November 2019 Month-in-Review Newsletter
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What's the secret ingredient necessary to take on impossibly difficult challenges and succeed?
Your support.
Please "Love Your City Fiercely"
and
Triple Play:
Due to the generosity of our board members, all donations received by December 9 will be tripled up to $4,500 total.
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SAVED! Superior Street Row Houses. Included in Historic Landmark District one day prior to the release of demolition permits. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Preservation Chicago is committed to strengthening the vibrancy of Chicago’s economy and quality of life by championing our historic built environment.
Preservation Chicago protects and revitalizes Chicago’s irreplaceable architecture, neighborhoods and urban green spaces. We influence stakeholders toward creative reuse and preservation through advocacy, outreach, education, and partnership.
For larger donors wishing to support Preservation Chicago, please contact Ward Miller regarding the Preservation Circle details and a schedule of events. wmiller@preservationchicago.org or 312-443-1000.
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ADVOCACY
- THREATENED: Union Station Power House
- THREATENED: Uptown Theatre
- WIN: Chicago & North Western Railway Building
- THREATENED: Cassidy Tire Building
- WIN: Ramova Theater
- WIN: Pullman National Monument
- WIN: Fullerton State Bank
- WIN: St. Adalbert Convent
- WIN: Ukrainian Village Workers Cottages
- WIN: North Lawndale Art Deco Library
- WIN: The Draper Apartments
- WIN: Wilson Men’s Hotel
- THREATENED: Nordine Home
- Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church/Sinai Temple
- WIN: Claremont Cottages
- WIN: Nuveen House
- WIN: "Yellow Brick Road" Honors Frank Baum Home
- THREATENED: 90-Day Demolition Delay Highlights
- LOSS: Spotlight on Demolition
NEWS
- FILM TRAILER: Power of Place: Honoring the past is the best path to a sustainable future
- WATCH: Preservationists Rally Around Thompson Center as Pritzker Prepares for Sale
- RADIO: What’s That Building? General Richard L. Jones Armory
- PRESS: Former Sun-Times Architecture Critic Comes Out Swinging Against OPC Design, Placement in Park
- OPINION: A Design Agenda for a New Mayor
- PRESS: A trip back in time to the World’s Columbian Exposition
- PRESS: How One Man’s Obsession With Chicago Bricks Spawned A Community Of Masonry Nerds
SUPPORT & PETITIONS
- Keep St. Matthias Parish Open Petition
- Save St. Raise the Roof! Fund The Forum!
- Englewood Brews Launches Crowdfunding Campaign
EVENTS
- Monadnock Building Tours With Chicago Detours
- Walls That Talk Film Screening Success
PRESERVATION GRANTS
- WIN: Landmarks Commission Announces 2019 Adopt-a-Landmark Fund Grantees
- On Leong Merchants Association, 2212 S. Wentworth Avenue
- Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory, 1121 S. Leavitt Street
- Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2610 N. Kedzie Avenue
- Beverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Drive
LOST CHICAGO...BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
- Republic Building by Holabird & Roche
SUPPORT
- Please Support Preservation Chicago!
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THREATENED: Push to Find an Adaptive Reuse Developer for Union Station Power House (Chicago 7 2017)
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Union Station Power House, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, 1932, 301 W. Taylor Street. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Union Station Power House, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, 1932, 301 W. Taylor Street. Brochure Credit: Preservation Chicago
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"An old coal-fired power plant might not be the first idea that comes to mind when Chicagoans think of buildings in need of saving in the city, but a group of preservationists are calling for just that.
"Vacant since 2011, the old Union Station Power House is an example of the city’s industrial roots and a monument to its history as a mover of people and freight, according to Preservation Chicago’s Executive Director Ward Miller.
"Preservation Chicago has the old “boiler plant” listed as one of the seven most threatened buildings in the city and is making a last-ditch effort to save the building by finding someone who will give it new life.
“We’re still hoping to find a developer that can reuse it and to get the city involved,” Miller said when reached by phone earlier this week. “We want more opportunity to have [the public’s] voices to be heard and determine if there is a way to avoid demolition.”
"Whether its future holds a second life as a data center, an addition to the city’s expanding Riverwalk or something even more distinctive, the building should be saved for future generations to enjoy, Miller said, noting that London’s Tate Modern Museum was once the Bankside Power Station.
"When seen from Roosevelt Road while crossing the Chicago River’s south branch, the boxy building’s large, twin smoke stacks rise into the sky with some of the city’s most iconic architecture as its backdrop.
"Amtrak’s plan would turn the lot into a parking lot at a cost of $13 million, according to Miller, who cited documents the organization has seen through their work as a consulting party on the project. He believes a decision to demolish the building could be made in the next couple of months." (Hendrickson, 10/9/19)
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THREATENED:
Uptown Theatre Restoration Stalled
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Uptown Theatre Post-Renovation, Rendering Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative
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"The guardians and custodians of the treasure are nervous. They have cause. They have been betrayed many times before.
"In June, 2018, the City of Chicago announced a $75 million plan to restore the Uptown Theatre, an incomparable 1925 movie palace and resplendent anchor of the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. That November, Chicago’s Community Development Commission was told that construction was expected to begin at 4816 N. Broadway the following summer.
"The summer of 2019 has come and gone. No work has begun. And the preservationist volunteers who famously fight for the Uptown and constantly communicate with each other (and the news media) have been wondering what, or what not, transpires.
"The delay, says Jerry Mickelson of Jam Productions, who owns the Uptown and is in the driving seat of the renovation, along with his partner Scott Goodman of Farpoint Development, involves the financing of the project.
"The Uptown deal was done in a piecemeal way: public funding included $14 million in financing through the State of Illinois’ Property Assessed Clean Energy Act; $13 million in tax-increment financing; $10 million in Build Illinois bond funding; $8.7 million in federal tax credits; and $3.7 million in the City of Chicago’s Adopt-a-Landmark funds. Those funds are allocated and approved. The issue is the remaining $26 million needed to finish the job, which were supposed to be a mixture of loans and investments. At the time of the announcement, that money was not yet in place. It’s still not in placeIn a nutshell, that is the hold up." (Jones, 11/7/19)
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WIN: Chicago & North Western Railway Company Building Landmarked Prior to Hotel
Conversion
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Former Chicago & North Western Railway Company Building, Frost and Granger, 1905, 226 W. Jackson Boulevard. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Landmarks Division
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"An 115 year-old building in the Loop being redeveloped as a Hilton hotel may earn landmark status and a $20 million property tax break over 12 years. Despite some concerns about the destruction of certain architectural elements, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks gave preliminary approval for a landmark designation to the former headquarters of Chicago & North Western Railway at 226 W. Jackson Boulevard and a Class L tax incentive for the developers.
"The 15-story building, designed by Frost and Granger and completed in 1904, was also the headquarters of City Colleges of Chicago. In September, Chicago-based developer Phoenix Development Partners purchased the structure for $32.7 million, according to Crain’s.
