural Center and Field House would be anchored by the Arie Crown Theater for cultural and community events. The Arie Crown Theater is one of the largest theaters in Chicago with seating for 4,250. Only the long-shuttered Uptown Theatre in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood has a larger seating capacity. Additionally, the Arie Crown Theater has been well maintained with a significant renovation in 1997 which reduced the seating capacity, rebuilt the stage and improved the acoustics.
The building’s enormous terrace overlooking Lake Michigan is ideal for activation such as Chicago Summer Dance, music festivals and other outdoor activities under the broad overhang. The historic Humboldt Park Boat House is a great example of the type of successful programming that could activate and enliven this potentially extraordinary community resource.
Located along Chicago's Lakefront Trail, the Mid-South Cultural Center and Field House would be easily accessible to joggers, bikers, rollerbladers and others from Ardmore Street on the North Side to 71st Street on the South Side.
Additionally, Lakeside Center is directly across a narrow channel from Northerly Island Park. Despite its large size and incredible location on a peninsula, this 120-acre park is difficult to access and suffers from low attendance and poor maintenance. A bike and pedestrian bridge could be built directly from Lakeside Center’s expansive terrace to increase access to this neglected Northerly Island Park.
The idea of demolishing a first-class building of great architectural and historical note would be a huge embarrassment for the City and another drain on Chicago’s taxpayers to fund another and bigger windowless convention center on Chicago’s Lakefront. Preservation Chicago applauds Mayor Lightfoot’s decision to slow down the process and encourages McPier, the Chicago Park District and other decision makers to find a creative way to better integrate the convention center into the daily fabric of Chicagoan. The Mid-South Cultural Center and Field House would accomplish this.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Thompson Center Named 11 Most Endangered Places in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Chicago 7 2016, 2018 & 2019)
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James R. Thompson Center / State of Illinois Building. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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James R. Thompson Center / State of Illinois Building. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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James R. Thompson Center / State of Illinois Building. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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James R. Thompson Center. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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James R. Thompson Center / State of Illinois Building. Photo Credit: Serhii Chrucky
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On May 30, 2019, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the Thompson Center on its list of the
11 most endangered historic places
in the country. The annual list spotlights examples of the nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that are at high risk.
On April 5, 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill which lays out a two-year process to sell the Thompson Center. The State of Illinois will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to invite developers to draft and submit redevelopment proposals. While the details and priorities of the RFP are unknown at this time, it is assumed that the State of Illinois’ top priority will be to maximize the sale price. Another example of short-sighted sales of public assets for one-time cash windfalls is the 2008 City of Chicago parking meter deal. If the Thompson Center is sold, the State of Illinois will need to rent other offices for the roughly 2,200 state employees that will likely be displaced.
The expected pricing is largely based on the height and density allowed by zoning under the legal jurisdiction of the City of Chicago. To maximize sale value and to ensure a smooth development process without interference, the City of Chicago will likely be asked to waive its legal oversight and to take steps to negate the role of the alderman and the public.
If the Thompson Center is sold, Preservation Chicago calls on the State of Illinois to prioritize preservation into its specifications for the eventual sale of the property. The history of Chicago’s built environment should not be destroyed. There are preservation-sensitive options to provide the high density that would still allow a healthy sale price.
As residents of the state, we understand the financial pressures that our legislature is working under due to mismanagement. Revenues from the sale of the Thompson Center would make a tiny dent (less than 0.2%) in Illinois’ $133 billion unfunded pension deficit.
If the State of Illinois so desperately needs the $250 million from the anticipated sale price of the Thompson Center, perhaps the $224 million allocated in the 2019 budget to road reconfiguration around Jackson Park to accommodate the Obama Presidential Center could be saved simply by moving the Obama Presidential Center to one of many other sites that already has the necessary infrastructure in place.
Preservation Chicago encourages the City of Chicago to work with the Governor and the State of Illinois to Landmark the Thompson Center along with its atrium, plaza, public space and Dubuffet sculpture to protect its historically significant elements. Since it was built in 1985, the building’s design and engineering challenges of the space have been a contentious topic for the city. However, it is an iconic representation of Post-Modern design by world-renowned architect Helmut Jahn.
The Thompson Center has made Preservation Chicago's 7 Most Endangered List three times.
Additionally, Landmarks Illinois chose to include the Thompson Center on its 2019 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list.
The Thompson Center/State of Illinois Building’s design was meant to suggest a more open and transparent government while referencing the grand public buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Architect Helmut Jahn specifically noted in a public lecture in the 1980s on the building’s design that it recalled the massive dome and vast interior atrium space of the old Chicago Federal Building and Post Office designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb in 1905 and demolished in 1965.
The structure’s grand, 17-story atrium is topped by a vast skylight and stepped glass curtain wall which spans the entry and extends across most of the building’s footprint. This effect essentially creates a large public plaza both inside and outside the building’s Clark and Randolph Street entry. It was intended to welcome the public into a government building with accessible public spaces on multiple levels and extensive glass curtain walls to represent an open and transparent government.
The Thompson Center and its atrium were originally conceived to mix governmental offices with various services and retail uses with the intention of reinvigorating Chicago’s business district along Randolph and Clark Streets. At one time, public music concerts were held in its grand atrium space. This area of the Loop had once been the center of its theater and entertainment district, informally referred to as Chicago’s “Rialto District.”
Preservation Chicago believes that the scale of the Thompson Center and its vast, open plaza and public interior atrium spaces add to Chicagoans’ quality of life by allowing light and air into a dense section of the Loop. If sold to the highest bidder without preservation directives in place, these benefits are almost certain to be lost.
Additionally, the soaring central interior atrium was built by and for the people of the State of Illinois, and, therefore, should remain accessible to the public as a public building. Conceptual drawings that increase density but retain the historic building have been advanced by Helmut Jahn and Landmarks Illinois.
“The Monument with Standing Beast” sculpture located in the Thompson Center’s public plaza was created by one of the world’s most noted Modernist artists, Jean Dubuffet. It was a gift to the citizens of Chicago and Illinois and must be protected. We have seen important works of 20th century Chicago public art removed (Henry Bertoia’s Sonambient), destroyed (top surface mosaic of Marc Chagall’s Four Seasons), placed in storage (Alexander Calder’s The Universe) or sold at auction (Henry Moore’s Large Internal-External Upright Form). 20th century Chicago public art was a 2017 Chicago 7 Most Endangered, so it is imperative that this great Dubuffet sculpture be protected.
