Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley House. 6427 S. St. Lawrence Ave.

Perkins-Nordine House

6106 N. Kenmore Ave.

Schlitz Brewery-Tied House

9401 S. Ewing Ave.

Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church

4600 S. King Drive

Near North Side District

15 houses near Superior St.

Blackwell-Israel Church

3956 S. Langley Ave.

Tell us through social media, call 312-443-1000 or email info@preservationchicago.org.

"A surviving Victorian building in Chicago’s rapidly developing Fulton Market district, originally a Schlitz tavern and later the home of the Italian restaurant La Luce, has been temporarily spared a date with the wrecking ball.

"City officials on Wednesday revoked a demolition permit for the building, located at 1393-1399 W. Lake St., that was mistakenly issued Monday, according to Peter Strazzabosco, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Planning and Development.

"The permit has been put on hold through March 1 under Chicago’s so-called demolition delay ordinance, which requires city officials to review applications to tear down potential landmark buildings.

"'This sort of slipped through,' said Ward Miller, executive director of the advocacy group Preservation Chicago.

"An online Preservation Chicago petition that calls for the building to be permanently saved had gathered more than 1,000 signatures as of Thursday morning. [Now up to ~4,000 signatures]

"Built in the early 1890s and featuring such flourishes as a corner turret, the four-story structure is rated 'orange,' the second-highest rating, in the city of Chicago’s color-coded survey of potential landmark buildings.

"This time, preservationists hope the delay will give them time to persuade the city to confer landmark status on the building or to convince the owner to save its facades as part of an upcoming development.

"The building is “beautifully designed and crafted,” Miller said. “It’s really an intriguing building that just your regular citizens who walk and drive by have such an affection for it.” (Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 12/3/20)

Preservation Chicago's research indicates that the Schlitz brand belted globe symbol designed by artist Richard W. Bock was introduced at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, one year after the Lake Street Tied House was built. This may explain why the characteristic Schlitz brand belted globe does not appear on the building's facade. Artist Richard W. Bock was also credited with designing the lunettes and large spandrel friezes which framed the stage in Adler & Sullivan's Schiller/Garrick Theater completed in 1892 and demolished in 1961.

Preservation Chicago has advocated for the building's preservation since 2016 and over the past six months since its change of ownership.

City of Chicago: Thank you for taking emergency steps to halt the demolition of the historic La Luce restaurant building / Lake Street Schlitz Tied House, after a clerical error resulted in the demolition permit being released prematurely.

While the immediate demolition threat might be averted, postponing the demolition for a mere 90 days is not enough for this beloved and iconic 130-year old building.

The Lake Street Schlitz Tied House is one of the most extraordinary Schlitz Tied Houses in all of Chicago. It would have been included as part of the Schlitz Tied-House Chicago Landmark District designated in 2011, if the former owners had not objected.

City of Chicago: Protect and Landmark the Lake Street Schlitz Tied House!

The Queen Anne limestone and brick four-story building at 1393-1399 W. Lake Street includes a beautifully detailed corner entry, copper-clad three-story turret, and an ornate copper-clad projecting bay window. This building is orange-rated by the Chicago Historic Resources Survey indicating its high degree of significance.

It was built by Edward J. Uihlein in 1892 as a Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company branded saloon and Tied-House. But, unlike most Schlitz Tied-Houses, it included several floors of apartments above, perhaps in anticipation of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. A painted Schlitz ghost sign is still faintly visible high on the east facing brick wall.

"A City Council committee on December 1, 2020 shot down a controversial plan to create one of the city’s largest landmark districts in the Pilsen neighborhood, after the local alderman and many people in the neighborhood expressed fears the proposal would exacerbate gentrification and force low-income families out of their homes.

"The proposed Pilsen Landmark District would have given landmark status to more than 900 Baroque-style buildings constructed between 1875 and 1910. The plan was first introduced in November 2018, and would have automatically gone into effect in January if it didn’t receive a formal City Council vote before then. The Zoning Committee voted 18-0 on Tuesday against the landmark district, meaning the landmark protections won’t go into place.

"Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) said 95% of the people in his ward opposed the landmark district, fearing it would increase their property tax bills, saddle them with extra costs to repair or renovate their buildings, and make it more difficult to sell their properties.

"'This is a pivotal moment for communities like Pilsen. This is a community, as you all well know, that has been hurt for decades for the lack of accountability, the corruption, but more importantly than anything else, the lack of inclusion in the decision-making process that affects many immigrant families,' the alderman said. Several residents of Pilsen spoke out against the landmark district at Tuesday’s virtual Zoning Committee meeting.

"Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, said the proposed landmark district was designed to protect the fabric of the community, as well as longtime business owners, homeowners, and tenants.

"'We believe in our heart of hearts is the best and most lawful tried and true and reasonable path to protecting one of Chicago’s most vulnerable and historically significant communities from destruction, displacement, and upheaval,' he said.

"'The historic buildings of Pilsen are unique in their architecture and design, and offering affordable dwellings and homes for many residents. Without some type of solid, tried and true protections, we believe from our experience in working in Chicago neighborhoods for many years, that Pilsen will no longer be the same community in a short time. It will most likely be pulverized by new market-rate developments, as witnessed recently, and will force its long-term residents and stakeholders out of the community,' he said.

"Sigcho-Lopez has said he favors a six-month moratorium on demolitions on a larger area of Pilsen while officials work on a longer-term plan to address gentrification, similar to a plan along the Bloomingdale Trail earlier this year.

"However, the Lightfoot administration raised concerns that the alderman’s proposed demolition moratorium would be impossible to manage, because it would be much more sweeping than the one put in place along the Bloomingdale Trail. Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson (11th) also pointed out the moratorium would include part of his ward, but Sigcho-Lopez had not yet consulted him.

"The Zoning Committee rejected Sigcho-Lopez’s demolition moratorium on a 7-11 vote, but the alderman said he was committed to working with the Lightfoot administration on a compromise, and vowed to carve out the 11th Ward from his proposal."

WATCH Chicago City Council committee sides with Pilsen community, votes down landmark district proposal, ABC7 Chicago, Karen Jordan, 12/1/20

"There’s no doubt Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood has the stuff to become an official city landmark district. Yet a plan to do just that is widely despised in the community, viewed by the local alderman, activists and many residents as a way to accelerate displacement and gentrification.

"How should the committee treat the plan, which already has the blessing of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks? Compromise.

"By cutting the size of the proposed district roughly in half and limiting protected structures to Pilsen’s commercial strips, the committee can safeguard an area of undisputed architectural and cultural distinction without imposing a financial burden on residential property owners. A significant share of those owners, it should be noted, are absentee landlords.

"Though it contains significant individual structures, like the shuttered St. Adalbert Catholic Church, Pilsen is primarily distinguished by its urban fabric — continuous rows of “Bohemian Baroque” buildings, impressive Classical Revival structures and colorful murals.

"The risks are cultural as well as aesthetic. Since 2000, Pilsen’s Latino population has dropped by about 14,000, city officials say.

"Floated by the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel as part of a multi-pronged plan to preserve Pilsen and nearby Little Village, the proposed district would cover roughly 900 buildings along the 18th Street commercial strip and in a mostly residential extension to the south.

"Yet it has gone over like a lead balloon, putting Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s chief planner, Maurice Cox, on the defensive. Among other things, city officials have been forced to counter claims that the district would saddle property owners with exorbitant rehab costs.

"But the remedy proposed by the local alderman, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, promises to be a paper tiger. He’s calling for a 'demolition-free district' that would follow the same borders as the proposed landmark district. Under the plan, the city would be prohibited from issuing demolition permits or approvals for major projects until the alderman had a public meeting about each request.

"Here’s a better idea: The committee should reduce the proposed district to about 465 buildings, mostly commercial structures on 18th Street and Blue Island Avenue. This alternative, suggested by planning department officials during three October community meetings, would preserve Pilsen’s architectural heart and would avoid hitting homeowners.

"It also would address the fact that a sizable share of property owners on 18th — nearly 45%, according to a 2020 survey by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute — live outside Pilsen. Absentee owners often treat their properties as investments, not cultural resources, opening the way for demolition.

"Unlike the alderman’s proposed “demolition-free district,” a landmark district offers a proven legal tool to prevent both locals and outsiders from selling to developers who would swing the wrecking ball.

"The city also is proposing financial incentives like a three-year, $3 million Adopt-a-Landmark pilot program to assist commercial property owners who have been in the Pilsen district for at least 10 years.

"In this debate, the two sides appear so polarized that it’s hard to know if any compromise is possible. Yet without one, a treasured Chicago neighborhood will be vulnerable to a more gentrification and demolition. That would be a tragedy for Pilsen’s people and buildings, and all of Chicago." (Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 12/1/20)

"It’s hard to tell what was gained — if anything at all — from a City Council committee’s decision Tuesday to reject both a planned Pilsen landmark district and an alderman’s proposal for a demolition moratorium in the rapidly gentrifying community.