"They plan to convert it into a dual-branded 349-room hotel, with a 135-room Hilton Garden Inn on the lower floors and a 214-room Canopy by Hilton above and a 4,800 square-foot rooftop restaurant and bar plus 2,100 square feet of outdoor terraces. The total cost of the project—including property acquisition—is estimated at $136 million. Construction is scheduled to start later this month and be completed in 2021.
"Some members of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks said they were dismayed that the project wouldn’t preserve the historic building’s ornate cornices at a cost of $2 to $3 million. “The point of these incentives is to make the impossible possible,” said Commissioner Mary Ann Smith. “Please go back and do your analysis one more time.” (Smith, 11/8/19)
In addition to its important role in Chicago’s economic heritage, the C&NW Railway Office Building is an excellent example of the Classical Revival style in the Loop. The high-rise headquarters building is clad with light-grey granite and reflects the tripartite division of a Classical column with a base, shaft, and capital divided by ornate projecting belt courses. Its entrance is highlighted by two large fluted granite Doric columns. The formal elegance and ancient Greek origins of the headquarters’ architectural style, designed by the significant Chicago firm of Frost and Granger, communicated the stability and prominence of the railroad company. (Designation Report, 11/19)
The building's history and design made it a strong candidate for Chicago Landmark Designation. Preservation Chicago strongly encouraged the developer to pursue this option. The developer elected to pursue landmark designation and the building became a Preliminary Chicago Landmark in November 2019.
Preservation Chicago fully supports this development and Landmark Designation. Additionally, Preservation Chicago encourages the developer to rebuild the lost historic cornice as part of the development and restoration plan. The cost for cornice rebuilding is significant and Preservation Chicago encourages the City of Chicago to adjust existing code to make cornice rebuilding more attainable and to make additional incentives available to Designated Chicago Landmarks to encourage cornice rebuilding and restoration.
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THREATENED:
Plan to Demolish Cassidy Tire Building for High-Rise Tower to be Presented at Public Zoning Meeting December 9th
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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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"A plan to demolish the old Cassidy Tire building at 344 N. Canal Street and replace the nearly 120-year-old warehouse with a shiny apartment tower is ready to move forward. Developer The Habitat Company and Chicago-based architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz envision a 33-story building with 343 apartments and 124 parking spaces at the Fulton River District site, according to an email form Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd).
"A casualty of the high-rise development will be the historic Cassidy Tire building, which started life in 1902 as a factory and warehouse for the Tyler & Hippach glass company. The five-story masonry structure was designed by architect Henry J. Schlacks, who is primarily known for creating a number of significant Chicago churches such as Woodlawn’s Shrine of Christ the King, Noble Square’s St. Boniface Church, and Pilsen’s St. Adalbert Parish.
"In addition to being a rare surviving example of Schlacks’s industrial work, the old structure is also notable for being moved more than 200 feet from its original location in 1908. At that time, the undertaking was considered an engineering marvel and was even featured in that year’s The Engineering Record publication, according to research by Preservation Chicago.
"Alderman Reilly has yet to declare his support for the proposal, which will require a zoning change to switch from commercial to residential use. Reilly will hold a public presentation with the development team to collect community feedback at the East Bank Club on Monday, December 9, at 6:00 pm." (Koziarz, 11/27/19)
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. 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 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly to encourage a reuse of the building or the incorporation of it in the proposed development.
With special thanks to Matt Wicklund for his outstanding historic research.
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WIN: Ramova Theater Restoration Plan Announced
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The Ramova Theater, 3518 S. Halsted Street, Meyer O. Nathan, Built 1929. Historic Photo Credit: Cinema Treasures
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The Ramova Theater, 3518 S. Halsted Street, Meyer O. Nathan, Built 1929. Rendering Credit: Tyler Nevius
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The Ramova Theater, 3518 S. Halsted Street, Meyer O. Nathan, Built 1929. Photo Credit: John McCarthy / Cinema Treasures
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The Ramova Theater, 3518 S. Halsted Street, Meyer O. Nathan, Built 1929. Photo Credit: Cinema Treasures
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"A long-shuttered historic movie theater building in Bridgeport could soon be revived as a live entertainment venue, restaurant and brewery.
"Plans to redevelop the 90-year-old Ramova Theater at Halsted and 35th streets were announced at a community meeting Tuesday night by Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th.
"The $23 million planned renovation includes converting the theater, currently owned by the city, into a concert and performance space that can hold 1,600 people, according to the developer, Tyler Nevius.
"The developer’s plans also include buying a privately-owned parking lot across the street and privately-owned vacant commercial spaces next to the theater. The commercial spaces would be transformed into a new brewery and, with the help of Bridgeport native and chef Kevin Hickey, a revived Ramova Grill, a former restaurant next to the theater that once was known for its chili."
"Maureen Sullivan, a Bridgeport native who ran for alderman in 2015, began a campaign to restore the theater in 2005, she said. At that time, seeing buildings on 31st through 35th streets and Halsted Street being torn down, “that made me nervous that my beloved theater that had been empty since 1986 would be next.”
"She circulated a petition and received 5,000 signatures in a few months, she said. She also got in contact with the late Ray Shephardson, a theater restoration specialist who restored the Chicago Theatre. With a lack of funding, however, her efforts to revive the Ramova stalled.
"After renovation plans were revealed Tuesday night, “this is the first time in 15 years that I’m actually really allowing myself to be excited,” Sullivan said. “I’ve been cautiously optimistic the whole time.”
"Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, said that given the history of the theater, the use of tax funds for redevelopment "is very reasonable and fair.“
"This is one place where (tax-increment financing) money really can help, when you’re looking at a neighborhood institution and building that is landmark quality.” (Chen, 11/21/19)
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WIN: Pullman on track to emerge from comprehensive restoration as national tourist attraction
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Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building. Photo Credit: Historic Pullman Foundation
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Transfer Pit Corridor. Rendering Credit: Positioning Pullman 2.0
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Worker's Gate Reconstruction: Restoring Pedestrian Access to the Factory Grounds. Rendering Credit: Positioning Pullman 2.0
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Overview of Restored Pullman National Monument. Rendering Credit: Positioning Pullman 2.0
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"A multimillion-dollar effort to convert a Pullman’s once-thriving industrial corridor into a national tourist attraction is celebrating the progress that’s been made so far — and looking to the future.
"To date, $56 million has been invested in “Positioning Pullman,” a plan created in 2015 to celebrate the rich, complicated history of the community and the people who once lived and worked there during the height of the labor movement.
"Over half of the 30 projects slated for completion on the site surrounding 11141 S. Cottage Grove Ave. are either done or in the final stages, including the restoration of the clock tower that will serve as the Pullman National Monument visitor center when it opens in 2021.