Preservation Chicago urges the City of Chicago to move quickly to designate the Thompson Center as a Chicago Landmark. A Landmark designation could protect this building, plaza and public sculpture ensuring that these will be retained in any redevelopment of the site. Jahn’s career began in Chicago and is now celebrated around the world. Much like the Sony Center in Berlin (which was modeled on the Thompson Center), this is a building of the people, built as a monument and open to all, with many public spaces that should be forever open to all, and efforts to both protect its architecture and vision and activate the building should be implemented.
The State of Illinois and the City of Chicago need to work together to protect this significant building. A comprehensive redevelopment plan could correct the deferred maintenance. A tower-addition study by Helmut Jahn’s design firm has suggested that the existing building could accommodate new construction that would add square footage while remaining sensitive to the historic building, atrium and public space. As of now, we want to see the building preserved in its entirety along with its public spaces, plazas and artwork.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Cassidy Tire Building Endangered by New High-Rise Tower Proposal
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Wm. J. Cassidy Tire Building, originally known as the Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory, by Henry J. Schlacks in 1902 at 344 N. Canal Street. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Wm. J. Cassidy Tire Building, originally known as the Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory, by Henry J. Schlacks in 1902 at 344 N. Canal Street. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Wm. J. Cassidy Tire Building, originally known as the Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory, by Henry J. Schlacks in 1902 at 344 N. Canal Street. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Wm. J. Cassidy Tire Building, originally known as the Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory, by Henry J. Schlacks in 1902 at 344 N. Canal Street. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Tracks Built to Move the Entire 6,000-ton Tyler & Hippach Building approximately 220 feet in 1908. Photo Credit: The Engineering Record, Vol 58, No. 12, September 19, 1908, Pages 317-319.
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Located at 344 N. Canal Street, the Wm. J. Cassidy Tire Building, originally known as the Tyler & Hippach Mirror Company Factory, is threatened with demolition to make way for a new 33-story apartment tower by Chicago developer Habitat. Habitat has signed a contract to buy the development site which is owned by the family behind Cassidy Tire & Service.
Current zoning would allow a 365-foot-tall building, but a zoning change is required to allow for a residential use. Preservation Chicago strongly encouraged 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly to require that the historic building be incorporated into the new construction $150 million dollar development plans as part of the zoning change. Community meetings have not yet been announced.
The five-story, brick-mill construction building was constructed at 117‐125 N. Clinton Street by the important Chicago glass and mirror finishing company of Tyler & Hippach. The company was founded in 1887 and produced high quality glass and mirror for furniture companies in Chicago and across the country. In 1902, they hired architect Henry J. Schlacks (1867–1938) to design for them a new factory and headquarters on Clinton Street north of Carroll Avenue. The building is an excellent example of a "Chicago School" or "Chicago Commercial Style" and is a fine example of a steel-framed structure of its era. Schlacks, who began his architectural career working in the office of Dankmar Adler & Louis Sullivan, is better known for designing many of Chicago’s most beautiful churches.
Tyler & Hippach Glass Company was a leading glass manufacturer in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th century, and research by Preservation Chicago suggests that it likely glazed or supplied the glass windows and elements to many celebrated Chicago School Buildings, many of which are designated Chicago Landmarks. The Tyler & Hippach Glass Company name is not familiar to many Chicagoans today perhaps due to the extraordinary series of tragedies suffered by the family which owned the company. The Hippach Family was in the audience at the Iroquois Theater in 1903 and lost two children during the disastrous fire that impacted life safety standards across the country.
After a European vacation, the family
set sail in April 1912 on the maiden voyage of a new ship called the Titanic.
In 1906, the Chicago & North Western Railway began planning the expansion of its West Loop terminal. The plans called for the purchase and demolition of blocks of buildings along the east side of Clinton street to erect a rail trestle from the new station. The recently completed Tyler & Hippach factory building was in the way. Numerous early Chicago buildings were razed to make way for the new trestle, including a number which the project engineer at the time noted were historic. However, the new five‐story factory building was too valuable to demolish and was spared.
Chicago & North Western purchased the building from Tyler & Hippach and made plans to move the entire 6,000-ton structure approximately 220 feet to the south and east. William Grace & Company was hired, and they brought in Harvey Sheeler, a highly regarded engineer and building mover, to prepare plans to move the massive brick factory building. Sheeler had patented a system for moving large and heavy objects on steel rollers, a system which was celebrated for its great successes. In 1908, tracks, screw jacks and teams of workers were assembled to move the building 52 feet south and 168 feet east to the building’s current location at 344 North Canal. At the time, Sheeler claimed it was the largest building ever moved. Others marveled that not a single crack formed in the masonry or that even one brick was loosened.
The factory remains largely intact from its original appearance. Most of the original windows remain in place, with the exception of in‐filled openings and newer units on the first and second floors on the north and south elevations.
Preservation Chicago believes the building could be considered for Chicago Landmark designation as it was designed by a prominent architect. Other structures by Henry Schlacks are protected under a Chicago Landmark designation, and this is a rare surviving example of an industrial building by him. Additionally, in 1908, it was reportedly the largest building moved ever completed (with a large published article and photographs in "The Engineering Record" for September 19, 1908--page 317). Other notable details include the remarkable contribution of the original owners to Chicago’s architecture and their tragic personal story. Additionally, this is the site Wolf Point which
dates back to the very earliest history of Chicago and deserves special care and attention.
Noting all of these factors, Preservation Chicago encourages the City of Chicago to take steps to create a Chicago Landmark designation and encourage the developer to incorporate the Cassidy/Tyler & Hippach Glass Company Building into the larger residential development proposed for this site. There is ample room for both new and old to coexist. We are currently outreaching to 42
nd
Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly to encourage a reuse of the building or the incorporation of it in the proposed development.
Additional Reading
With special thanks to Matt Wicklund for his outstanding historic research.
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WIN: Lincoln Park Zoo’s Kovler Lion House Renovations Moving Forward
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Lincoln Park Zoo’s Kovler Lion House, by Dwight Perkins in 1912. Photo Credit: Lincoln Park Zoo
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Lincoln Park Zoo’s Kovler Lion House Exterior Renovations. Rendering Credit: Lincoln Park Zoo
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Lincoln Park Zoo’s Kovler Lion House Interior Renovations. Rendering Credit: Lincoln Park Zoo
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The Lincoln Park Zoo’s Kovler Lion House has been a beloved destination for generations of Chicagoans. The Lion House one of the most important primary buildings in Lincoln Park Zoo, one of America’s most popular, historic and visited zoos.