"For residents who opposed the designation, the vote ends a measure they feared would further hasten Pilsen’s gentrification by driving out working class Latino homeowners who couldn't afford to maintain their buildings to landmark status.

"But the veto also means Pilsen’s distinctive late-19th century architecture remains vulnerable to being demolished and replaced by larger buildings with higher rents or single family homes — the very thing we see driving gentrification efforts in Pilsen and on the Near North and Near West sides among other areas.

"The proposed ordinance from Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) would have created a six-month demolition moratorium for buildings within the boundaries of the would-be district. It was an attempt to stop the teardowns without saddling owners with the expense of maintaining a landmark building. But the Zoning Committee voted against the measure, saying the moratorium might not hold up to legal challenges and could be hard to enforce.

"So as of now, Pilsen’s buildings and residents are still unprotected from the forces of change that both efforts — landmarking and the moratorium — were designed to curb.

"With 900 structures near and along 18th Street between Damen and Racine Avenues, the Pilsen Landmark District would've been the city’s largest. The designation also would have included protections for the collection of outdoor murals dating back to 1978 created by the neighborhood’s predominantly Mexican American community.

"Most of the buildings were constructed by the Czech and Bohemian immigrants who settled in Pilsen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The predominantly brick-and-limestone structures bear the classical styles of their builders’ homelands. The buildings and murals together form an architectural and artistic ensemble that is worthy of preservation.

"So if the city wants to preserve places and spaces in Pilsen and across Chicago — without running working class people from their neighborhoods — it must also find a way to increase the financial incentives that are associated with owning landmark buildings.

"The city can also be more creative in how it draws up proposed landmark districts. At almost 1,000 buildings, did the proposed Pilsen district need to be that large? Even the city officials who proposed the district had their doubts in October when city Coordinating Planner Gerardo Garcia suggested the designation include just 465 buildings clustered around 18th Street and Blue Island Avenue.

"Garcia’s proposal would have excluded the overwhelming majority of Pilsen homeowners from the designation. This strikes us as a fair-minded proposal that should remain under consideration.

"We hope the failure of the two ordinances in the Zoning Committee pushes city officials, landmarks experts and community members back to the drawing board to come up with a fair and equitable designation — one that’s right for Pilsen and can serve as model for other neighborhoods." (Sun-Times Editorial Board, 12/2/20)

"Count the state of Illinois’ plan to line up a buyer for the James R. Thompson Center by the end of 2020 as another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.

"A little-noticed provision in legislation the General Assembly passed during its abbreviated, pandemic-focused special session in late May and early June pushed back the timeline for the state to find a buyer for its controversial Loop headquarters by more than a year.

"The state now has until April 5, 2022, to reach an agreement with a buyer for the 1.2 million-square-foot glass-and-steel structure, though the legislature could grant another extension.

"When Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill in April 2019 to authorize the sale of the Helmut Jahn-designed building, Chicago was in the midst of a real estate boom. But COVID-19 has led to a significant slowdown in property sales, and the shaky U.S. economy is making developments difficult to finance.

"Chicago-area commercial property sales, including development sites, totaled almost $8.6 billion through October of this year, down 36.8% from the same period last year, according to real estate research firm Real Capital Analytics.

"'A complicated project with a lot of challenges, the only way I’m going to do it right now is at a really low price, because I’ve got to put a lot of money into it,' said Jim Costello, a senior vice president at Real Capital Analytics.

"Former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner pushed for years to sell the building, and lawmakers even counted on $300 million in revenue from the proposed sale in the final state budget of his single term — a gimmick that was papered over by a surprise tax windfall in April 2019.

"While the Thompson Center has had its share of detractors and fans since opening in 1985, its location in the heart of the city’s central business district could ultimately prove enticing to developers. To the chagrin of preservationists, who consider the building an iconic example of postmodern architecture, state officials have said they have no preference whether new owners tear down the existing structure.

"While the state has had initial discussions, 'ultimately, the purchaser will decide the planned use of the site and enter into an agreement with the city of Chicago and the CTA to maintain the operations of the Clark & Lake station,' Williams said." (Petrella & Ori, Chicago Tribune, 11/28/20)

"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved on Dec 3, 2020 the preliminary landmark proposal for a cluster of four late 19th century buildings in Lincoln Park, including one that a developer once planned to tear down.

"The three-story brick buildings at the intersection of Halsted and Willow streets represent an important architectural era in the city and highlight the major role that Germans played in the neighborhood’s development, according to a report from the Department of Planning and Development.

"The proposal has been in the works for years and is moving forward with the support of the owner of three of the properties, Laramar Goup, said Ald. Michele Smith (43rd), who represents Lincoln Park. Laramar has agreed to preserve its structures as part of a larger development plan that would include two new apartment buildings on Halsted, she said.

“This has been in the hopper for a very long time, and we’re glad it’s coming up,” Smith said. “Laramar has had a history in our neighborhood of buying historic buildings and keeping them. We appreciate their efforts.”

"The proposal would protect buildings at 1727-1729 N. Halsted, currently the home of Boka restaurant; 1733 N. Halsted, occupied by Pizza Capri; 1730-1732 N. Halsted, the longtime home of Vinci, an Italian restaurant; and 1800 N. Halsted, where the Willow Room, another bar and restaurant, opened four years ago. The buildings, which include apartments on their upper floors, were constructed between 1880 and 1890.

"Back in 2013, Chicago developer Golub floated a proposal to raze the building at 1800 N. Halsted, then the home of the Black Duck Tavern & Grille, to make way for an apartment development on the block.

"Designed in the Italianate and Queen Anne Style popular in the late 19th century, the four buildings serve as well-preserved examples of the period and provide a “gateway” to Lincoln Park from the city, according to the planning department report.

"'Taken together, these buildings create a sense of place that exemplifies the historical significance of neighborhood mixed-use buildings and the streetscapes they created,' the report says. The buildings also 'exemplify the importance of Chicago's Germans, one of the largest ethnic communities in the city's history,' according to the report. The area between Chicago and Fullerton avenues was the “epicenter” of the German community in Chicago in the late 19th century." (Crain's, 12/3/20)

Preservation Chicago has been working with community advocates and neighborhood organizations for almost five years. Special thanks to Deirdre Graziano, Diane Levin, Diane Gonzalez, and Allan Mellis for their tireless efforts and to 43rd Ward Alderman Michele Smith and 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins for their strong support. This Preliminary Landmark Designation is a wonderful outcome.

"The Chicago Commission on Landmarks voted unanimously during its Dec. 3 virtual meeting to grant the preliminary landmark designation to Galewood's so-called Miracle House at 2001 N. Nordica Avenue.

"The 1955 house stands out thanks to the abundance of glass walls and two sets of spider-like steel arms on the sides that keep the second floor suspended like a bridge. The owner, Dr. David Scheiner - a retired physician who was Barack Obama's personal doctor until 2008 - requested the designation. He told the commission that he enjoys the house and wants to see it preserved.

"If approved, the Miracle House will be the first city landmark in the Galewood neighborhood and the 14th landmark in the Austin community.

"In 1954, the St. Williams Parish launched a raffle to raise funds to build a new church, and the house was conceived as a grand prize. Edo Belli, the co-founder of Belli and Belli architecture firm, came up with the design. Jim Belli, Edo's son and the company's current head, told the commission that his father wanted to design something that would accommodate a family of five, like his own. The city staff explained that the abundance of glass was part of the elder Belli's signature style.

"The firm did the design pro-bono, with General Electric donating appliances, retailer Sol Polk donating furnishings and General Bridge and Steel company providing the steel arms.

"The name 'Miracle House' was first used on the raffle ticket. The raffle raised enough money to not only pay for a new church, but a new parish rectory, a convent and a school. Since then, the building has only had three owners. Scheiner purchased it in 1999.

"Dan Lempa, a School of Art Institute of Chicago graduate student, kicked off the landmarking process. He grew up on the same block as the Miracle House and, after preparing a hypothetical application for a course assignment, he reached out to Scheiner to see if the owner would be interested in applying for real landmark status. The two spent the next several years working on the application, they said.

"The city staff recommended the landmark designation, because the house had a distinct design that represented mid-1950s optimism and served as a rare example of Belli and Belli-designed residential buildings. And the report noted that, while the house got an addition in the rear in 1965 and a minor alternation in 1999, most of the original design survived." (Studenkov, Austin Weekly News, 12/4/20)

"Around the same time the lawsuit became public, a judge appointed a receiver to 'care for' the 1920s theater, which has fallen into disrepair, said Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), whose ward includes the Congress. Receivers are appointed to protect a property during a pending lawsuit.

"'My office and I are working with the receiver to understand the scope of repairs they can make on the theater, and they have outlined a plan for securing the building and ensuring the safety of adjacent neighbors and passersby,' La Spata said in a statement.

"Peter Strazzabosco, spokesman for the city’s Planning and Development Department, said the city is taking offers from other developers. The department 'will continue to respond to market interest in the property and support viable efforts to reopen the theater and its adjacent retail and residential spaces,' Strazzabosco said in a statement.