"Right now, more than 15,000 people visit Pullman every year. Architect Richard Wilson estimates that number will grow to 300,000 once everything is finished, due largely to its national park designation. When visitors come to the historic site, they’ll learn how industrialist George Pullman’s ambitious experiment to solve poverty and unemployment set the stage for what would become one of the most violent labor uprisings in history." (Nesbitt Golden, 11/26/19)
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WIN: Long Vacant Fullerton State Bank to be Converted to Condos
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Fullerton State Bank, 1425 W. Fullerton Avenue, Karl Vitzthum, 1923, Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2008 as part of the Neighborhood Bank Building Landmark District. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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Fullerton State Bank, 1425 W. Fullerton Avenue, Karl Vitzthum, 1923, Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2008 as part of the Neighborhood Bank Building Landmark District. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer
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Fullerton State Bank, 1425 W. Fullerton Avenue, Karl Vitzthum, 1923, Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2008 as part of the Neighborhood Bank Building Landmark District. Photo Credit: Debbie Mercer
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"A long-empty Classical Revival building on Fullerton Avenue, built in the 1920s as a bank and later the home of a company that made clothes for burying the dead, is being turned into eight condos.
"The Corinthian-pillared building at 1425 W. Fullerton Avenue, familiar to people who pass it because of the word “perfection” carved over the door, has been vacant since at least 2013.
"A key feature of the condos will be “those big, amazing windows,” said agent Melissa Govedarica. Two-story arched windows line the building’s north side, along Fullerton, and its west side, along Janssen Avenue. Throughout the building, “they’ve saved some of the awesome original design appointments,” including decorative iron work and plaster medallions, which will be incorporated into the rehab that is going on now.
The building, a city landmark, was designed by Karl Vitzthum, the architect of at least 50 Midwestern bank buildings, according to the city’s landmarks department, and tall buildings in the Loop, including the Old Republic building on Michigan Avenue and the Art Deco skyscraper One North LaSalle. The building opened as Fullerton State Bank in 1923 and still has a crest emblazoned with an F on the facade, above the word Perfection.
The bank closed during the Great Depression, and another company, Perfection Burial Garments, moved in. During the Depression, when burying a family member in useful clothes seemed wasteful, entrepreneur Harry Eckhardt launched Perfection to make inexpensive clothing that could be draped over a corpse and buried with it." (Rodkin, 11/25/19)
Preservation Chicago has consistently encouraged and publicly testified that any reuse of this building should incorporate both exterior and key interior components.
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WIN: Society of St. Adalbert Requests Landmark Designation for St. Adalbert Convent
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St. Adalbert Convent, 1628 W. 17th Street, Built 1928. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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"A group fighting to preserve St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church — a property in the heart of Pilsen that is slated to become apartments — now want the convent to be landmarked along with other buildings on the site.
"Society of St. Adalbert (SOSA) recently filed a request to consider a landmark designation for the former convent at 1628 W. 17th St. with the city’s Department of Planning and Development. The move comes less than two months after Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) submitted a letter in support of landmarking the historic church, interior sanctuary and the rectory building on the 2.1-acre property.
"The developer slated to redevelop the property, CityPads, supports landmarking the convent in addition to the other buildings, said Clint Sabin, the company’s spokesman.
"Sigcho-Lopez does, too.
“We want to make sure that we are not forgetting a piece of the parish property,” the alderman said.
"The four-story convent, named Our Lady of the Snows by the congregation, was constructed in 1928 and includes 52 bedrooms, a library, a chapel and a dining hall, according to the filing by the group. It formerly housed Sisters of Nazareth and the nuns taught children in the community at St. Adalbert School, said Society of St. Adalbert President Julie Sawicki."
"Sawicki said landmarking the convent will prevent any “destruction of the property. "This property should have been landmarked a long time ago, but no one thought it would be necessary,” Sawicki said. “[Landmarking] would be a big step forward in achieving the objective of keeping the property as it has been for 142 years…We don’t want to see a developer ruin the property.”
"Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, has advocated for the landmarking of the property for years. If landmarked, Miller said the convent’s exterior would need to be maintained to keep with “the spirit, look, feel and design” of the 1920s building. Any additions to the building would have to be set back, Miller said."(Pena, 11/19/19)
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THREATENED: Ukrainian Village Workers Cottages Threatened by New Condo Construction
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Ukrainian Village neighbors and preservation leaders, including Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller, in front of 2047 W. Augusta Blvd. The worker’s cottage is threatened with demolition unless the block is approved as a Landmark District. Photo Credit: Hannah Alani / Block Club Chicago
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"Before developers tear down rows of 1910s-era workers cottages and flats on Augusta Boulevard, a group of neighborhood leaders are trying to save what’s left.
"The Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association is attempting to extend the neighborhood’s existing landmark protections to include Augusta Boulevard between Leavitt Street and Damen avenues.While the Commission on Chicago Landmarks already protects large swaths of the neighborhood, these particular blocks were left out of the original designation.
"The impetus behind the movement was a recently proposed tear-down of a workers cottage at 2047 W. Augusta Blvd. The building’s owner wanted to replace the cottage with a four-story building; the tallest building on the block.
"Kimberly Shannon, a 13-year resident of the neighborhood, is spearheading the effort to extend the existing landmark designation.“There’s so much history that we have to honor,” Shannon said. “Workers cottages were built on the backs of what made Chicago great. To tear down this history, it’s sad to me.”
“We are not a neighborhood of homogeneous buildings and big box stores, thanks to the efforts of many who worked tirelessly to gain Landmark District protection for approximately 75 percent of our beautiful neighborhood,” she said.
Ward Miller credited the original Ukrainian Village Landmark district — created roughly 20 years ago — for prompting the city’s present-day appreciation of the “value, quality and importance” of such buildings. “I sort of credit this district with opening people’s eyes to the workers cottages,” said Miller. “This was a real change.” (Alani, Block Club Chicago)
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WIN: North Lawndale Art Deco Library Restored
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Frederick A. Douglass Chicago Public Library, 1929, 3353 W. 13th Street. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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"For decades, North Lawndale residents have pointed to their crumbling local library as proof of the city’s neglect of the West Side.
"Now, after a year-long closure and $2.15 million in renovations, the Douglass Branch library, 3353 W. 13th St., has reopened.
"The redesign comes after community members pushed the city to do something about the old library, which residents said had deteriorated to the point of being unsafe. Malloy said the Douglass Branch is a beautiful old building with a lot of historical architectural value, but its age showed in the condition of the facilities.
"The building, constructed in 1929 and last renovated in 1980, was in such a sorry state that when neighbors needed to get a book or use any library services, those living just blocks away would make the trip downtown to Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St." (Sabino, 11/25/19)
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WIN:
Dated Uptown Office Building Converted to Mid Century-Inspired Apartments
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Tiki Lounge at The Draper, 5050 N. Broadway. Photo Credit: Cedar Street
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"The two-year transformation of Uptown’s former Combined Insurance building into a new striking apartment development known as the Draper is nearly complete. The adaptive reuse project at 5050 N. Broadway is the latest development from Chicago-based Cedar Street Companies and the group’s first crack at designing a midcentury modern-inspired building.
“We’re always looking at the structure that we inherit to find ways to be authentic,” Cedar Street’s Mark Heffron tells Curbed. “Some of our past projects were more Art Deco-inspired. Bush Temple was turn-of-the-century. Lawrence House took a Roaring ‘20s approach. Here, we focused on the ‘50s portion of the property since it was our first time getting our hands on a midcentury building.”