The $35 million Lion House renovation is the last phase of the zoo’s $135 million “Pride of Chicago” capital improvement campaign which began in 2012. The renovation will remove the sunken moat on the building’s north side and extend the animal environments up to new glass viewing walls. Inside, the big cats will enjoy additional climbing areas, heating and cooling elements, and even a “food zipline” that can simulate the movement of live prey. (Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, 5/10/19)
The Kovler Lion House was designed in 1912 by architect Dwight Perkins, with his partners William Fellows and John Hamilton. With its decorative brickwork and terra-cotta ornament, lion mosaics and grand hall with a vaulted Guastavino-tile ceiling, it was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2005.
"The Lion House is one of the most popular and widely recognizable attractions in our park system and well deserving of Landmark status," said former Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Denise M. Casalino. (Burck, 12/10/11)
“Now known as the Kovler Lion House, the Prairie-style building exemplifies an important period in Chicago park history when designers sought to create unique landscapes and rejected historic styles for modern design. The Lion House is a strikingly detailed park building. It is a large rectangular masonry building with its long axis oriented in an east-west direction. The building has elements of the Prairie-style, evidenced by its simple horizontal lines and lack of applied historic ornamentation.” (Burck, 12/10/11)
Preservation Chicago worked in cooperation with the development team from the Lincoln Park Zoo and architect Len Koroski, principal at Goettsch Partners, to help to optimize the Kovler Lion House improvements. Plan review and site visits resulted in dozens of observations, comments and suggestions. The constructive feedback helped to both accommodate the desired functionality and be sensitive to the elements of the historic building.
Much of the design work to rethink this space is innovative, and the design team should be recognized for their success. We are especially excited to see more of the north façade of the building’s exterior opening up as well as the significant improvements to the lion habitat.
Preservation Chicago supports the restoration of historic features on the principal facades of Lincoln Park Zoo's Lion House, its interior Landmarked features and of proposed alterations in general. These improvements will make significant improvements to the well-being of the animals and improved public access to the historic building. Despite a few minor differences of opinion, Preservation Chicago submitted a letter of support to the Commission of Chicago Landmarks and testified in support of the project.
Preservation Chicago encourages the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Department of Planning and Development, Historic Preservation Division, to consider a thematic Landmark District to incorporate the historic buildings forming the historic core of Lincoln Park Zoo. These buildings could include the Primate House (1927), the former Reptile House (now the Park Place Café cafeteria building), The Bird House (1904), the former Academy of Sciences Matthew Laflin Memorial Building (now the Lincoln Park Zoo Administration Building, 1893) and the rounded “Landmark Cafe” Building (1899).
A Landmark designation of these structures would be much in the spirit of Cafe Breuer (1908) and The Lion House (1912), both by Dwight Perkins, and would further ensure good preservation practices going forward. The Lincoln Park Zoo should also encourage a celebration of its landscape and the landscape design work of Swain Nelson and Olaf Benson to which the grand promenade or east-west access may be part of the original overall design. This should be further studied and considered before the construction of the “Animal Holding Building.”
Additional Reading
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WIN: Adaptive Reuse Advances for Prairie Farmer/ WLS Studios Building at 1230 W. Washington Boulevard
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1230 W. Washington Boulevard, Conceptual Rendering, Rendering Credit: Hartshorne Plunkard
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1230 W. Washington Boulevard, Conceptual Rendering, Rendering Credit: Hartshorne Plunkard
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The Prairie Farmer Building/ WLS Studios, 1230 W. Washington Boulevard, Historic Images Rendering Credit: www.WLSHistory.com
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The Prairie Farmer Building/ WLS Studios, 1230 W. Washington Boulevard, Photo Credit: GoogleMaps
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The redevelopment of the three-story Prairie Farmer/ WLS Studios building at 1230 W. Washington Boulevard at Willard Court in the Fulton Market District is moving through City Hall hearings including Chicago Plan Commission and Committee on Zoning, and City Council. The proposed development by New York-based investors RCG Longview and CLK Properties would retain the historic building at the corner and build a new nine-story glassy office building behind, beside and above the historic structure. Chicago-based Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture is the design architect.
Preservation Chicago applauds the development team and architect Hartshorne Plunkard for retaining the historic building and incorporating it into their new construction development. The new glassy building will be set back from both historic facades on Washington Boulevard and Willard Court. This visually respects the historic structure and allows for an expansive rooftop deck amenity. Additionally, the new construction’s architectural mullions reference the cadence of the historic brick piers below.
The loft building at 1230 W. Washington Boulevard was built in 1928. Known as The Prairie Farmer Building, it was the longtime home of WLS Radio Cornstalk Studio and WLS Radio Barn Dance Studio. In the 1960s, it was converted to the famous “Rock of Chicago.” The two-story Barn Dance Studio more recently served as the photographic gallery and archives for The David R. Phillips Collection and the Chicago Architectural Photographing Company archives. The Phillips Collection, assembled over a 40-year period, includes vintage prints and archival fiber silver prints made from original negatives by David R. Phillips. Recently, it was home to the Marilyn Miglin Cosmetics Company.
Preservation Chicago advocated to the former owners of 1230 W. Washington Boulevard to Landmark the building prior to its sale in 2012. The current proposal includes the demolition of the two buildings to the west. The façade of the two-story, red-brick building with limestone ornament at 1248 W. Washington could be incorporated into the base of the new construction.
“Since the station’s main concern was the farmer, much of WLS’ broadcast day catered to the rural areas of the Midwest. Informing the farmers was as equally as important as keeping them entertained. Market reports aired twice daily direct from the Union Stock Yards through remote broadcast lines. WLS used these new remote lines extensively, and promoted themselves accordingly as being on the cutting edge of this new medium. State fairs, corn husking contests and even live coverage from the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago were just a few of the many remote broadcasts that WLS aired.” (WLSHistory.com)
“Then make your way out to 1230 West Washington Boulevard and walk up to the third floor. Enter the world of WLS, the Prairie Farmer station. You’ll receive a warm greeting. And if you walk into the legendary ‘Cornstalk Studio,’ you will very likely find some of your favorite radio artists performing on the air. (They might include Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, Little Georgie Gobel, Lulu Belleand Scotty, Mac and Bob, the Cumberland Ridgerunners, the Prairie Ramblers, Patsy Montana, Rex Allen, Bob Atcher, ‘Arkie’ (the Arkansas Woodchopper), Hermann Felber and the WLS Orchestra, the Maple City 4, or ‘Jolly Joe’ Kelly—to name a few whose names pop into mind).” (
www.richsamuels.com
)
Additional Reading
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WIN: Cadillac Warehouse Building
on Motor Row
to be Adaptively Reused as Hotel
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Cadillac Warehouse Building (former Chevrolet Dealership), 2300 S. Indiana Avenue by Albert Kahn in 1919. Rendering Credit: NORR Architects
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Cadillac Warehouse Building (former Chevrolet Dealership), 2300 S. Indiana Avenue by Albert Kahn in 1919. Rendering Credit: NORR Architects
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Cadillac Warehouse Building pre-construction condition, 2300 S. Indiana Avenue by Albert Kahn in 1919. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Reinvestment in Chicago’s Historic Landmark
Motor Row District continues to gain momentum. The six-story industrial loft Cadillac Warehouse Building, later known as a Chevrolet dealership,
at 2300 S. Indiana Avenue is being renovated into a 200-room boutique hotel to serve convention attendees at the nearby McCormick Place. The hotel will be a dual-brand Studio 6/Motel 6, and include a 79-room Motel 6 with 121 extended-stay suites. NORR Architects is the project architect.