"Strazzabosco also said while Moyer received city approval to redevelop the old movie palace, his formal redevelopment agreement with the city — the very last step in a lengthy process — never closed. Because of that, the $9.7 million in Tax Increment Finance dollars the city awarded the project in 2018 was never issued to Moyer, Strazzabosco said.

"Locals have long been anxious to see the Congress Theater overhauled. In fact, it’s one of the most-asked about development projects in the 1st Ward, said La Spata, who took office in May 2019. The historic theater has sat vacant since the city ordered it closed in 2013 following a string of code violations.

"Moyer’s journey to redevelop the Congress started in 2015, when he bought the theater for $16 million with the goal of bringing it back to its former glory. The developer has experience overhauling historic theaters; he redeveloped the Cadillac Palace Theatre and Hotel Allegro in the late 1990s.

"'We all had a tremendous amount of hope when Michael Moyer’s plan came along that we’d see a rejuvenated Congress Theater,' said Andrew Schneider, president of Logan Square Preservation. 'It’s disturbing that the finances of Michael Moyer seem to be in peril and the building sits vacant.'

"'There’s no reason the apartment component couldn’t be rehabbed and tenanted,' Schneider said. 'There are other options for the property.'

"Built in 1926 as an ornate movie palace, the Congress Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. In its heyday, everyone from Chuck Berry to Jerry Lee Lewis graced its stage." (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 11/30/20)

The Congress Theater was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002 with the extensive and persistent support of Preservation Chicago, Logan Square Preservation and the Richard Nickel Committee. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Additionally, Preservation Chicago has worked diligently to encourage its restoration. This current setback is disappointing.

"One of the most prominent and historic buildings in Uptown is getting a second life as an upscale apartment tower. The Bridgeview Bank building at 4753 N. Broadway will be redeveloped into 176 apartments by Cedar Street, a prolific development firm that has built hundreds of apartments in Uptown in recent years.

"The city’s Permit Review Committee in early November approved Cedar Street’s plans for the landmark bank building, which include adding a rooftop amenity deck and converting the bank’s lobby into a coworking space.

"The redevelopment project will breathe new life into a building that has followed the transformation of Uptown over the years. The Bridgeview Bank building was constructed in 1925, and four additional floors were added in 1928. It has twice been made a city landmark: when multiple bank buildings were landmarked in 2007 and as part of the Uptown Square District in 2016.

"Upper floors of the building will be converted into 176 apartments. The grand bank lobby and a mezzanine banking floor — used for a scene in the John Dillinger biopic “Public Enemies” — will be transformed into coworking space, said Mark Heffron, Cedar Street managing partner.

"Some historical aspects of the lobby will be removed, including a large marble reception desk in the middle of the floor and the caging behind some of the teller’s stations. Glass partitions will be added to the coworking space and near some interior stairwells. Art deco-style check-writing tables will be moved from the lobby, though they will be relocated and put into use elsewhere in the building.

"Some members of the Permit Review Committee, which oversees permits for landmark buildings, said they had reservations about the changes planned for the lobby. Heffron said the grand nature of the lobby area, plus the inability to change many of its historic features, made coworking space one of the only workable options. 'We contemplated a lot of different uses for the main banking hall,' Heffron said. 'We landed on coworking and feel very strongly that might be the only use to preserve this space.'

"Cappleman said the building’s reuse will preserve an Uptown gem.

'It’s a beautiful building,' Cappleman said at the Permit Review Committee meeting. 'I’m glad we’re doing everything we can to make sure it maintains itself for the next 100 years.' "(Ward, Block Club Chicago, 11/17/20)

Preservation Chicago presented strong testimony in support of this adaptive reuse project. We played a significant role in the landmark designation of the Uptown Square Landmark District. This district provides protection to 57 properties within the Uptown Entertainment District, located along the commercial corridors of Lawrence, Broadway, and Racine.

This district provides protection to 57 properties within the Uptown Entertainment District, located along the commercial corridors of Lawrence, Broadway, and Racine. Landmark buildings now protected include the Uptown Theater, Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, Essanay Studios, Green Mill, Wilson Avenue “L” Station, Lawrence Hotel, People’s Church/Preston Bradley Center, and many of the beautiful historic commercial retail buildings, hotels and office buildings that make Uptown such an extraordinary neighborhood. The Landmark District also provides important economic incentives to help stimulate increased historically-sensitive investment and renovation.

In additional to strong advocacy for the Landmark District, Preservation Chicago pushed the proposal further by asking for the designation to extend beyond the façades and to include protections for the many wonderful interior lobbies and other notable spaces of the Riviera, and Aragon, the Uptown National Bank Building, and the WPA-Works Progress Administration murals in the Post Office.

"Anyone who enters the nearly block-long brick structure in West Pullman expecting to find a typical collection of apartments for seniors is in for a pleasant surprise.

"Wide corridors invite chance meetups. Generously sized windows stream light deep into the building. There’s an abundance of touches too rich looking to be new, such as built-in bookcases and old doors repurposed as decoration. And there’s the big nod to the past — chalkboards in most of the 60 units. Residents use them for notes and reminders.

"The building at 11941 S. Parnell Ave. is the old West Pullman Elementary School, with part of its structure dating from 1894. It grew to allow for a capacity of 2,000 students, but dwindling enrollment led former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to close it in 2013, making it one of dozens of suddenly empty buildings that became a challenge for their communities.

"Can an old school be reconfigured for some other use? Absolutely, in West Pullman’s case.

"Developer Scott Henry, principal of Celadon Holdings, was sensitive to the possibilities. He was born in the area and his mother attended the school. In retrospect, the building had attributes to make it a natural for senior living, even if there were many difficulties along the way. He hired Chicago-based architectural firm UrbanWorks to help figure things out.

"'When it’s done and you have a beautiful project, it’s worth it. And you get people moving in who are so appreciative — some of them with tears in their eyes.' Henry has partnered with A Safe Haven Foundation, which helps people at risk of homelessness.

"UrbanWorks partner Robert Natke said high ceilings lend a feeling of extra space and the large windows, reflecting a mindset that kids in class needed light and fresh air, are at least twice as large as what’s common in new construction. There was space to add elevators. The layout allowed for plenty of risers — ductwork running into the units, each of which has its own furnace, he said.

"Henry paid Chicago Public Schools $250,000 for the property in 2017 and secured tax credits for historic preservation. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and, in 2018, became an official Chicago landmark.

"A report by the city’s landmarks staff that recommended the designation cited the school as a well-preserved and detailed example of public school trends from the early 20th century. It also was cited for showing how West Pullman, which the city annexed in 1890, grew as families were drawn to nearby employers such as George Pullman’s rail car works and International Harvester.

"The architects for the school’s three sections were employed by the Chicago Board of Education, the system having decided that architects on commission were giving it cookie-cutter designs. The man credited with the 1894 section was W. August Fiedler, whose connections to high society in the late 19th century led to such work as the Germania Club on the North Side, a city landmark. (Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/20)

Preservation Chicago applauds developer Celadon Holdings, A Safe Haven Foundation and the architect UrbanWorks for an excellent project. This is an excellent example of how adaptive reuse can reinvigorate historic structures. It also demonstrates how the inherent authenticity of historic structures can result in more interesting, unique, desirable, and ultimately successful finished projects than comparable new construction. We hope that many more of the vacant former Chicago Public Schools are adaptively reused for affordable housing.

"A North Side alderman is trying to block a planned apartment building in Old Town, saying it clashes with a historic building that's part of the project.

"Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, has filed a proposal in City Council to reduce the zoning on the property at 1810 N. Wells St., a move that would prevent Chicago developer Howard Weiner of Condor Partners from moving forward with the 18-unit project on the site.

"Preservationists object to the development because Weiner wants to add a three-story building behind an existing one-story storefront, a former stable built in 1883. Smith has taken their side, pushing to downzone the property after a city landmarks committee approved it in early October.

"'This project is something that is inconsistent with our historic district,' Smith said. 'It is causing a lot of angst' in Old Town.

"Weiner plans to preserve the façade of the one-story building, which he would buy from Marion Parry, the owner of A New Leaf Studio & Garden, a flower shop next door that recently closed. But Smith argues that new additions to protected structures should not be visible from the street.

"The existing building is not a city landmark but sits within the Old Town Triangle District, a landmark district created in 1977. As a result, the project needed the approval of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks’ Permit Review Committee.

"Preservationists and community groups pursued a well-organized campaign against Weiner’s plan. The landmarks committee received 186 pages of emails regarding the project before an Oct. 1 meeting to review it.

"But the committee allowed the development to go forward, voting to designate the one-story building as a 'non-contributing' structure within the landmark district. Smith wants to trump that decision by placing more restrictive zoning on the property, a move that would need the approval of the City Council. She said she’s hoping to reach a compromise with Weiner, declining to elaborate on the options.