"Chicago architecture firm Booth Hansen oversaw the recladding of the old 12-story office building—swapping what Heffron calls a “flat, tired curtain wall” for a fresh, more contemporary facade with a lot more depth and texture.”
"Stepping into the Draper—which takes its name from a not-so-subtle nod to Mad Men—it’s hard to miss the midcentury modern design of the lobby. The thematic decorating continues in the building’s seventh-floor lounge (which connects to an outdoor pool, a dog run, and grilling stations) as well as in the emerald green paint jobs and globe lighting in the residential hallways.
"Cedar Street’s in-house designer Heather Fritz made creative use of a windowless corner of the building by carving out unique amenities. These include a 1950s Hollywood-inspired screening room, a multi-level gym, and a tropical tiki lounge-themed game room with palm leaf wallpaper on the ceiling.
“Mid-century modernism was a no-brainer as the source of inspiration for design,” Fritz tells Curbed. “Tiki lounges and mid-century go hand in hand. There was a sort of obsession with tropical environments in Hollywood movies of the era, and Hawaii became a state at the end of the era, forever enmeshing American and Polynesian culture.” (Koziarz, 11/26/19)
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WIN: Historic Uptown SRO to be Redeveloped into Micro-Apartments.
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Wilson Men's Hotel, 1124 W. Wilson Avenue, Built in 1906. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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"The redevelopment of the former Wilson Men’s Hotel building in Uptown has begun, with its new owners working to turn the former single-room occupancy building into micro-apartments. Early this month, developer City Pads started on renovations to the Wilson Men’s Hotel, 1124 W. Wilson Ave.
"The project will be called Wilson Club, and it will hold 76 micro-units and ground-floor retail. Of the 76 apartments, 15 will be considered affordable, said Clint Sabin, a spokesperson for the developer.
"Rents for the market-rate units, which will be between 250 to 400 square feet, will start at about $1,000, Sabin said.
"Some of the former residents of the Uptown Men’s Hotel were living in “deplorable” conditions due to a lack of maintenance by its previous owner, Sabin said.
"The roof was failing and was being held up by chicken wire in some cases, and half of the building’s shared bathrooms were non-functional, he said. The hotel has failed more than two dozen building inspections since the 1990s, including four consecutive inspections in 2016 and 2017, according to city records." (Ward, 11/22/19)
Built in 1906, the building has been a hotel for at least 80 years. Rumor has it that it was a factory before that. (At nearly 33,000sf, it is big enough to have been.) In the 1920s and 1930s, it served primarily as a home for itinerant and seasonal laborers. (Uptown Update, 7/19/17)
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THREATENED:
Nordine Home Endangered Despite Interested Preservation-Oriented Prospective Buyer.
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Nordine House, 6106 N. Kenmore, Pond and Pond, 1902. Photo Credit: Edgeville Buzz
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"Edgewater’s last historic mansions are dwindling in numbers as developers eye them in order to capitalize on the neighborhood’s popularity. But one home’s likely fate in particular has some shaking their heads and wondering if there is any hope.
"Many of the surviving century-old homes such as the one that housed Wing Hoe restaurant at 5356 N. Sheridan do not meet the requirements needed to be landmarked. Those structures will likely see the wrecking ball after they are sold. But one historic mansion with a colorful history at 6106 N. Kenmore has everything needed for easy landmarking, not to mention a buyer willing to preserve it.
"The house which stands on the northwest corner of Kenmore and Glenlake was owned by one of the most celebrated voices in both radio and television, Grammy Award nominated Ken Nordine. He purchased the mansion in the 1960s and it became home to his legendary recording studio Snail Studios. Through the decades a wide range of celebrities secretly recorded at the home. If those walls could talk they would boast about the likes of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and the masterful Tom Waits (just to name a couple) and the creative collaborations that took place there. Sadly, time moves on and Nordine passed away in February of this year. His estate was left to his sons who quickly started to look for a buyer.
"It did not take long for perspective purchasers to show interest. The lot that the house sits on is a large, double-wide property that is zoned RM-5. That means that a developer can come in, demolish the property, construct a larger multi-unit building up to 45 feet in height and make a nice profit. In Fact the property listing for the house boasts about its current RM-5 zoning designation and its ability to accommodate medium to high-density multi-family buildings as well as a variety of other residential housing types.(Edgeville Buzz, 10/10/19)
The Nordine House is orange-rated is a demolition request will trigger a 90-day demo delay.
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WIN:
Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church/Sinai Temple Designated as a Chicago Landmark
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Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church/Sinai Temple, Alfred Samuel Alschuler, 1912, 4600 S. Martin Luther King Drive. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Landmarks Division
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Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church/Sinai Temple Inerior, Alfred Samuel Alschuler, 1912, 4600 S. Martin Luther King Drive. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Landmarks Division
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"Designed by the notable architect Alfred Samuel Alschuler, a neoclassical revival-style church complex built in 1912 could soon become the next official Chicago landmark.
"Last week, the Chicago Commission on Landmarks voted to grant preliminary landmark status to the Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church Complex at 4600 S. Martin Luther King Drive in Bronzeville—which consists of the former synagogue and social settlement house connected by a common wing.
“We very much support this designation as Chicago landmark. This is an amazing building that’s elegant and monumental with finely crafted materials and it really anchors this corner at 46th and King Drive,” said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.
"Much of Alschuler’s original architecture remains, including the six Ionic limestone columns framing the main entrance and a four-story sanctuary with a barrel vault ceiling, a central skylight, stained glass windows, and many Stars of David.
"The church is most famous for being the site of a famous Martin Luther King Jr. sermon but the buildings have a rich history that dates back more than a century. Under Rabbi Emil G. Hirsh, Sinai Temple became well-known as a social and intellectual center as well as a house of worship. It’s educational and social programming included talks by prominent speakers like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, social reformer Jane Addams, and Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis." (Smith, 11/11/19)
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WIN: Claremont Cottages Designated as a Chicago Landmark District
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Claremont Cottages, Cicero Hine, c. 1880s. Photo Credit: City of Chicago Landmarks Division
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Claremont Cottages, Cicero Hine, c. 1880s Advertisement. Image Credit: City of Chicago Landmarks Division
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"The Claremont Cottages are a distinctive part of Chicago’s architectural history—the collection of 19 Queen Anne-style workers cottages reflects the city’s admiration for the Victorian era. The homes have remained since they were built in the 1880s and now they’ll be protected under a landmark district.
"In Chicago, workers cottages are part of the city’s vernacular. They are one-and-a-half story homes with gabled roofs and front staircases. However, these particular workers cottages in Tri-Taylor were crafted with unique Queen Anne flourishes. There were dramatic carved wood brackets, oriel windows, witch’s hat additions, and carved stone.
"The homes were designed by architect Cicero Hine and built together as a speculative development by Turner & Bond in the late 1880s. The designs for the cottages were advertised in the newspaper and a catalog which featured illustrations of seven styles.