Built for the Cadillac Motor Car Company in 1919, the building was designed by notable Detroit architect Albert Kahn. Kahn was prolific and designed many Detroit landmark buildings. Kahn worked on more than 1,000 commissions from Henry Ford and hundreds more for other automakers. Over 60 Kahn-designed buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Albert Kahn is one of America’s legendary architects and especially notable are his works of reinforced concrete structures.
As a contributing building in the Motor Row District
, the redevelopment plans must comply with historic standards and will be subject to Commission on Chicago Landmarks review, approval and oversight. The development will restore the deteriorated masonry facade and install new windows designed to resemble the originals. A new interior light well will be punched through the center of the building to bring light and air to interior guest rooms.
This represents another significant redevelopment in the Motor Row District since it was designated a Chicago Landmark District in December 2000. The district includes 55 buildings along South Michigan Avenue, South Indiana Avenue and South Wabash Avenue. This collection of commercial buildings on Chicago’s Near South Side is considered to be the largest, intact early “automobile row” in the country. At its peak, as many as 116 different makes of automobiles were being sold on Motor Row including Ford, Buick, Fiat, Cadillac, Hudson, Locomobile, Marmon and Pierce-Arrow.
The range of buildings in Motor Row illustrates the evolution of the automobile showroom and related product and service buildings, from simple two-story structures used for display and offices to multi-story buildings housing a variety of departments for the repair, storage, painting and finishing of automobiles. Many of these buildings were designed by significant architects, including Holabird & Roche, Alfred Alschuler, Christian Eckstorm, Philip Maher and Albert Kahn.
“Motor Row includes a building designed by Albert Kahn (1869-1942), who is acknowledged to be one of the nation's most influential industrial architects of the early-20th century. The Cadillac Warehouse Building at 2300 S. Indiana Avenue from 1919 is the only remaining intact industrial building designed by Kahn in Chicago.
“A native of Germany, Kahn emigrated to Detroit, Ml, with his family in the 1880s. In 1893, he was appointed chief designer for the firm of Mason & Rice, and in 1896 he established his own practice. By the late 1930s Kahn's firm had a staff of over 600 people, which reportedly was responsible for nearly 20% of the nation's architect-designed industrial buildings during the period.
“Kahn's early work was noted for its pioneering use of reinforced concrete, which he first employed in 1903 for a new manufacturing complex for the Packard Motor Car Co. in Detroit. Kahn recognized that reinforced concrete, due to its low cost, speed of construction, strength, and resistance to fire, was well suited to the automotive industry. His subsequent designs for other factory buildings are widely regarded as important influences on modern architecture.
“Kahn designed an impressive three-story auto showroom for Packard in 1919 at the northeast corner of 24th Street and Michigan Avenue. Unfortunately, that building was demolished for construction of the Stevenson Expressway.” (Motor Row Nomination Report for National Register of Historic Places, March 1992
One of the first significant reinvestments was in December 2015 when Richard H. Driehaus purchased the historic former Marmon Motor Car Company Building located at 2232 S. Michigan Avenue to showcase his extensive historic car collection. Preservation Chicago applauds him for his commitment to this Chicago Landmark District. The 38,800-square-foot, Spanish-Revival building was also designed by architect Alfred Alschuler in 1922 and is immediately adjacent to the Hudson Motor Building.
Additional Reading
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Update: Tunnel Through Art Deco Bridge Houses On Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge for Navy Pier Flyover Proceeding
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge (also known as the Link Bridge and Lake Shore Drive Outer Drive Bridge), Built in 1937. Photo credit: ChicagoLoopBridges.com
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Bike Congestion at Lake Shore Drive Chicago River Bridge Art Deco Bridge House. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Navy Pier Flyover Art Deco Bridge House. Photo Credit: Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune
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Navy Pier Flyover Art Deco Bridge House Tunnel Rendering. Rendering Credit: IDOT
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The Navy Pier Flyover is an elevated pedestrian and biking path along the Lakefront Trail near Navy Pier. Under construction since 2014, the second and third phases of construction are underway with work scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019. The narrow pedestrian and bikeway along the edge of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge over the Chicago River, commonly referred to as Lake Shore Drive Outer Drive Bridge, ranges between 8- and 12-feet wide and is a bottleneck which frequently causes issues during the summer months when lakefront trail usage is high.
The plan is to widen the pedestrian and bikeway along the edge of the Lake Shore Drive bridge to between 16 and 21 feet to accommodate greater pedestrian and biking traffic. The chosen strategy is to tunnel through the two original Art Deco limestone bridge houses dating to 1937. The contractors will use jack hammers and saws to cut through the towers but intend to avoid disturbing the structural column and support wall along the side of the towers. Most of the $64 million cost of the flyover is being paid for with federal funds. Additional scope of work includes the rehabilitation of the movable bridge over the Chicago River.
Structural repairs will be made to the double-decker bridge. Additionally, the bridge’s mechanical system that raises and lowers the bridge to allow boat traffic will be cleaned and repaired. To accommodate the bridge tunnel in the southern tower, a large bank of electrical equipment will need to be relocated. The total project cost is approximately $25 million.
Preservation Chicago strongly supports investment in infrastructure, especially iconic Art Deco bridges and bridge houses along Lake Shore Drive. We support investment to improve pedestrian and bike access and safety and encourage stakeholders to take every precaution to protect the integrity of the historic bridge houses.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge was completed in
1937
as one of Chicago’s Depression-era
Public Works Administration
infrastructure projects. It was designed by the Strauss Engineering Company, built by the American Bridge Company
, and erected by Ketler and Elliot Company.