"If the City Council approves Smith’s downzoning proposal, Parry could take the city to court, arguing that the move represents an illegal shifting of the goal posts that depresses the value of her property. Other real estate investors, including the owner of space in the Pittsfield Building in the Loop and a developer of a proposed Pilsen residential project, have sued the city in recent years after the council downzoned their properties, alleging that the moves violated their property rights." (Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/25/20)

"A long-discussed plan to block dense development in gentrifying Logan Square and Avondale has resurfaced after more than a year and is headed to a key city committee for a vote. The plan, crafted by Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) and his staffers, calls for slashing zoning on 14 properties along Milwaukee Avenue between Kedzie Boulevard and Central Park Avenue.

"Ramirez-Rosa said a trend has emerged in Logan Square, Avondale and other parts of the city: Developers and property owners sit on properties 'that could otherwise be used productively' and wait for the right person to come along to build tall, dense development — forms of land-banking and real estate speculation.

"The goal of the rezoning plan is to curb this practice and to 'preserve the existing built environment' along the Milwaukee Avenue stretch, he said in an email to residents last week.

"Reached by phone Wednesday, the alderman declined to provide specific examples, saying, 'Obviously we don’t make zoning decisions to target individuals,' but, 'There are instances we’ve heard of property owners turning away commercial tenants because they say, ‘I may redevelop it.’ Or, ‘I’m going to keep it empty and sell it to someone who will build something larger.'

Ramirez-Rosa’s 'downzoning' plan has roused heated debates among neighbors stretching back to 2017. Over the past three years, some have argued the plan will impede economic growth in the area, while others have said it’s a needed tool to preserve affordability and small businesses in the hot neighborhoods.

"An overwhelming majority of the residents who filled out a comment card at a contentious 2017 meeting said they support the alderman’s plan.

"'By aligning a parcel’s zoning with [its] existing use, we hope to spur investment and economic development by signaling to the market that what you see is what you get," the alderman said in the email to constituents. 'In so doing, we hope to limit speculation and disinvestment in these properties.'

Ramirez-Rosa isn’t the only Chicago alderman to use “downzoning” to control development. Many have used the tool over the years to varying degrees. The strategy is sometimes criticized for being a blunt instrument that promotes stagnation and gives already-powerful aldermen more control over what gets built in their wards. But proponents of the tool argue it’s a proactive measure that fosters more thoughtful conversations around development.

The idea to rezone Milwaukee Avenue started with a group of Avondale property owners and business owners who fear the building boom in Logan Square will encroach on their neighborhood. In recent years, large residential developments have been built in Logan Square, particularly near the California Blue Line station. (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 11/19/20)

Crown Community Academy of Fine Arts, 2128 S St Louis Ave. Photo Credit: Google Maps

"Opponents are celebrating the withdrawal of a proposal that would close three under-enrolled elementary schools and build a new school for North Lawndale, while its authors say they plan to resubmit the plan after more community input.

"The proposal, which detailed a plan to close and consolidate the students from Lawndale Community Academy, Sumner Math and Science Community Academy and Crown Community Academy of Fine Arts, faced opposition from many parents, students and staff members who would be affected.

"With Tuesday the deadline to introduce a school action for the academic year, Chicago Public Schools said no such actions are moving forward this time, in North Lawndale or elsewhere. Once a school action is put forth, it’s subject to a series of public meetings and a vote by the Chicago Board of Education.

"Those against the proposal want investment in existing schools and question if a new building would really prove less costly, while proponents say students at the three schools, which are each less than a third full, would be best served by combining resources.

"The proposal’s authors wrote that closing those schools is 'inevitable,' and that their plan presents an opportunity for children on the West Side.

"The North Lawndale Parent and Community Coalition, a group of families, educators and community members who petitioned CPS to turn down the proposal, held a news conference Tuesday evening outside Crown 'to celebrate the community power that kept three North Lawndale schools open and begin the process for a parent-led proposal that will address the root cause of under-enrollment these schools face.'

"Members held familiar signs, including 'Fund Our School,' 'No Merger' and 'Not Again.'" (Leone, Chicago Tribune, 12/2/20)

"The Chinese restaurant at 5356 N. Sheridan Road will close Dec. 12, management announced in a letter posted to the business’s front door.

"Wing Hoe’s closure is not caused by the pandemic. The restaurant’s lease is expiring, and the mansion it occupies is slated to be redeveloped into residences.

"Wing Hoe opened in 1971, operating out of an Edgewater mansion built in 1913. The closure signals the end for a local institution as well as the likely demolition of the 107-year-old mansion.

"Late last year, MCZ Development received approval to build a 50-unit building on the restaurant site. The four-story building would include 21 parking spaces, with five units being earmarked as affordable." (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 12/1/20)

"On November 17, 2020, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks honored nine unique projects with 2020 “Preservation Excellence Awards,” including the restoration of a former rapid transit building in Washington Park, the adaptive re-use of a former YMCA/YWCA headquarters on the Near West Side, and the mixed-use repurposing of historic structures in Pullman.

"The awards, established in 1999, are presented annually to individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and public agencies that have worked to preserve Chicago's architectural and cultural heritage. Honored during a first-ever virtual award ceremony, the winners were chosen from dozens of projects reviewed by the Landmarks Commission’s Permit Review Committee over the last year.

"'This year’s projects represent a tremendous cross-section of preservation work occurring throughout the city,' said Maurice Cox, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), which provides staff services to the Commission. 'Each project illustrates excellence in effort and commitment to Chicago’s historic buildings.'

This year’s awardees, as well as the annual Preservation Advocacy honoree, include:

Recipients: Nydia Cahue, Wyatt Ollestad, and Dagoberto Cahue

The restoration of the shared mansard roof on three contiguous row houses included the installation of slate shingles, copper flashing, and the replacement of non-original structural and design elements. A new, copper-lined, wood box gutter system was also installed by the three participating homeowners to complete the job.

1421-27 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Milwaukee Avenue District) Recipient: Realterm

The three buildings at 1421-1427 N. Milwaukee served as the former homes of Mayer and, later, Continental furniture stores. Their rehabilitation for commercial and residential uses included the installation of historically compatible windows, masonry repairs and updates, and the retention of interior tin ceilings.

1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Milwaukee Avenue District) Recipient: Berger Realty Group

The Flat Iron Arts Building restoration involved the repair and replacement of its checkerboard-patterned terra cotta, ornament and windows. Glass fiber-reinforced concrete was used as a substitute material for damaged terra cotta where possible.

1639 N. North Park Ave. (Old Town Triangle District) Recipients: Martin and Brianna Barboza

Once threatened by demolition under a former owner, the home at 1639 N. North Park was rehabilitated to its historic appearance. Work included repairs to existing wood siding, installation of historically compatible windows, reconstruction of front stairs and railings, and a seamless rear addition.

2218 S. Michigan Ave. (Motor Row District) Recipient: Windy City Real Estate

The rehabilitation of the century-old, former bank building included extensive repairs to its facade, which had been encased in a masonry wall. Multiple exterior architectural features were restoreds, replaced or re-installed, including a cornice, a simplified parapet and decorative, second-story window grills.

905 W. Fulton Market (Fulton-Randolph Market District) Recipient: Thor Equities

The 905 W. Fulton project included the commercial rehabilitation of a pair of three-story meatpacking buildings with a two -story vertical expansion and the new construction of a five-story adjacent structure. The work restored the original facades, removed non-historic elements, and incorporated sympathetic design details throughout the new building.

Former YMCA/YWCA Regional Headquarters, 1515 W. Monroe St. Recipient: Cedar Street Cos.

The YMCA/YWCA project rehabilitated six Georgian Revival buildings as 260 residential units and ground-floor retail. The work involved substantial exterior repairs across the two-block-long complex, installation of more than 270 historically appropriate windows, and the restoration of original entrance doors.

Garfield “L” Station, 319 E. Garfield Blvd. Recipient: Chicago Transit Authority

The original Arts and Crafts-style building was restored to its turn-of-the-century appearance with restored or replaced terra cotta, wood-paneled doors, central windows, and ornamental elements, as well as the installation of a new copper roof, facia, ands gutters.

Pullman Artspace Lofts, 11127-29 S. Langley Ave. & 704-06 W. 112th St. (Pullman Historic District) Recipients: Artspace Projects Inc., Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, and PullmanArts

Pullman Artists Lofts integrated two historic apartment buildings that were originally constructed by industrialist George Pullman in 1881. Designed by S.S. Beman, the structures were used as tenement housing for Pullman Co. workers. The project includes a third structure that unites the original buildings, providing 39 affordable, live/work spaces for artists and their families.

Claremont Cottages: The Preservation Advocacy Award Recipients: Neighbors of the Claremont Cottages and Landmarks Illinois

In response to a demolition proposal on the 1000 block of South Claremont Avenue on the Near West Side neighbors banded together with Landmarks Illinois to procure the Landmarks Commission recommendation and City Council designation of the Claremont Cottage District. The district's 19 Queen Anne-style buildings, built in the late 1800s, are characterized by high-gabled roofs, overhanging eaves, carved wood brackets, patterned bricks, carved stone, and colored glass.

"The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) won a 'Preservation Excellence' award from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks for its restoration of the original Garfield Green Line ‘L’ station house in Washington Park.