"Neighbors and homeowners were surprised to learn that the cottages were not protected, despite existing in a historic district. They banded together to learn more about the properties and formed a grassroots effort for preservation, according to Block Club. In October, the Landmarks Commission recommended landmark status, and in November the proposal was submitted to City Council which means the protections are nearly a done deal.
“The worker’s cottage was a common building type in the context of Chicago working- and middle-class neighborhoods that were developed in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, the cottages in this district are distinctive for their design and detailing. No two cottages in the district are identical,” according to the city’s preliminary report. “The district also stands out as a largely intact speculative development, built as an ensemble 125 years ago, that has managed to survive the ravages of time, economic downturns, and extensive urban renewal projects nearby.” (Freund, Curbed Chicago)
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WIN: Nuveen House Designated as a Chicago Landmark
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John Nuveen House, Clarence H. Tabor (attributed), 1892, 3916 N. Tripp Avenue. Photo Credit: Old Irving Park Historical Society
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"A stately Irving Park home built by investment banking magnate John Nuveen is on its way to becoming a protected site. On Thursday, the Chicago Commission on Landmarks voted to recommend a landmarks designation to the 19th century Queen Anne style house at 3916 N. Tripp Avenue in Irving Park.
"The structure was built in 1892 by then 28-year-old salesman Nuveen in a neighborhood that was considered a burgeoning “railroad suburb” on the outskirts of the city.
"The architect can’t officially be tracked down but is strongly suspected to be Clarence H. Tabor, who designed several other similar dwellings in the surrounding neighborhood. Tabor also advertised a rendering of a house in an 1891 Chicago Tribune that features the same design as the Nuveen House.
"The two-and-a-half story house—notable for features like its irregular roofline and corner tower with pyramidal roof and ornamentation—has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years and was nearly demolished by a developer. In December of 2018, a permit to demolish the house was submitted to the city but Preservation Chicago and concerned neighbors in Irving Park objected to the plan.
“This was once a beautiful house, a showplace of the neighborhood. It was so revered that it was a highlight of neighborhood tours of past years,” said Maureen Taylor, who lives across the street from the Nuveen House. “To demolish this Victorian gem for yet another million-dollar mansion would surely be a tragedy.” (Smith, 11/7/19)
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WIN: Yellow Brick Road Celebrates Place Where Frank Baum Wrote “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
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Yellow Brick Road at Humboldt Boulevard and Wabansia Avenue to honor L. Frank Baum, who wrote “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” while living at 1667 N. Humboldt Boulevard in 1899. Photo Credit: Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation
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"Soon Humboldt Park neighbors will be able to follow the yellow brick road just like Dorothy and Toto near where creator L. Frank Baum dreamed up the classic American fairytale.
"Late last week, nonprofit developer Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation began building an actual yellow brick road at Humboldt Boulevard and Wabansia Avenue to honor Baum, who wrote “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” while living at 1667 N. Humboldt Blvd. in 1899.
"Bickerdike recently finished rehabbing nine units of affordable housing on the corner. One of the units sits on the site of Baum’s former home, which was razed decades ago, said Bickerdike CEO Joy Aruguete.
"Aruguete said one of her staffers came up with the idea of “doing something big” to honor Baum in conjunction with their affordable housing project.The city “had a little commemorative sign there, but we wanted to link the idea to the need for affordable housing,” Aruguete said. Aruguete expects the yellow brick road to be complete by early this week. It’ll span about 70 linear feet, she said.
"Since construction began, delighted neighbors have stopped by to ask about the yellow bricks. The reaction on social media has been overwhelmingly positive." (Bloom, 11/4/19)
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THREATENED: 90-Day Demolition Delay List Highlights
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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), but it should be modified to include all buildings included in the survey. These buildings are designated on the city's zoning map. The delay period starts at the time the permit application is presented to the department's Historic Preservation Division offices and can be extended beyond the original 90 days by mutual agreement with the applicant. The purpose of the ordinance is to ensure that no important historic resource can be demolished without consideration as to whether it should and can be preserved.
Additional Reading
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Address:
2434 S. Albany Ave.
#100842060
Date Received: 11/15/2019
Ward: 12th Ward Alderman George A. Cardenas
Applicant: Teo Scorte
Owner: Teo Scorte
Permit Description: Renovation and conversion of existing mixed use building. Work includes new rooftop addition and removal of existing cast-iron storefront window.
Status: Under Review
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Address:
3714 N. Southport Ave.
#100836477
Date Received: 08/26/2019
Ward: 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney
Applicant: Viewpoint Services, DBA Brophy Evacuation
Owner: Southport 2018 LLC
Permit Description: Wreck and removal of a 2-story, multi-unit, residential and commercial masonry building
Status: RELEASED
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LOSS: “Spotlight on Demolition”
5920 W. Irving Park Road, Portage Park
2041 W. Race Street, West Town
2508 N. Burling Street, Lincoln Park
4859 N. Ashland Avenue, Uptown
2745 N. Greenview Avenue, West DePaul
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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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5920 W. Irving Park Road, Demolished November 2019. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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2041 W. Race Street, Demolished November 2019. Photo Credit: West Town Neighbors Association
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2508 N. Burling Street, c.1884. Demolished November 2019. Photo Credit: Estately
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4859 N. Ashland Avenue, Demolished September 2019. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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2745 N. Greenview Avenue, Demolished September 2019. Photo Credit: Google Maps
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FILM TRAILER:
Power of Place: Honoring the past is the best path to a sustainable future
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Power of Place Movie Trailer. Photo Credit: Power of Place
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"Historic buildings and preservation of the buildings is part of the discussion, but also the identity, culture and people who live in the buildings is just as important. Preservation of the buildings alone lacks an understanding of what we're trying to preserve" (25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez)
Power of Place is a feature length documentary film tracing the evolution of the American preservation movement, from its earliest days restoring the mansions and estates of our “Founding Fathers”, to the last decade when it has increasingly worked to embrace the full complexity of American history.
We’ll meet with experts in a variety of disciplines to discuss how powerful places are developed and preserved with a focus not only on history and architecture but also sociology, urban planning and psychology. We’ll travel across the country to look closely at some innovative preservation projects.
We’ll look at how immigrant stories contribute to the character and identity of a place, and what is lost when those stories aren’t given the honor and recognition they deserve. We’ll look at how legacies of economic struggle are central to some communities, and what happens when gentrification threatens to erase those legacies. Finally, the film will also examine the pivotal importance of traumatic histories in shaping place, and what happens when those histories are covered up or ignored.
From the lessons of the past and triumphs of the present to the influence of the built environment on the human psyche, Power of Place will inspire a deeper appreciation for the diversity and importance of today’s Historic Preservation movement in enriching the identity and spirit of places across America.
Additional Reading
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WATCH:
Preservationists Rally Around Thompson Center as Pritzker Prepares for Sale
on Chicago Tonight
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Preservationists Rally Around Thompson Center as Pritzker Prepares for Sale. Photo Credit: WTTW Chicago Tonight
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"The James R. Thompson Center is hard to miss. The 17-story, sloping glass structure occupies an entire city block in downtown Chicago.