“When built, the bridge was the largest bascule bridge in the world. It is the biggest and busiest traffic-wise downtown with a leaf weight of 6,420 tons and a daily traffic count of more than 114,000 vehicles. In its early years, it was raised 2,100 times annually.
“Chicago – the city of broad shoulders and big heart – has finished another job. The struggles, the years and work of planning, the boundless energy and courage of Chicago's builders to complete the longest bascule bridge in the world is a thrilling record of cooperation and conquest.” Those were Chicago Mayor Edward J. Kelly's remarks at the October 5, 1937 dedication ceremony of the Outer Drive bridge.
“President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke during the festivities. The dedication ceremony was attended by tens of thousands and served as part of the year of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Chicago's incorporation as a city. The bridge was renamed the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge in his honor in 1982." (ChicagoLoopBridges.com)
“This monstrous bridge is an extremely impressive gateway to the city of Chicago for boats. This completion of this bridge was a product of depression relief programs. Although the bridge construction was started in 1929, the depression halted construction until federal aid got the bridge completed in 1937. When it was completed, this massive hulk of a bridge broke all sorts of records. It was the longest bascule bridge in the world, and was also the widest bascule bridge in the world! The lower deck of the bridge also added enough weight to enable each leaf of the bridge to claim the title of heaviest in the world as well! This is a bridge that should be fully experienced by walking on the lower level sidewalk and observing the shear mass of the bridge: four evenly spaced lines of trusses make this the wide bridge it is.” (historicbridges.org)
"Anyone who has walked on the eastern sidewalk of this bridge knows that it is an extremely busy and narrow sidewalk, since in addition to being a normal sidewalk it also carries the popular Lakefront Trail, which is a very popular bicycle route. It is common for bicycles to become entangled with other bicycles and pedestrians on the bridge. At one time, there was a hideous proposal to construct a separate bridge next to the Lakeshore Drive Bridge that would be a dedicated trail bridge. The design was a high level cable stayed bridge and it would have clashed terribly and obstructed the view of the Art Deco beauty of the historic Lakeshore Drive Bridge. As of 2014, another plan has been introduced. This plan would widen the existing sidewalk through an innovative project that would not only widen the existing cantilevered sidewalk on the bridge, but would cut a tunnel through the bridge tender houses, enabling the sidewalk to remain wide at what would otherwise be a choke point in a wider sidewalk. The wider sidewalk would maintain the lane divisions for bicycles and pedestrians found elsewhere on the Lakefront Trail.” (historicbridges.org)
"While obviously this project would alter the bridge tender house, HistoricBridges.org believes this is a good solution and far better than constructing the independent cable stayed bridge. Another benefit of this project is that the railings on the sidewalk would be replaced with railings that replicate the Art Deco design railings that were originally found on the upper deck of the bridge. Those railings were some of the most beautiful railings found on Chicago bridges, and they were unlike the other ornate railings found on other downtown bridges. The replica railings on the sidewalk would be a nice way to bring the architecture of those ornamental railings back to life on the bridge." (historicbridges.org)
Preservation Chicago
strongly supports the continued reinvestment in maintaining Chicago’s historic bridge infrastructure. Additionally, we have advocated for the Landmark designation of all the historic Chicago River Bridges, especially the iconic bridges along the main branch.
Additional Reading
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THREATENED: Longshot Landmark Designation Possible for the Sundmacher-Grossman House at 1517 W. Barry Avenue Before Expiration of the 90-Day Demolition Delay
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1517 W. Barry Avenue, built circa 1888. Photo Credit: Zillow
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1517 W. Barry Avenue side yard, built circa 1888. Photo Credit: Zillow
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1517 W. Barry Avenue rear yard and garage, built circa 1888. Photo Credit: Zillow
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1517 W. Barry Avenue interior, built circa 1888. Photo Credit: Zillow
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1517 W. Barry Avenue was added to 90-Day Demolition Delay on March 3, 2019. The applicant is Platinum Homes Development and has requested a permit for the “demolition and removal of a 2-story frame house.” This is a beautiful orange-rated home in excellent condition and should not be demolished. Preservation Chicago would like to encourage a Landmark designation.
Preservation Chicago has been in touch with stakeholders and has been mobilizing a rapid response advocacy effort to attempt to save this home from demolition. The double lot is a tempting prize for developers.
The Zillow listing describes the home as “a gardener's dream on an idyllic double lot with all the conveniences the city has to offer in the Lakeview neighborhood. Light streams through gorgeous stained glass windows showcasing the incredible, well-preserved vintage charm in this rare opportunity. This 4 bedroom/2 bath Victorian home, rich in character and detail, boasts 11' ceilings, wide plank pine floors, bay windows and wood burning fireplace with exquisite tile surround. Thoughtfully designed high end kitchen complete with custom cabinets, granite countertops, breakfast bar and commercial grade appliances. A 2 car garage, enormous landscaped yard and garden rounds out this incredible opportunity. All within walking distance to Burley, Whole Foods and the Southport Corridor.”
Per Preservation Chicago’s research and analysis, it appears that 1517 W. Barry would meet Landmarks Criteria for Criterion 4 for Significant Architecture for its rarity, uniqueness and craftsmanship; perhaps Criterion 3 for Significant Person; and perhaps Criterion 1 for Critical Part of the City’s Heritage.
The house was built c. 1888 by Frederick W. H. Sundmacher who worked at a lumber yard until 1883 and then bought an interest in a brick company in Lake View. His father, Conrad Sundmacher, arrived from Germany in 1854 and came to Lake View in 1869. He started a brickyard with Henry Brauckmann. Sundmacher & Brauckmann's clay pit and brick kilns were located on the southeast corner of Wellington and Ashland in the middle of a long row of brick makers. Frederick Sundmacher bought out Brauckmann's interest in the company and moved to Lake View where he bought the property to build his house at 1517 W. Barry. Brick-making was an important industry in Lake View and one that helped to build and define the City of Chicago. The Sundmacher family had connections to other early and well-established brick makers that operated along Ashland Avenue during the late 19th century.
The current owner, Mr. Harvey Grossman had a distinguished career as the Legal Director of the ACLU-American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois from 1980 to 2015. Mr. Grossman is a Civil Rights attorney who has accomplished an incredible number of significant legal accomplishments. In addition to helping to establish statewide healthcare standards for Illinois prisons/ prisoners, he ensured that persons with HIV are protected by Federal anti-discrimination laws, corrected issues relating to punch card voting in Illinois, successfully challenged illegal loitering laws, brought an end to CHA warrantless searches of apartments, made progress preventing political patronage of government contracting jobs and the fought for the rights of civilians to record police officers.