"'The restoration is a stunning example of historic preservation,' said Commissioner Ernest Wong at a Nov. 17 meeting of the Landmarks Commission. The Green Line station renovation was one of nine preservation projects to win the award.

"The restoration project was part of the $43 million renovation of the Garfield Green Line station completed in 2019. Earlier this year, the University of Chicago opened a business accelerator in the space.

"The original Green Line station was built in 1892, a year ahead of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Part of the city’s first rapid transit line, it was built to ferry passengers to and from the fair. 'The station house consisted of one large room with an attendance booth, a newsstand and a concession booth,' said Wong. 'A gatekeeper allowed passengers entry through the rear doors leading to an elevated platform.'

"The exterior of the station house itself was mostly made of terracotta brick, with rough brick on the upper portion of the wall creating a diamond pattern. A curved wooden canopy, flanked by wooden doors, is supported by ornamental green brackets.

"The old station house was closed in 2001, replaced by a more modern structure across the street. That same year, it also became a city landmark, affording it protection from demolition.

"Marlise Fratinardo, a senior project manager with the CTA, quoted a Chicago Daily Tribune article describing the scene a few days before the dedication of the Columbian Exposition: 'One may stand on the platform and look over the rural scene, whose picturesqueness is heightened by the beautiful boulevard which to the east curves gracefully and is lost in a wood of sturdy young oak trees over the tops of which rise the domes and roofs of the World’s Fair buildings.'"

"Tim Samuelson, the city’s first and only cultural historian, quietly retired this week, leaving a deep and enduring contribution to the city’s cultural landscape.

"Samuelson, 69, worked for the city since 2002. Lois Weisberg, the former commissioner of cultural affairs, got him to leave the Chicago History Museum with the promise that he would be allowed to do “whatever you do” as the city’s cultural historian.

For almost two decades, Samuelson did exactly that, assisting fellow historians, reporters, businesses, architects and foreign delegations as a combination spokesman, consultant, historian and storyteller. He often showed them exhibits, many of which he acquired on his own, and enthralled them with his enthusiastic storytelling, often while taking visitors outside on his own walking tours.

Back inside his one-man office on the fifth floor office in the Cultural Center, visitors often felt like they were inside a mini Chicago history museum, with artifacts like a pair of handcuffs that belonged to famous G-man Eliot Ness, ancient floor arrows decommissioned from the Marquette Building, a full-size player piano with original song scrolls, a microphone used on the WLS-AM’s 'National Barn Dance' show, and the doorknob of Al Capone’s office in his Lexington Hotel Headquarters.

"Samuelson has been credited with helping save many buildings that would have been lost otherwise, including the old Chess Records headquarters and several spots in Bronzeville vital to Jazz and Black history.

"Along the way, Samuelson was repeatedly recognized for his work, most notably in 2015 when nonprofit preservation group Landmarks Illinois designated Samuelson himself a 'Legendary Landmark.'

"Mayor Lori Lightfoot was effusive late Tuesday in her praise of Samuelson in a statement: 'Over his nearly two decades as Chicago’s official cultural historian, Tim Samuelson has been a walking encyclopedia of Chicago history and an invaluable resource to both our residents and visitors alike — not to mention three mayors.'

"Chicago historian Ellen Skerrett, who is writing a history of St. Ignatius College Prep, said Samuelson’s emphasis on buildings that are important to people rather than on just their architecture resonates with her. 'His ability to really engage with people, he brings history to life. He’s done so much good for the city,” Skerrett said.'

"While Samuelson has retired from his cultural historian post, he won’t be severing all ties, according to those who work with him. He is expected to be named to an emeritus position, staying on to help consult on the restoration of GAR Hall and Rotunda, which is being facilitated by a recent $15 million donation, according to a Department of Cultural Affairs employee who didn’t want to be named because the plan has not been formally announced.

"The center is also working on a permanent exhibit called 'Inside Tim Samuelson’s Brain' that will preserve Samuelson’s massive collection of Chicago’s architecture artifacts and pictorial history. The plan is to digitize his collection, put everything online and have a permanent home inside the cultural center." (Chiarito, Chicago Sun-Times, 12/1/20)

Preservation Chicago wishes Tim Samuelson all the very best in his future endeavors. We're sure they will be as interesting, dynamic and amazing as all of his projects of the past. But wait, there's more!

On behalf of the Board and staff of Preservation Chicago and one former colleague from the architectural firm of John Vinci/Vinci-Hamp Architects, Ward Miller, we wish you many, many wonderful years ahead!

Image Credit: TheChicagoNeighborhoods.com

The iconic and beloved R.V. Kunka Pharmacy art deco storefront was overpainted with black paint in October 2020. Perhaps this is part of the owner's effort to make the building look more generic to attract a new tenant. The hope is that one day the paint can be removed and the signage restored. Archer Avenue was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2007 and would be a strong candidate for a Chicago Landmark District designation.

"The building housing the R.V. Kunka Pharmacy is part of a long line of commercial structures on the south side of Archer Avenue. It is located at a 6-way intersection with Loomis and Fuller Streets.

"This typical late 19th Century building got a snazzy update some time around the 1930s. Glazed panels, modern fonts, a two-tone color scheme, and an emphasis on horizontal lines combine to form a Streamlined slipcover storefront.

"Though easy to overlook, the entryway to the store is the focal point of the remodeling. Two vertical plastic 'pilasters' appear to light up from within, marking the main door. The doors themselves feature stylish door pulls. Even the concrete step was given a reddish tint to harmonize with the facade." (A Chicago Sojourn Blog, 7/21/2008)

After renovation, the modernist home at 6500 S Eberhart Avenue designed in 1959 by the pioneering African-American architect Roger Margerum is back on the market.

The following is from an article by Dennis Rodkin that appeared in Crain's Chicago Business, in March 2018 prior to the renovation.

"A California man who bought a modernist house in Woodlawn is a fan of its pioneering African-American architect, the late Roger Margerum, and plans to carefully restore it before putting it on the rental market.

"William King paid $117,500 on Feb. 27, 2018 for the the five-bedroom house, built in 1959 on Eberhart Avenue. He told Crain's that he estimates the rehab, which will update all utility and mechanical systems as well as the home's kitchen and two baths, will cost about $60,000.

"Margerum, who died in 2016, began his architecture career at prominent Chicago firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill, assigned to the firm's design of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, under visionary architect Walter Netsch. Margerum designed a small structure for the campus, the enclosure for an incinerator, but for a black man and a recent college graduate, 'these opportunities were amazing,' a former colleague told the Chicago Sun-Times when Margerum died. Margerum's later work in Chicago includes the Austin branch of the Chicago Public Library and Libby Elementary School in Englewood.

"In 1959, Margerum designed a 1,600-square-foot house on Eberhart Avenue for Emmett Ingram, a physician. In a neighborhood of classic Chicago brick and greystone multi-flats and bungalows, the low-slung, emphatically modern house stands out as much as it must have then. On the outside it's a blond brick box with walls of windows on both ends. Inside, the main feature that warms up the severity of the box is a pair of walnut walls, one straight and one curved. There's more walnut in the basement, wrapping a family room and bar area.

"'What Roger Margerum did with brick, glass and some walnut there is beautiful," King said. "You can see he was influenced by Mies van der Rohe. I can't wait to get in there and bring it back up.' He said the renovations will 'keep as much of it original as possible.'

Rodkin, 3/2/18)

Preservation Chicago is working with Sheridan Park neighbors to bring the beautiful historic home at 4706 N. Malden Street in the Sheridan Park National Register District to the attention of preservation-oriented buyers.

"Victorian home with elaborate trim and interior woodwork. Nestled on Malden street with mature trees and an iron gate fence, this home features a large driveway, front yard, elaborate cone tower on the left side of the house. Seven bedrooms and a basement give plenty of room for bringing this home to its former glory. Wood and iron wrap around staircase leads to the second floor. This can be a perfect home to renovate to all of your specific tastes and desires. Additional six parking spaces in the rear of the property are rented out for additional income. Needs work from water leak damage."

Preservation Chicago has been working with Sheridan Park neighbors, community and elected officials for over a decade to encourage a larger Chicago Landmark District that would encompass the Sheridan Park National Register District.

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

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

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

Address: 3837 N. Kenmore Avenue, Wrigleyville

#100901999

Date Received: 12/4/2020

Ward: 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman

Applicant: Viewpoint Services, DBA Brophy Evacuation

Owner: 3837 Kenmore, LLC C/O Kevin Derrig

Permit Description: Demolition of a 2-story masonry residential building and garage

Status: Under Review

Address: 1399 W. Lake Street, West Loop (Lake Street Schlitz Tied House / La Lucé)

#100901650

Date Received: 12/02/2020

Ward: 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett

Applicant: Spirit Wrecking and Excavation, Inc.