"Designed by architect Helmut Jahn in the postmodern style, the 1.2-million-square-foot building opened in 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It houses offices for some 2,200 state employees, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whose suite is on the top floor. Public spaces on its lower levels include a food court, shops and busy Clark-Lake CTA station.
"But the building faces an uncertain future.
"In April, Pritzker signed a bill paving the way for its sale within two years. The governor’s office said the building is too expensive to maintain and repair, citing a 2016 estimate of deferred maintenance costs tallying $326 million.
"In response to the planned sale, three volunteers calling themselves the James R. Thompson Center Historical Society are giving free public tours of the building to provide context on its design features, political history and explore adaptive reuses for the structure.
"The group, composed of architect Jonathon Solomon, architectural historian Elizabeth Blasius and freelance real estate reporter AJ LaTrace, seeks to underscore the building’s value to those who eat at its food court, frequent its shops, utilize its government services and admire its architecture.
“There’s a lot of diversity of opinion about the James R. Thompson Center – a lot of people like it, a lot of people don’t like it,” Solomon said. “We’re less interested in personal opinion about the building and more interested in the ways in which it contributes valuably to public life in the north Loop and city of Chicago." (Garcia, 11/27/19)
Watch the full story at WTTW Chicago Tonight
Preservationists Rally Around Thompson Center as Pritzker Prepares for Sale, Evan Garcia, WTTW Chicago Tonight, 11/27/19
Additional Reading
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RADIO:
What’s That Building?
General Richard L. Jones Armory
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What’s That Building? General Richard L. Jones Armory. Photo Credit: WBEZ Chicago 91.5
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"Carvings of a Roman soldier, medieval knight, Native American warrior and World War I doughboy peer out from their posts around the edges of a mammoth limestone building in Washington Park.
"What’s That Building fan Mike Sykes knew that in 1970 the structure was renamed in honor of General Richard L. Jones,an African American who served in both World Wars, was a leader of the Illinois National Guard and was the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia.But Sykes wanted to know more — and it turns out there’s a lot more.
"Armories are essentially office and storage buildings for military units. But this particular armory is different. From its mammoth arena to its appearance in Spike Lee’s 2015 film Chiraq, it’s been a part of Chicago history for 88 years. And it’s still an active military headquarters. One of two Illinois National Guard units in the building — the 2nd Battalion 178th Infantry —is scheduled to ship out to Afghanistan this summer. The unit’s lineage includes the “Fighting Eighth,” the nation’s first all-black National Guard unit that formed in 1898 to fight in the Spanish-American War.
"Who designed it?
The armory was designed by the architecture firm Perkins, Chatten & Hammond, a short-lived firm (1929-33) that also designed the Northwest Tower at 2018 W. North Ave. Today, the Art Deco building is known as the Robey Hotel in Wicker Park. The lead architect, Dwight Perkins, had previously designed 40 Chicago public schools and helped organize the Cook County Forest Preserves.
"Who made the sculptures?
The breathtaking carvings — which include renderings of the original Fort Dearborn and the slogan “Facta Non Verba” (“Deeds, Not Words”) — are credited to Fred Torrey,whose work includes a war memorial at the Gettysburg battlefield and the sculptures on the Art Deco tower at 333 N. Michigan Ave. (Rodkin, 6/3/19)
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PRESS: Former Sun-Times Architecture Critic Comes Out Swinging Against OPC Design, Placement in Park
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Southern Exposure. Photo Credit: Lee Bey
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"While promoting his book “Southern Exposure” about architectural design on the South Side, former Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bey questioned both the design of the Obama Presidential Center and its proposed placement in Jackson Park.
“The design of the library, I do not like. I think that that tower is foolishness. I think the design is foolishness,” Bey said. “It’s clad in limestone or granite; it’s shoved in this park. If it’s going to be in a park, I think I say in the book, it needs to be a more organic and alive building.”
"He further questioned the necessity of establishing it in a park at all, suggesting a site in Washington Park near the Garfield Green Line station would be a better option as a “vertical, modern, transit-oriented asset to the neighborhood,” spurring applause from attendees of his Nov. 26 talk at the Silver Room, 1506 E. 53rd St.
"Furthermore, Bey fears the OPC “is being oversold as a catalyst.” Its $500 million price tag, he said, “is like pouring water into the ground,” comparing it to the economic benefits spurred by the 1999-completed resurfacing of the Dan Ryan Expressway and the construction of the new University of Chicago Medical Center, which opened in 2013. (Gettinger, 11/27/19)
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OPINION:
A Design Agenda for a New Mayor
by Edward Keegan
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Prentice Women's Hospital and Maternity Center, Bertrand Goldberg & Associates, 1975, 333 E. Superior Street. Demolished September 2014. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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"
In Chicago, architecture matters
Recent mayors often sided with the economic interests of real estate developers, deploying architects as public relations window dressing. That’s not the strategy that made Chicago a mecca for designers, and tourists who want to see their best works. Our most enduring and successful projects have usually been active collaborations between public servants, community members, developers, architects and other allied designers. That’s the messy, complicated and politically fraught formula to create the best version of the public realm—for everybody. Embrace it.
"
Development is more than tall buildings
For all the hype about being the birthplace of the skyscraper, Chicago has always been fundamentally a city of neighborhoods—and for more than a century that’s been a rich tapestry of two- and three-story residential and similarly scaled mixed-use buildings. Chicago bungalows, three-flats, six-flats, courtyard apartment buildings—each of these types are the basic building blocks of the city and provide a marvelously rich and dense fabric from Rogers Park to Austin to Lawndale to Woodlawn. We could more than double the population of the city—to about 6 million people—by just infilling these very comfortable and well-known building types on the vacant land that’s found throughout in the city. So, the next time you hear about a high-rise that’s going to improve density, remember—we don’t need high-rises for density.
"
Stop tearing down buildings. Just stop.
Demolition doesn’t mean progress, it means destruction. And it’s pretty unusual for a better new building to replace a worse old building. So, let’s make this one easy by just making it very difficult to tear things down. Fixing up old things? Make that easier.
"The late Harry Weese, who served as the architectural conscience of the city for many decades in the 20th century, used to say that “every building is a landmark until proven otherwise.” Our next mayor could dramatically upgrade the look of our future city by adopting his simple dictum as the rule, not the exception.(Keegan, 9/21/18)
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PRESS:
A trip back in time to the World’s Columbian Exposition; Travel tips for Chicago from 1893 (yes, you should tip your servers).
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Worlds Columbian Exposition. Photo Credit: Ryerson and Burnham Library
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"In November 1893, the journalist Kate Field asked what should be done with the buildings of the World's Columbian Exposition, the great majority of which were built as temporary structures. "Apply the torch and let it go down in a day," was one reply. Field felt a twinge of sadness for the millions who hadn't had the chance to see with their own eyes "the greatest achievement of the nineteenth century."