He played a “significant role in the development of the Illinois AIDS Confidentiality Act, the Illinois Traffic Stop Statistical Study Act (based on a person’s race), and the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003.” Under his leadership, “he grew the agency to ten full time lawyers overseeing a docket on issues ranging from free speech to LBGTQ rights. It is impossible to overstate the role that Harvey Grossman has played not just in the building the legal program in this office, but in protecting the fundamental rights of thousands of people across Illinois.” (www.aclu-il.org)
That’s a phenomenal history and series of accomplishments! Preservation Chicago supports his own personal residence should be designated a Chicago Landmark, noting the two or more criteria for Chicago Landmark Designation would be fulfilled due to the significance of its builder and residents.
Additional Reading
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WIN: Eleanor Gorski appointed Acting Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development
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Eleanor Gorski Appointed Acting Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development. Photo Credit: Chicago Department of Planning and Development
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Congratulations to Eleanor Gorski on her appointment as Acting Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in May 2019.
Preservation Chicago extends our highest recommendation for her permanent assignment to this position!
Gorski's extensive DPD career began in 1996. She served in multiple roles, including Director of Historic Preservation and, most recently, Bureau Chief of Planning, Historic Preservation and Sustainability.
A licensed architect, Commissioner Gorski received her bachelor's degree from Penn State University and her master's in architecture from the University of Illinois. She is a Fellow of the American
Academy in Rome as well as the University of Chicago Civic Leadership Academy. She lives in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood.
Additional Reading
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The Demolition-Delay Ordinance, adopted by City Council in 2003, establishes a hold of up to 90 days in the issuance of any demolition permit for certain historic buildings in order that the Department of Planning and Development can explore options, as appropriate, to preserve the building, including but not limited to landmark designation.
The ordinance applies to buildings rated “red” and “orange” in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS). These buildings are designated on the city's zoning map. The delay period starts at the time the permit application is presented to the department's Historic Preservation Division offices and can be extended beyond the original 90 days by mutual agreement with the applicant. The purpose of the ordinance is to ensure that no important historic resource can be demolished without consideration as to whether it should and can be preserved.
Additional Reading
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Address:
16 W. Maple St.
#100817848
Date Received: 05/23/2019
Ward: 2
Applicant: Taylor Excavating & Construction, Inc.
Owner: Twelve West Maple, LLC
Permit Description: Demolition and removal of an existing four-story, multi-unit, mixed-use masonry building.
Status: Under review
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Address:
1320 W. Lexington St.
#100776482
Date Received: 08/07/2018
Ward: 28
Applicant: Donegal Excavating
Owner: Estate of Madeline Mazzone
Permit Description: Demolition of existing building.
Status: Released 11/5/2018
Photo Credit: Ward Miller Preservation Chicago
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Address:
1517 W. Barry Ave.
#100808887
Date Received: 03/13/2019
Ward: 32
Applicant: Platinum Homes Development
Owner: Harvey Grossman
Permit Description: Demolition and removal of a 2-story frame house.
Status: Under review
Photo Credit: Zillow
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Address:
2602 S. California Ave
.
#100809124
Date Received: 03/25/2019
Ward: 24
Applicant: Milhouse Inc.
Owner: Sheila Atkins (Cook County)
Permit Description: Demolition of a multi-story masonry jail building.
Status: Under review
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Address:
1847 N. Humboldt Blvd. (rear)
#100819371
Date Received: 05/15/2019
Ward: 1
Applicant: D.S. Construction Inc.
Owner: Humboldt Community Christian School
Permit Description: Partial demolition and removal of a three-story masonry school, with existing church to remain.
Status: Under review
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Address:
12134 S. Eggleston Ave.
#100816913
Date Received: 04/29/2019
Ward: 34
Applicant: Sciortino Group, Inc.
Owner: City of Chicago
Permit Description: Emergency demolition and removal of a single-family frame residence.
Status: Received and released 4/29/2019 [Per Administrative Order issued by the Department of Buildings to address dangerous and hazardous conditions]
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Address:
4242 N. Kedvale Ave.
#100812685
Date Received: 04/22/2019
Ward: 39
Applicant: Side Pro
Owner: Holgur Bealum
Permit Description: Demolition of existing two-story brick building and brick garage.
Status: Under review
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Address:
3305 N. Hamilton Ave.
#100815184
Date Received: 04/18/2019
Ward: 32
Applicant: Taylor Excavating & Construction, Inc.
Owner: Judith Williams Nitka
Permit Description: Demolition and removal of a 2-story, 2-unit masonry residence.
Status: Under review
Photo Credit: Trulia
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Address:
1216 N. Damen Ave.
#100811105
Date Received: 03/26/2019
Ward: 1
Applicant: Pro Excavating, Inc.
Owner: 1216 Damen LLC
Permit Description: Demolition of a 2-story masonry building.
Status: Under review
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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LOSS: “Spotlight on Demolition”
Crawford Power Station, Little Village (Chi 7)
810 W. Fulton Market Building, Fulton Market
300 N. Green Street Building, Fulton Market
2153 N. Bell Avenue, Bucktown
855 W. Blackhawk Street, Old Town
1525 N. Elston Avenue, Lincoln Yards
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“It’s an old, common cry in a city where demolition and development are often spoken in the same breath, and where trying to save historic homes from the wrecking ball can feel as futile as trying to stop the snow. My Twitter feed teems with beautiful houses doomed to vanish in the time it takes to say ‘bulldozed.’ Bungalows, two-flats, three-flats, greystones, workers’ cottages. The photos, posted by people who lament the death of Chicago’s tangible past, flit through my social media feed like a parade of the condemned en route to the guillotine,”
mused Mary Schmich in her Chicago Tribune column on July 12, 2018
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Crawford Power Station During Demolition, May 2019, Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White in 1926, (Chicago 7 2014 & 2019). Photo Credit:
Mary Lu Seidel / Preservation Chicago
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810 W. Fulton Market Building
, Demolished May and June 2019. Photo Credit:
Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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300 Green Street Building
, Demolished May and June 2019. Photo Credit:
Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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855 W. Blackhawk Street, Old Town. Demolished May 2019. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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1525 N. Elston Avenue, Lincoln Yards. Demolished May 2019. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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2153 N. Bell Avenue, Bucktown. Demolished May 2019 Photo Credit: Cook County Assessor
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LOST CHICAGO...BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
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Sherman House (4th Building)
by Holabird & Roche
Built 1911 & 1920, Closed 1971, Demolished 1980
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Sherman House (4th Building) with mansard roof by Holabird & Roche. Built in 1925. Closed in 1973. Demolished in 1980. Historic Photo Credit: Chuckman Postcard Collection
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Sherman House (4th Building) by Holabird & Roche with mansard roof removed and 6-stories added. Built in 1925. Closed in 1973. Demolished in 1980. Historic Photo Credit: Chuckman Postcard Collection
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Sherman House (4th Building), by Holabird & Roche. Built in 1925. Closed in 1973. Demolished in 1980. Historic Photo Credit: Chuckman Postcard Collection
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Sherman House (4th Building), by Holabird & Roche. Built in 1925. Closed in 1973. Demolished in 1980. Historic Photo Credit: Chuckman Postcard Collection
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Sherman House (4th)
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Location: Northwest of Clark and Randolph Street
Built: 1925
Closed: 1973
Demolished: 1980
The first Sherman House Hotel was located at the northwest of Clark and Randolph Streets. It was a three-story masonry building constructed in 1837 by Francis C. Sherman who later served as Mayor of Chicago. It was called the City Hotel until 1844, when a two-story addition was built atop the original structure. The remodeled five story building was renamed The Sherman House.