Owner: Veritas Chicago, LLC C/O Anthony Giannini

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

Status: Under Review

Address: 1932-34 N. Seminary Avenue , Old Town

#100901459

Date Received: 12/1/2020

Ward: 43rd Ward Alderman Michele Smith

Applicant: Platinum Homes Development

Owner: Seminary Trust c/o Sarah Howard, Trustee

Permit Description: Demolition of a 2-story, multi-family masonry building

Status: Under Review

Address: 116 N. Willard Court, West Loop

#100897650

Date Received: 11/04/2020

Ward: 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett

Applicant: PLD Holdings, LLC

Owner: Mark and Beverly Paulsey

Permit Description: Demolition of a 3-story brick building and a detached garage.

Status: Under Review

Address: 1947 N. Fremont Street, Lincoln Park

#100897264

Date Received: 11/04/2020

Ward: 43rd Ward Alderman Michele Smith

Applicant: Patrick Balthrop, Sr.

Owner: City of Chicago

Permit Description: Demolition of a 3-story, single family home and detached garage.

Status: Under Review

Address: 1319-1325 S. Ashland Avenue/1544-1554 W. Hastings Street, Near West Side

#100875210

Date Received: 05/22/2020

Ward: 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin

Applicant: Alpine Demolition Services, LLC

Owner: 130 Ashland Opportunity, LLC

Permit Description: The demolition of a three-story masonry church, while preserving the foundations and footings.

Status: Under Review

Preservation Chicago has advocated for St. Stephenson for many years. We are actively outreaching to the development team to encourage retention of the exterior walls and adaptive reuse of the interior space. Previously, we found multiple developers interested in adaptively reusing this historic building for a residential use. Multiple offers for purchase that were presented, but the church ownership declined all offers.

“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.

"There’s been some good thinking by the Lightfoot administration as of late regarding the landmarking of buildings, particularly the relatively quick march toward an official designation for Mamie and Emmett Till’s home.

"So what’s a fitting encore for 2021? The city should — finally — commission a long overdue update of its 25-year-old Chicago Historic Resources Survey, a catalogue of 17,000 buildings and structures that has proven to be a valuable tool in helping city officials and preservationists determine if a site is worthy of landmark status.

"The color-coded survey is essentially a 'book of life' for Chicago structures built before 1940. A building at the two highest ratings of red and orange can be placed on the path toward a landmark designation. And the city can issue a 90-day hold on a demolition permit sought for a non-landmarked red- or orange-rated building. During the hold period, city officials can decide if a building is worthy of landmark status.

"But the current survey doesn’t include buildings and sites constructed after 1940. It also overlooks scores of potentially historic South and West side locations and structures, including the 125-year-old Till residence, which should have earned a spot on the survey based its age alone.

"A new survey would fix these wrongs and help save more historic buildings. And given that designated buildings can be eligible for things such as historic tax credits for rehabs and property tax freezes — critical in historic but economically challenged areas — it’s essential the Lightfoot administration and the Department of Planning push for a new and far more comprehensive resources survey.

"You can find Pride Cleaners, a radical-looking midcentury modern building with an angled, hyperbolic paraboloid roof — one of the few in Chicago — at 79th Street and St. Lawrence Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood.

"But you won’t find it in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey. Built in 1959 with a seamless addition in 1966, the building was barely out of its teens when work on the survey began in 1983. Pride Cleaners was part of a significant class of buildings across the city that were too young, then, to be considered historic.

"An updated survey would give a more accurate account of Chicago’s historic buildings by including other midcentury structures. If the cut-off year were moved from 1940 to 1975, the new survey would include iconic structures such as SOM’s John Hancock Center from 1971, the 110-story Willis Tower, completed in 1973, and architect Harry Weese’s Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, built in 1968 at Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue.

"A new survey is in order, and we acknowledge that doing it right won't be cheap. The current survey was done for $1.2 million, which is equal to nearly $3 million today, and required more than 20 surveyors to fan out across the city and document the buildings.

"This is no small task.

"But it’s an important one.

WTTW Chicago Documentary: Chicago from the Air. Image credit: WTTW Chicago

"It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s...Geoffrey Baer?

"In his new special 'Chicago from the Air,' airing Thursday at 7:30pm on WTTW, Geoffrey Baer shows us Chicago as we’ve never quite seen it before.

"Taking in the city’s expanse via drone, the special explores Chicago’s famous grid system, its industrial legacy, and the natural areas that weave through the dense urban jungle.

"'We were thinking about what we could do in this age of the pandemic, and shooting from 400 feet in the air is kind of the ultimate in social distancing,' Baer said. 'As it turned out, when I saw more and more of this footage, I realized this is a whole different way to tell stories, and we probably should have done this years ago.' (Chicago Tonight, 11/19/20

WATCH: "Explore Chicago from the Air"

"'At no period in its history has the city looked far enough ahead,' admonished Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett in the 1909 Plan of Chicago. Chicago’s astonishing growth over the previous seven decades—from about 4,000 people to more than two million—had outpaced the ability to plan its expansion in an orderly fashion. 'Men are becoming convinced that the formless growth of the city is neither economical nor satisfactory,' they wrote. Therefore, 'practical men of affairs are turning their attention to working out the means whereby the city may be made an efficient instrument for providing all its people with the best possible conditions of living.'

"Burnham and Bennett had been commissioned to create a plan for Chicago in 1906 by the Commercial Club of Chicago, whose civic-minded membership included many of the city’s most prominent “practical men of affairs.' Businessmen like George Pullman, Marshall Field, George Armour, and Burnham himself sought to promote Chicago’s development as well as various contemporary reforms through the Commercial Club, and the Plan for Chicago incorporated their goals into one grand vision for the city.

"At base, the Plan sought to make Chicago beautiful: attractive, rational, navigable, accessible, full of parks and monumental buildings that would inspire moral uplift and civic pride amongst the growing number of citizens who made it their home. It’s not for naught that the Plan is considered an epitome of the City Beautiful movement, a prevailing urban planning philosophy in America at the time.

"Burnham was a leading proponent of City Beautiful, which saw its first major realization in the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, for which he served as Director of Works. The Exposition’s stately buildings and landscaped grounds on the city’s southern lakefront were significant inspirations behind the commissioning of the Plan—city leaders wanted to emulate the success of the Exposition across the city. “The World’s Fair of 1893 was the beginning, in our day and in this country, of the orderly arrangement of extensive public grounds and buildings,” the Plan boasts." (WTTW, 11/19/20)

"Often called the Ellis Island of Chicago, the publicly owned Cook County Hospital—constructed between 1912-1914—served as a medical facility where no one would be turned away. Dramatized by the long-running medical drama ER, Cook County’s persistent presence on the horizon (easily seen from the Eisenhower Expressway coming into the city) made the hospital a visual landmark for residents and visitors alike. For over twenty years, a coalition of partners and elected officials worked to protect this significant building from threatened demolition.

"While known for its classic Beaux Arts architecture, designed by architect Paul Gerhardt, the structure has a long history related to public health. Not only was Cook County Hospital the location of the first blood bank in 1937, It was also the nation’s first trauma unit in 1966, and one of the first hospitals early on to treat AIDS patients. Lisa DiChiera, director of advocacy for Landmarks Illinois (LI) said, “even before talking about the architecture, which in itself is spellbinding, [Cook County Hospital] houses incredible social history for Chicago, and is a place more than almost anywhere else, where anyone who has family history in Chicago could find a connection.”

"In the late 1990s, Cook County announced plans to construct a new, more modern institution, and in 2001 slated Cook County Hospital for demolition. For the next twenty years, Landmarks Illinois advocated for saving the old hospital. In 2020, a 132 million-dollar renovation of the 1914 structure was completed resulting in a mixed-use preservation success story that serves the medical community and its surrounding neighborhood.

"It was like we were doing the county’s job. And as frustrating as that is, that comes with the territory in historic preservation advocacy: especially when it comes to threatened historic buildings that are publicly owned. It is so common to have to do their homework for them and take that on and say, 'Look, we'll do it. We'll do the condition assessment. We'll do the study. We'll show you that this could be to your benefit." This is a strategy we have continued to use with Prentice Hospital (which unfortunately we lost), with Lathrop Homes, where we had to demonstrate to the Chicago Housing Authority that this very important early public housing project absolutely should not be cleared and could be reused for today's standards in mixed-income and public housing, and now with the state-owned Thompson Center.

"Partners are also an important part of the process. It is so important for historic preservation organizations or advocates engaging in a historic preservation campaign to build a coalition, and to find not only design experts and construction firms who can work with you to prove out the viability of an older building, but you also have to make friends with developers too. Developers are usually who we need to take these buildings on.

"Of course, this cannot be stated more times, partnership is key. It took a coalition. I never would claim Landmarks Illinois was alone in this fight. Preservation Chicago and the National Trust for Historic Preservation worked on this with us, not to mention key Cook County commissioners, who believed in this building from the very beginning. People like, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, and former Commissioner Mike Quigley, who's now Congressman Quigley." (Priya Chhaya, Savingplaces.org, 11/22/20)

Preserving the Past, Fortifying the Future: The Economic Case for Historic Preservation presented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

"From enhancing real estate values, to fostering local businesses, preservation keeps historic main streets and downtowns economically viable. In places that have preserved their historic character, heritage tourism is a real and tangible economic force.