"If you could go back in time to see the World's Columbian Exposition, how would you prepare for life in Chicago? Here are some suggestions drawn from travel guidebooks for Chicago and from advice printed in newspapers from around the world." (Nichols, 11/20/19)
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PRESS:
How One Man’s Obsession With Chicago Bricks Spawned A Community Of Masonry Nerds
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Will Quam runs the Brick of Chicago Instagram account and website. Photo Credit: Patty Wetli / Block Club Chicago
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"Take a stroll around Chicago with Will Quam and he’ll show you things you’d never noticed before, like all the soldiers and sailors hiding in plain sight.
"The 28-year-old Minnesota native, who now lives in Lincoln Square, is the guy behind the popular Instagram account @brickofchicago, which showcases a heretofore underappreciated aspect of the city’s otherwise celebrated architecture.
“I tried to start paying a little closer attention to the world around me and I started noticing the repetitive architectural forms in Chicago, like the courtyard apartment or the two-flat or the six-flat, the workers cottage. And I noticed it was the brick or the masonry that often gave it its individuality,” said Quam.
"He cited a stretch of Leland Avenue, near the heart of the Square, as an example: “It’s a whole block of two-flats on both sides. Some of them are greystones with Indiana limestone — some of it’s smooth, some of it’s rusticated — and a bunch of them are brick. The designs and the colors and the textures are all different, and that’s the amazing thing.”
"He started up a series of neighborhood brick tours — one part architecture walk, one part history lesson — guiding groups through Pulaksi Park/Noble Square, Rogers Park and West Loop/Fulton Market. When the tours return in spring 2020, Quam plans to add Edgewater, McKinley Park and Hyde Park to the mix" (Wetli, 11/18/19)
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Keep St. Matthias Parish Open! Petition
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Keep St. Matthias Parish Open! Change.org Petition
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St. Matthias Parish is one of the oldest catholic churches in Chicago and has been a major pillar in the Lincoln Square community for over 130 years. And now, the Archdiocese of Chicago is closing the parish and merging the parishioners with Queen of Angels. Many parishioners feel a close bond with St.Matthias because they are the 4th or even 5th generation of their family to be a part of the church. In addition to being an institution and a pillar in the community, the church is absolutely beautiful with amazing stained glass windows and newly restored paintings. The church is even equipped with a working 80+ year old pipe organ named Helga.
There is no reason why the church can't stay open for at least 1 Sunday mass a week. Completely closing this church will leave a major hole in the community, and in the hearts of the parishioners.
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Raise the Roof!
Fund The Forum!
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The Forum, 318-328 East 43rd Street, Samuel A. Treat, 1897. Photo Credit: The Forum Bronzeville
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"Fund Bronzeville’s future by helping us repair a piece of its past.
"Before its decline in the late 20th century, The Forum served as a hub of Bronzeville commerce, culture, and community. It included one of the most significant assembly spaces on the South Side, hosting politicians, unions, social clubs and fraternal organizations, above first floor storefronts that provided the commercial core of the 43rd Street retail corridor.
"The imposing brick building contains Forum Hall, Bronzeville’s first assembly hall and home of possibly the oldest hardwood dance floor in the city. This is the floor upon which musical luminaries like Nat King Cole, Captain Walter Dyett, and Muddy Waters performed, and national civic movements such as the Chicago Council of the National Negro Congress, Stockyard Congress of Industrial Organizations, and Freedom Riders organized.
"Since 2011, Urban Juncture Foundation has worked in partnership with the owner of The Forum to stabilize the building and rehabilitate it as a community venue that will once again host weddings, political meetings and musical performances, as well as provide an abundance of retail amenities. In July 2019, we won a $100,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to replace The Forum’s decaying roofs. However, this generous award falls $50,000 short of our requested amount, meaning we can afford to replace only one of two roofs this spring.
"Help us raise the roof and fund The Forum! By contributing to this campaign, you not only help preserve a unique monument to Black history, but also help fund a future where commerce, culture and community once again thrive in Chicago’s historic Black Metropolis."
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Englewood Brews Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Raise Funds to Open Brewery in Historic Englewood Building
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Englewood Brews to be opened at 821 W. 63rd Street. Photo Credit: Googlemaps
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Englewood Brews Video featuring owners Lesley Roth and Steve Marchese. Image Credit: Englewood Brews
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Englewood Brews Indigogo Campaign Screenshot
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"Englewood Brews, a taproom and brewery scheduled to open next spring near Kennedy-King College, is turning to crowdfunding to make the South Side brewery a reality.
"The brewery planned for 821 W. 63rd St. launched an Indiegogo campaign hoping to raise $50,000 for the buildout and to “provide jobs and skills training for local residents” as part of the construction.
"Proprietors Lesley Roth and Steve Marchese have spent the last two years working on the space, and construction on the production side of the brewery is set to begin soon.
“There’s a pride of place determination in Englewood that we’ve haven’t seen in any other neighborhood,” added Roth. “There’s a will and an excitement, a real kind of power there. Not to say that there aren’t other great neighborhoods, but with the history of the community, and everything going on right now, we really see this as a chance to be part of Englewood’s amazing future.”(Nesbitt Golden, 11/22/19)
Read the full article at Block Club Chicago
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Monadnock Building Tours With Chicago Detours
Free 30 Minute Walking Tours
Friday, December 6 at Noon
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Monadnock Building. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Monadnock Building Tours by Chicago Detours. Image Credit: Chicago Detours
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This free Chicago walking tour of the Monadnock Building showcases its monumental architecture, gorgeous interiors and fascinating history. The groundbreaking restoration of this 19th-century skyscraper demonstrates the value of preserving historic architecture.
Gratuities for this brief and mostly indoor tour, which is available for a limited time, will benefit Preservation Chicago!
FREE CHICAGO WALKING TOUR DETAILS
On this free Chicago walking tour, you’ll discover the elegant architecture of the Monadnock Building, one of the oldest skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. During your 30-minute-long architectural walking tour, your professional tour guide will share the larger-than-life story and structure of this classic 1890s skyscraper. You’ll enter the building to experience the Monadnock’s inspiring interiors. The tour will be inside 75% of the time, meaning you’ll be comfortable on this tour even in inclement weather. Please note that because we are walking and standing on the tour we have to call this a “walking tour” but we are not walking much distance at all.
The tour group starts in a cafe at noon, and then steps outside to consider the monumental architecture of the Monadnock’s exterior. Once inside the Monadnock, it’s like stepping back to 19th-century Chicago. Tour guests see architectural details like intricate brass doorknobs, glamorous aluminum stairs and old-fashioned mailboxes. You’ll also see old-time businesses like a haberdashery and florist.
Unique to this tour, as compared to other architectural building tours, is that Chicago Detours will share the big ideas of design behind historic preservation. In the 1980s, the building’s owner undertook a painstaking restoration under the direction of award-wining preservation architect John Vinci. Thanks to their foresight, business acumen and creativity, the Monadnock has the authentic feeling of a 19th-century commercial building while being comfortable and functional for the building’s current tenants. To design this free walking tour, Executive Director Amanda Scotese consulted with two experts on the Monadnock’s transformation: official city historian Tim Samuelson and Preservation Chicago Executive Director Ward Miller.