This first hotel building was demolished in 1861 and replaced by a six-story building which was engulfed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While a third Sherman House was being constructed following the Fire, the hotel briefly relocated to the former Gault House at Madison and Clinton and was referred to as "the Little Sherman House."
The third Sherman House was constructed on the same site as the previous hotels on the northwest of Clark and Randolph Streets. It was constructed and designed by architect W. W. Boyington of the Old Water Tower fame and this structure lasted from 1873 to 1910.
In 1911, a new 11-story Sherman House Hotel was built on the same site at Clark and Randolph Streets and was the fourth hotel of the same name on the same site. This building was designed by the noted architecture firm of Holabird & Roche and was a thoroughly modern hotel. It was built with steel and masonry and considered a skyscraper. In 1920, the decorative mansard roof was removed and an additional six stories were added to bring the height to 17-stories. In 1925, an addition on adjacent land reached 23 stories in height, filling in much of the block on Randolph Street, between Clark and LaSalle Street and became known as the Sherman House Annex.
The Sherman House and Annex were affectionately known as "The Sherman." It continued to be a popular hotel and was considered one of Chicago's great legendary hotels throughout the early to mid-20th century and served as popular anchor on Randolph Street-- Chicago's rialto district, bubbling with popular theaters, restaurants and hotels.
The Sherman became a vibrant site for jazz music, dances, and proms and was famous for its many restaurants and venues including The College Inn, Panther Room, Well of the Sea, and places as The Scuttlebutt Lounge which featured entertainer Hots Michaels for years. It was a legendary hotel--on a large scale and a swanky destination. It stood in contrast to the equally also legendary but much more staid and elegant Palmer House with its world famous Empire Room.
The nearby demolitions of the Ashland Block by Burnham & Root and its replacement with a Greyhound Bus Terminal, the loss of the Schiller/Garrick Theater and Building by Adler & Sullivan for a parking lot, the demolition and land clearance for the Chicago Civic Center, later renamed the Daley Center, greatly impacted vitality of this entertainment district along Randolph Street.
In approximately 1971 or 1972, the decision was made to close The Sherman House, demolish the building, except its steel frame and reconstruct a new Sherman House Hotel. This was an unusual idea for the time, however a modern glass curtain wall cladding on the old steel framework from 1911 and 1920 would allow it appear to be an entirely new building.
After the hotel's closing in 1973 and a successful sale of the contents of the hotel, the building sat vacant for seven or eight years while ownership unsuccessfully pursued financing for the partial demolition and reconstruction. The vacant building became a symbol of the urban decay of the city center where older buildings often languished as populations shifting to nearby suburbs and newer structures.
In approximately 1980 then Governor James Thompson and the State of Illinois acquired the site for a new State office building designed by C.F. Murphy and architect Helmut Jahn. Of the several proposals submitted by the architects, the one selected by Governor Thompson was the most radical and unconventional building design with an unusual curving shape and with a large plaza and a vast interior atrium.
Additional Reading
Chicago and its Makers: A narrative of events from the day of the first man to the inception of the Second World's Fair, by Paul T. Gilbert and Charles Lee Bryson, published 1929
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Preservation Chicago In the News
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Television: Preservation Chicago Proposes Turning Lakefront Into National Park on CBS 2 Chicago
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Preservation Chicago Proposes Turning Lakefront Into National Park, By Vince Gerasole.
Photo Credit:
CBS Chicago Channel 2
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CHICAGO (CBS) — Preservationists want to turn Chicago’s lakefront into a national park, believing it might be the best way to protect the city’s crown jewel.
The miles of undeveloped park land along Lake Michigan sit like emerald green bands beside the bustling concrete city of Chicago.
“It whisks you away from Chicago. I mean, you’re a million miles away from Chicago,” said Preservation Chicago executive director Ward Miller.
If they exist today, it’s thanks in part to the city’s adoption of the Burnham Plan in 1909, calling for the lakefront to be preserved and set aside for recreation.
“These should be considered like paintings on the walls of the Art Institute. They are very special, and we should be careful how we steward them,” Miller said.
Over the years, there have been challenges to keeping the lakefront open.
In 2007, Mayor Richard M. Daley backed a plan to move the Chicago Children’s Museum to Grant Park, but that proposal was scuttled in 2011.
Filmmaker George Lucas wanted to build his Museum of Narrative Art on the parking lot south of Soldier Field, but abandoned his plan and moved it to Los Angeles after a federal judge allowed the Friends of the Parks to move forward with a lawsuit challenging the museum.
And plans for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park remain up in the air, as a lawsuit filed by Protect Our Parks moves forward in federal court.
“We’ve been very clever in Chicago about keeping these lands open and free,” Miller said.
Preservation Chicago has another clever idea for protecting the lakefront. They said the city’s lakefront green spaces should be turned into national parks, run by the federal government.
“It takes the politics also out of the park,” Miller said.
At the heart of the discussion for preservationists is the promise that the city’s lakefront remain forever open, clear and free; dedicated to recreation and beauty, not to commerce and industry.
Creating a new national park in Chicago isn’t unprecedented.
After years of lobbying, the historic Pullman neighborhood in 2015 was designated a national monument.