"Developers are discovering that money spent rehabilitating historic buildings is an investment in the future—these structures become showpieces of a rejuvenated city and spaces for new and existing businesses to prosper.

"Featuring preservationists, economists, businesses, and regional success stories, this virtual program will provide a deep dive into the lesser-known advantages of revitalizing and repurposing historic spaces.

Watch the panel discussion link with guests including Carolyn Cawley (US Chamber Foundation), Katherine Malone-France (National Trust), Donovan Rypkema (Place Economic), Alex Weld (Wheeling Heritage), RJ Wolney (Bedrock Detroit), Michael Carney (US Chamber Foundation)

"Adaptive reuse can be a strong tool for both developers and communities looking to redesign cities while paying homage to their past. Chicago, in particular, is no stranger to reinventing itself, and a recent study from RentCafé put it at the top of the list of U.S. cities with the most apartment conversions.

"Specifically, the study found that, since the 1950s, nearly 2,000 old buildings have been transformed into apartment complexes in the U.S. — an all-time high. Of these, around 800 were repurposed in the last decade alone with efficiency and sustainability in mind.

"Returning old buildings to their former glory while giving them a new meaning is no easy feat. Nevertheless, with 91 conversion projects, Chicago boasts the highest number of adaptive reuse apartment buildings — 81% of which are aimed at renters on a budget.

"Steady rise in Chicago conversions creates more than 14,000 new apartments. Today, Chicago boasts Chicago boasts the most converted old buildings in the country (91) and the second-most apartments created through adaptive reuse (14,167).

"As residential repurposing steadily began to rise, Chicago’s first conversion spike occurred in the 1980s. Back then, 12 buildings transitioned into apartment complexes, including Sheridan Plaza, a former hotel that was the first high-rise built in uptown.

"Following the national trend, Chicago’s all-time high in apartment conversions occurred in the 2010s. In fact, a total of 39 old buildings were repurposed last decade — just in time to match the growing interest in unique, vintage apartments. One of these was the former Shoreland Hotel, a roaring ’20s staple that used to throw banquets for Amelia Earhart and host guests such as Elvis.

"Chicago’s most recent apartment conversion projects. Given its colorful past, Chicago has its pick of 1920s buildings to repurpose. But, it also has its share of turn-of-the-century architectural staples — like 1902’s The Bush Temple, which still displays one of the pianos it used to make, or the former Graeme Stewart Elementary School from 1905.

"81% of the repurposed Chicago buildings aimed at renters on a budget. Across the U.S., a large share of adaptive reuse projects is aimed at lower- and middle-income renters — 65%. In this area, Chicago holds its own with 68 repurposed buildings oriented toward those looking for affordable rentals.

That’s a cool 81% of Windy City residential conversions that are on the affordable side, 57% of which are accessible to low-income renters. Among them are historical gems like The Carolan — a former resort hotel built in 1923 — and Park View, one of the earliest hotel-to-apartments conversions in the city.

"Chicago’s most popular conversions: vintage hotels, office buildings & factories. Chicago school architecture is world famous and, to this day, the city has some of the most iconic early 20th-century structures that are ideal for restoring to their former glory through adaptive reuse. Most of the old buildings that have been repurposed here over the years were former hotels like The Belmont by Reside or The Seneca. In fact, since the 1950s, 46 hotels have been given a second chance — most of which were originally built in the eventful ’20s and ‘30s.

"Meanwhile, old office buildings and vintage factories are neck and neck as far as the number of conversions goes, with 11 and 10, respectively. This includes the former J.P Smith Shoe factory — which now goes by the name of River West Lofts — and the Randolph Tower, one of the most beautiful Gothic Revival structures in Chicago that was previously a mix of office and retail space." (Rentcafe Report, 12/7/20)

Over 250 people registered to watch and participate in Preservation Chicago's Investment Through Preservation In Roseland Panel Discussion in partnership with Open House Chicago on Tuesday, October 20, 2020. A huge thank you to our panelists, OHC partners and Preservation Chicago staff for making it such a tremendous success.

"After decades of disinvestment, could historic preservation be used as a tool to help rebuild vibrancy in the Roseland neighborhood? Watch the roundtable discussion, co-convened with OHC 2020 community partner Preservation Chicago.

"In its prime, South Michigan Avenue in Roseland was a well-regarded shopping district that supported the Roseland and Pullman communities and drew in visitors from other areas of the South Side. Once referred to by residents as “The Avenue,” Roseland's Michigan Avenue Commercial District is now on the "Chicago 7 Most Endangered" list, compiled annually by Preservation Chicago. In addition, Roseland is included in the City of Chicago's INVEST South/West initiative.

"This program looked at the toll divestment has taken on the Roseland community, what it will take to revitalize the area, and how historic preservation might be a successful tool for spurring economic development.

PROGRAM MODERATOR: Mary Lu Seidel is the Director of Community Engagement for Preservation Chicago, working throughout the City of Chicago to save significant built and natural environments. Her current projects include leading a community-driven planning process in disinvested neighborhoods to identify what is important to the community and strategies to keep those places intact. Prior to joining Preservation Chicago, she worked at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She has extensive community building experience over 30 years in the Chicago area market working in economically and ethnically diverse areas.

PROGRAM SPEAKER: Andrea Reed has been the Executive Director for the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce since its inception in 2009. She is on the board of Preservation Chicago, the Illinois Green Alliance, and Women Gathering for Justice.

PROGRAM SPEAKER: Paul Petraitis is a lifelong Chicago resident who is a musician, photographer and historian. A local expert on Roseland history, he was a historic advisor to the writing of "Down an Indian Trail in 1849: The Story of Roseland."

PROGRAM SPEAKER: Clevan Tucker Jr. is the President of the Roseland Heights Community Association (RHCA) and a member of the Red Line Extension Coalition (RLEC). As President of the RHCA, Clevan works for the needs of the community, covering all aspects of neighborhood living—socially, culturally and economically.

PROGRAM SPEAKER: Erika Sellke, AICP, is an urban planner with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. She is the lead planner for the Far South Region, which includes the INVEST South/West corridors of Michigan Avenue, 111th Street and Commercial Avenue.

"This 12-week 'Architecture Crash Course' series is like a summer study session in Chicago’s most renowned feature. Your rental is for the entire series of recordings of our live, virtual tours. From grand commercial structures to humble neighborhood cottages, from urban redevelopment to the historic preservation movement, these 30-minute presentations illuminate the human experience of the city’s architecture. You get access to all 12 videos, which are added weekly until Aug 20. *Bonus: Virtual Architectural Boat Tour Video (Chicago Detours)

"Neighborhood group Logan Square Preservation has hosted a September house and garden walk for nearly 40 years, giving neighbors a peek inside historical homes along and around Logan Boulevard.

"But this year, with the coronavirus pandemic, the organization canceled the walk and launched a self-guided history tour that allows residents to learn about neighborhood landmarks and historically significant homes safely and on their own time.

"The Pillars & Porticos tour, which doubles as a membership drive, launched online this weekend. It is only available to members of Logan Square Preservation. A membership costs $20 annually.

"Neighbors can pull up the map — on their phone or computer — and travel to any of the 22 curated sites they want to visit. At each site, there are accompanying 'stories of those who have built, lived and worked in these places' over the years.

"Group member Shana Liberman, who helped organize the tour, stressed that while the house and garden walk served as inspiration, the self-guided tour has grown into 'so much more.'

"A group of Logan Square Preservation volunteers spent hundreds of hours compiling historical facts, anecdotes and photos for the tour, creating a 'downloadable reference people can keep forever,' Liberman said.

"'The value the docents provide [at the house walk] is they can point out things like the moldings and the architects … the appeal of this guide is it gets into far greater detail than a docent would ever able be able to go into,' she said.

"Participants can find a range of sites on the map, from the Illinois Centennial Monument to an early 1900s mansion designed for the founder of an ice company.

"Chicago History Podcast

From theater, music, sports, and architecture to true crime, disasters and the people behind it all, we discuss Chicago history and learn a little bit more about the greatest city in the world."

The Preservation Chicago 2020 Chicago 7 Most Endangered Book is now available for purchase at the Preservation Chicago webstore.

The Preservation Chicago 2020 Chicago 7 Most Endangered Book is the most impressive since the program was established in 2003. Its 100 pages of original research, creative solutions, and beautiful photographs is a pleasure to read.

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

The 2020 Most Endangered include the following:

Please note that all sales proceeds directly support Preservation Chicago and the mission.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece

An original documentary film by Lauren Levine and narrated by Brad Pitt

"Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece, Unity Temple is an homage to America’s most renowned architect. The film pulls back the curtain on Wright’s first public commission in the early 1900’s to the painstaking efforts to restore the 100 year old building back to its original beauty. The dedicated team of historians, craftspeople, members of the Unitarian congregation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation reveal the history of one of Wright’s most innovative buildings that merged his love of architecture with his own spiritual values. The film intersperses the architect’s philosophies with quotes narrated by Brad Pitt."