The Monadnock Building demonstrates how crucial it is to preserve Chicago’s incredible architecture. Chicago Detours is committed to supporting efforts to save our city’s historic architecture. Thus our tour guides are donating 100% of all gratuities received on this free walking tour to Preservation Chicago. This non-profit organization “protects and revitalizes Chicago’s irreplaceable architecture, neighborhoods and urban spaces.”
This tour is free and offered weekly on Fridays from November 2nd until December 8th. Reservations are required!
Please book now.
Walking tour begins inside Dollop Coffee in the Fisher Building, 343 S Dearborn (use the entrance on Van Buren) - NOTE that the tour begins across the street from the Monadnock.
WHY ARE WE OFFERING THIS WALKING TOUR FOR FREE?at 6:30
As a top-rated tour company, with professional (not volunteer) tour guides, why are we offering this Chicago walking tour by foot for free?
- To give back to the community! Tour guides will donate all gratuities to Preservation Chicago.
- To welcome new walking tour guests! Come experience our style of walking tour.
- To thank our previous tour guests and see them again!
- Lastly, the Monadnock Building is our office home. We love sharing our appreciation for the Monadnock Building’s incredible architecture on this free walking tour.
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Approximately 200 Attended
Film Screening for
Walls That Talk: A Film about Three Historic Lincoln Park Buildings
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Walls that Talk: A Film about Three Historic Lincoln Park Buildings, November 21, 2019, 6:30 pm at
DePaul University - Lincoln Park Student Center, 2250 North Sheffield Avenue. Image Credit: Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative
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Walls that Talk: A Film about Three Historic Lincoln Park Buildings Screening on November 21, 2019, 6:30 pm at DePaul University - Lincoln Park Student Center. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Walls that Talk: A Film about Three Historic Lincoln Park Buildings Screening on November 21, 2019, 6:30 pm at DePaul University - Lincoln Park Student Center. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Walls that Talk: A Film about Three Historic Lincoln Park Buildings Screening on November 21, 2019, 6:30 pm at DePaul University - Lincoln Park Student Center. Photo Credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago
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Highly successful screening of the film to celebrate 20 years of the Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative! The screening took place on November 21st at the DePaul Student Center and featured the film Walls that Talk: A film by the Voices & Visions Project, the latest installment in the ongoing research projects regarding the Lincoln Park community.
This year's movie will feature local historians, architects, and Chicago residents as they reflect on three historic Lincoln Park buildings: Yondorf Hall, Lincoln Turner Hall, and the Belden Stratford Hotel. Dennis Rodkin hosted the evening. You may know him as the residential real estate reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business or you can also check out his "What's That Building?" segments on WBEZ.
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WIN: Landmarks Commission Announces 2019
Adopt-a-Landmark Fund Grantees
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"Four Neighborhood Landmarks Awarded Preliminary Grants from Citywide Adopt-a-Landmark Fund
A Chinatown community center and three historic neighborhood churches will be awarded grants from the Citywide Adopt-a-Landmark Fund, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) announced on November 7, 2019. Grantees include On Leong Merchants Association, Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory, Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, and Beverly Unitarian Church.
“Each of these buildings have played a historic role in the development of their respective neighborhoods, and their thoughtful rehabilitation will ensure they remain community anchors for future generations,” said DPD Commissioner Maurice L. Cox, a member of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.
"The Adopt-a-Landmark Fund receives 10 percent of the money paid by downtown developers through the Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus system. Previous projects approved for Adopt-a-Landmark grants include the Uptown Theatre, the First Church of Deliverance in Grand Boulevard, and an artist loft development in Pullman."
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On Leong Merchants Association, 2212 S. Wentworth Avenue: A $250,000 grant would support the restoration of the cast iron storefronts, window replacements, and plaster repair, among other work. The building, designed in the Oriental style and completed in 1927, was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1993. Photo Credit: City of Chicago
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Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory, 1121 S. Leavitt Street: A $250,000 grant would support the replacement of the front porch, exterior metal work and stucco repair. Designed to resemble Russian provincial churches, the building is one of only two churches from master architect Louis Sullivan, and its construction was partially paid for by Czar Nicholas II. It was completed in 1903 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1979. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2610 N. Kedzie Avenue: A $250,000 grant would support the restoration of the main façade facing Kedzie and the masonry above the roofline. Designed in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1912, it is one of only two churches in America that uses Norwegian as a primary language. Also known by its Norwegian name Minnekirken, the church is a contributing building to the Logan Square Boulevards District, designated a Chicago Landmark in 2005. Photo Credit: Erin Brown
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Beverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Drive: A $240,000 grant would support the rebuilding of its turrets and associated roof and masonry work. The castle-like structure was built with Joliet limestone in 1886 by real estate dealer Robert C. Givins and modeled after a home he saw on the River Dee in eastern Ireland. The building, which has operated as a church since the early 1940s, is a contributing structure to the Longwood Drive District, designated a Chicago Landmark in 1981.
The four projects were selected from a pool of applicants that requested grants this summer. Among other considerations, staff prioritized projects that are shovel ready, projects that leverage additional investments, and projects that will have a positive, catalytic impact on their community. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
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LOST CHICAGO...BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
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Republic Building (Chicago)
by Holabird & Roche
Built 1902 to 1905. Demolished in 1961
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Richard Nickel Self-Portrait Atop the Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago, IL), 209 S. State St. at SE corner of S. State St. and E. Adams St., Chicago, by Holabird & Roche. Built between 1902 and 1905. Demolished in 1961. Historic Photo Credit: Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection, Richard Nickel Archive
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Republic Building (Chicago)
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Location: 209 S. State Street, at State and Adams
Built: Between 1902 and 1905
Demolished: 1961
"With its crisp lines, light piers, and large windows, Holabird & Roche's Republic Building on State Street marked the last stage in the development of the tall commercial building of the Chicago School. It was originally 12 stories high when it opened in 1905, but in 1909 it was raised to 19. Still structurally sound and financially viable, the Republic was demolished in 1961 to make way for the Home Federal Savings and Loan Association Building. (Lost Chicago, David Lowe, page 147)
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Every Donation Counts.
Please Support
Preservation Chicago
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Demolition of Crawford Power Station, by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, built 1926. Demolished May 2019. Photo Credit: Mary Lu Seidel / Preservation Chicago
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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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Preservation Chicago is committed to strengthening the vibrancy of Chicago’s economy and quality of life by championing our historic built environment.
Preservation Chicago protects and revitalizes Chicago’s irreplaceable architecture, neighborhoods and urban green spaces. We influence stakeholders toward creative reuse and preservation through advocacy, outreach, education, and partnership.
For larger donors wishing to support Preservation Chicago, please contact Ward Miller regarding the Preservation Circle details and a schedule of events. wmiller@preservationchicago.org or 312-443-1000.
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