In February, the Indiana Dunes Lakeshore also became a National Park, a move that came without any additional funding.
Currently, the Chicago Park District has a $464 million budget to manage 606 parks. Maintenance funds are sometimes stretched thin.
Designating the lakefront a national park would require a congressional sponsor, and support from the city, but for now Preservation Chicago is planting a seed.
“I think it’s really important to make sure that in the future generations that these are still accessible lands,” Miller said.
Preservation Chicago also believes national park status could help renovate a number of structures on the lakefront which have fallen into disrepair.
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Radio: The Push To Make Chicago’s Lakefront a National Park on WBEZ Chicago 91.5
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Waiting to go on the air. Preservation Chicago Proposes Turning Lakefront Into National Park with Jenn White on Morning Shift, WBEZ Chicago 91.5.
Photo Credit:
Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Yellowstone. Yosemite. Grand Canyon. And Chicago’s Lakefront? The group Preservation Chicago wants to make the city’s lakefront and its nearby parks a National Park. While there are only 61 such parks across the country, the latest to be designated is in our area. Indiana Dunes National Park joined the party on February 15 of this year.
Morning Shift talks with the architect of this thought-provoking idea.
Why is Preservation Chicago proposing a National Park in Chicago?
Ward Miller
: The Chicago lakefront has been always understood to be forever open and free to everyone, and it’s an amazing resource on the Great Lakes of course, and it deserves to be protected. We’ve seen a number of instances recently where there have been park giveaways, land giveaways. First it was the Children’s Museum that was going to take a prominent place in Grant Park, and then it became the Lucas Museum as many people remember, and now the Obama Presidential Center. And we welcome that center to Chicago, but not in historic Jackson Park.
What areas would the National Park would include?
Miller:
We’d like to begin at Hollywood on the North Side and extend it all the way to the former U.S. Steel Southworks site, which is a brownfield at the far South end of the city, and to encourage an expansion and protection of that greenway.
How does the Obama Presidential Center fit into this story?
Jenn White:
Preservation Chicago supports the Obama Presidential Center, but you’re against having it built on public land in Jackson Park, so how much of this idea is about drawing attention to your stated wishes about the Obama Center?
Miller:
That’s an important issue right now. We’re talking about 20 acres of land that would be given to a private foundation. It sets a dangerous precedent. Plus, we’re talking about the removal of 200 trees, some of them old-growth, and really affecting the landscape in a big way with backhoes and really tearing up a Frederick Law Olmsted landscape, and he is the best of the best...We’re encouraging the Obama Foundation about moving the nearby private lands and expanding the park onto those lands.
How realistic is this idea?
White:
National Parks typically seek to protect and preserve natural areas, but very few of them are anywhere near a city, let alone in a city, a major city like Chicago. How realistic is this idea?
Miller:
I think this is a very realistic idea. It’s in the very beginning stages, but remember, President Obama himself was here and pushed with Mayor Emanuel and a lot of elected officials to designate Pullman as a National Park and a National Monument. And that was just two years ago. So, it seems like the idea of protecting natural resources designed by one of the world’s great landscape architects and others would be a good idea. It would protect the lakefront.
GUEST:
Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago
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Preservation Chicago/Biketropolis/CADS Art Deco Bike Tour Proves a Hit!
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Group of architecture-loving bike riders outside of the Merchandise Mart during the Preservation Chicago/Biketropolis/CADS Art Deco Bike Tour . Photo Credit: Mary Lu Seidel / Preservation Chicago
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Over 40 Chicago architecture-loving bike riders came out on the rainy Saturday afternoon of May 18, 2019 to explore the bountiful Art Deco architecture woven into the fabric of Chicago. Due to the popularity and success of the event, additional architecture bike tours will be offered throughout the warmer months.
Chicago's Art Deco architectural details are usually hidden in plain sight and often overlooked by passersby. The late afternoon ride set the stage for excellent views of Chicago's architecture and delivered a new experience for many adventure cyclists.
Experts from the Chicago Art Deco Society and Preservation Chicago rode with the tour to provide architectural information and share some preservation stories about the many Art Deco buildings along the route.
Thank you to our fantastic and fascinating docents, Amy Keller and Henry Wykowski of the Chicago Art Deco Society, and Mary Lu Seidel and Cathie Bond from Preservation Chicago who shared preservation stories for many of the buildings.
A special thanks to Paul Sanders, project manager involved with the Old Main Post Office restoration, who gave us a behind-the-scenes tour and information on the project.
Due to the rain, the bike tour focused on downtown locations including the Merchandise Mart, Commonwealth Edison Substation One North LaSalle, 105 West Madison, 39 South LaSalle, Field Building, Chicago Board Of Trade, Board of Trade Fountain, The Palmer House, The Pittsfield Building, Chicago Motor Club Building, Carbon and Carbide Building and the Palmolive Building.
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Ward Miller Presents Mayor Lori Lightfoot With A 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered
Booklet
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Ward Miller Presents Mayor Lori Lightfoot with a 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered Booklet on Inauguration Day, May 20, 2019. Photo Credit: Preservation Chicago
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Petition: Halt the Demolition of One of Bronzeville's Historic Substations
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ComEd Substation, Herman von Volst, 626 E. 40th Street, 1931. Photo Credit: Google Street View
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Built in 1931, the ComEd substation at 626 E. 40th Street once provided power for the now-defunct Kenwood L line. Designated as possessing potential significance in the context of the surrounding community during the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, the substation’s demolition permit reached
the end of its 90-day hold on January 31, 2019. ComEd has not yet confirmed its intentions for this site.
Without intervention, Bronzeville could lose another beautiful monument to its rich history. Preservation Chicago is actively engaging in conversations with ComEd, the community and decisionmakers to save this historic building and return it to a vibrant use.
We urge ComEd to halt the demolition of its Herman von Volst-designed substation at 626 E. 40th Street in Chicago and work with the community and neighborhood leaders to find a preservation-sensitive use for the historic building.
Additional Reading
Crain’s Chicago Business published an op-ed in where an elevated linear trail similar to the 606 is proposed for the South Side on abandoned railway embankments. It suggest that this ComEd substation as an access point and park space.
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If You Value Preservation In Chicago...
Please Support
Preservation Chicago
!
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Demolition of Chicago Machinery Building, 1217 West Washington Boulevard, designed by D.H. Burnham & Company in 1910. Photo Credit: Ward Miller
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- Be Heard! Attend community meetings and make your voice heard!
THANK YOU from your friends at Preservation Chicago!
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