Praise for Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece:

"Wonderful to see this magnificent building restored, beautifully captured."

"What a wonderful film! You captured the restoration of Unity Temple and Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece so beautifully."

"I watched your film last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! I’ve seen many of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings, but have yet to see Unity Temple. I will definitely have to visit it now. Well done!"

"I visited 25 years ago. The wonder of this film and the magnificence of the building is luring me back. Thank you."

"A stunning film about a remarkable building. Congratulations to Lauren Levine, her colleagues in film and those who restored a masterpiece."

"Perhaps no two names in Chicago movie theaters were better known than Balaban and Katz, a family operation that, during its heyday, built, owned, and managed more than 100 theaters. Most were in Chicago, including the Chicago, Oriental, Uptown, and Riviera, but they spread across the suburbs and state - in venues such as Bloomington, Peoria, and Joliet - plus beyond Illinois' borders, South Bend, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio, among them.

"As Balaban and Katz family historian, author, and documentarian David Lee Balaban recounts, the seed for the success of the family - there were seven Balaban brothers and one Katz, the husband of the brothers' lone sister - was planted by the matriarch, Augusta 'Gussie' Mendeburskey Balaban. A Russian Jewish immigrant, she ran a small grocery store around Maxwell Street in Chicago's old Jewish immigrant neighborhood at the turn of the 20th century.

"'Instead of squeezing cantaloupes, which they never buy, you can get a nickel'" from paying customers for movies - and they can't get their money back if they don't like them. That was Gussie's advice to her sons, said Balaban, the author of The Chicago Movie Palaces of Balaban and Katz, published in 2006, and grandson of one of the brothers, also named David.

"The eldest two, A. J. (Abraham) and Barney, embarked on the movie theater business in 1909. Eventually, all seven were involved. Barney subsequently was named president of Paramount Pictures, which bought a controlling interest in Balaban and Katz, and brother-in-law Sam Katz became a bigwig at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The youngest two, Harry and Elmer, father of actor Bob Balaban, formed H & E Corporation, which ran the Esquire theater on East Oak Street.

"The Balaban and Katz theaters were known for their ornate interiors and exteriors - heated entryways, plush carpeting, majestic balustrades, gilded fountains, original murals, and chandeliers. Some even featured playgrounds. Many were built by the Chicago architecture firm Rapp and Rapp, and were the first to feature air-conditioning, a godsend to Chicagoans eager to escape blisteringly hot summers.

"Escape was key to the Balaban and Katz entertainment philosophy. As the country reeled from the Great Depression and World War II, Balaban and Katz moviegoers, for a coin apiece, could take in vaudeville acts and stage shows before enjoying film shorts and a feature flick, along with music by a live organist - all in luxurious surroundings.

"'People of modest means could experience the world,' said David Lee Balaban." (Miller, 10/5/20)

Chicago Apartments: A Century and Beyond of Lakefront Luxury

Neil Harris and Teri J. Edelstein

With a Foreword by Sara Paretsky

368 pages | 344 duotones | 8-1/2 x 11 | Published 2020

"The Chicago lakefront is one of America’s urban wonders. The ribbon of high-rise luxury apartment buildings along the Lake Michigan shore has few, if any, rivals nationwide for sustained architectural significance. This historic confluence of site, money, style, and development lies at the heart of the updated edition of Neil Harris's Chicago Apartments: A Century and Beyond of Lakefront Luxury.

"The book features more than one hundred buildings, stretching from south to north and across more than a century, each with its own special combination of design choice, floor plans, and background story. Harris, with the assistance of Teri J. Edelstein, proves to be an affable and knowledgeable tour guide, guiding us through dozens of buildings, detailing a host of inimitable development histories, design choices, floor plans, and more along the way. Of particular note are recent structures on the Chicago River and south of the Loop that are proposing new definitions of comfort and extravagance.

"Featuring nearly 350 stunning images and a foreword by renowned Chicago author Sara Paretsky, this new edition of Chicago Apartments offers a wide-ranging look inside some of the Windy City’s most magnificent abodes."

"NEIL HARRIS is the Preston and Sterling Morton Professor of History and Art History Emeritus at the University of Chicago. His books include Capital Culture, The Chicagoan, The Artist in American Society, Humbug, and Cultural Excursions, all published by the University of Chicago Press. TERI J. EDELSTEIN is an art historian and museum professional. SARA PERETSKY is a prolific crime and mystery novelist, as well as the author of Words, Works, and Ways of Knowing, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Purchase a signed copy from 57th Street Books The Seminary Co-op 

You may order a copy signed by the authors from Seminary Co-op at no extra charge. When you order your book, scroll down to the box: Order Comments and indicate there that you want a copy signed by the authors of the book. The store has curbside pickup, delivery, and mail order

Modern in the Middle

Chicago Houses 1929-75

Susan Benjamin and Michelangelo Sabatino; foreword by Pauline Saliga

THE FIRST SURVEY OF THE CLASSIC TWENTIETH-CENTURY HOUSES THAT DEFINED AMERICAN MIDWESTERN MODERNISM.

"Famed as the birthplace of that icon of twentieth-century architecture, the skyscraper, Chicago also cultivated a more humble but no less consequential form of modernism–the private residence. Modern in the Middle: Chicago Houses 1929-75 explores the substantial yet overlooked role that Chicago and its suburbs played in the development of the modern single-family house in the twentieth century. In a city often associated with the outsize reputations of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the examples discussed in this generously illustrated book expand and enrich the story of the region’s built environment.

"Authors Susan Benjamin and Michelangelo Sabatino survey dozens of influential houses by architects whose contributions are ripe for reappraisal, such as Paul Schweikher, Harry Weese, Keck & Keck, and William Pereira. From the bold, early example of the 'Battledeck House' by Henry Dubin (1930) to John Vinci and Lawrence Kenny’s gem the Freeark House (1975), the generation-spanning residences discussed here reveal how these architects contended with climate and natural setting while negotiating the dominant influences of Wright and Mies. They also reveal how residential clients–typically middle-class professionals, progressive in their thinking–helped to trailblaze modern architecture in America. Though reflecting different approaches to site, space, structure, and materials, the examples in Modern in the Middle reveal an abundance of astonishing houses that have never been collected into one study–until now."

Praise for Modern in the Middle

"Modern in the Middle significantly expands our understanding of modern architecture in the Chicago area by bringing to light a number of lesser-known yet talented architects. The houses and interiors designed by IIT graduates like myself demonstrate that the Miesian legacy was more complex than it might appear at first sight."

—JOHN VINCI, FAIA

"Modern in the Middle looks beyond Chicago’s iconic skyscrapers to show us that this city’s residential buildings have also been paradigmatic in shaping modern architecture. The book’s scope goes beyond just 'midcentury' making the 'Middle' a signifier that explores Chicago’s central place in the nation’s geography and the essential role of the American middle class in defining the idea of 'modern housing.' Every piece of this carefully assembled volume is insightful and still resonant in our lives today."

—GWENDOLYN WRIGHT, COLUMBIA GSAPP

"This rich and fascinating compendium places the modern houses in and around Chicago in historical and philosophical context. In addition to the descriptions not only of the houses and architects but also the crucial role of the clients, the accompanying original photographs and plans are important parts of the thorough documentation. There is much to be discovered here!"

—CYNTHIA WEESE, FAIA

"The timing of Robert Loerzel’s Walking Chicago — his revamp of Ryan Ver Berkmoes’s 2008 book of the same name — couldn’t be better. Long before shelter-in-place made boulevardiers of us all, the writer, Tribune and Chicago copyeditor, and man-about-town regularly documented his jaunts around the city on Twitter. His eagle-eyed observations and zest for local wildlife has charmed thousands of followers, many of whom replicate his itineraries. Loerzel recalls once live-tweeting his stroll around Big Marsh Park on the city’s southeast side; as he exited the trail, he saw an editor at the Tribune entering. 'I saw your tweets and wanted to check it out myself,' the editor said.

"On Monday, the day before Walking Chicago hit bookshelves, Loerzel and I followed an abbreviated version of a route close to his heart: through Andersonville to Uptown, where Loerzel has lived for the last 14 years. We walked south down Clark from Bryn Mawr, cutting through St. Boniface Cemetery, then east on Argyle to Broadway. We ended at Lawrence, in front of the Green Mill. The following is an edited account of our conversation." (Edgar, /8/13/20)

"Since its founding a decade ago, the nonprofit arts organization Comfort Station has become one of Logan Square’s most significant cultural hubs, regularly hosting film screenings, art exhibitions, concerts, lectures and more.

"But the programs neighbors have come to rely on might come to a halt if the organization can’t fill the $20,000 budget hole it’s facing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"To keep its programs going and to support struggling artists, Comfort Station leaders are holding an online auction Dec. 7-14 in which neighbors can bid on original, locally made art commissions.

"All of the commissions being offered are custom works for people’s homes, hence the name of the auction, Home Comforts. One of Vivian Maier’s photographs, taken in 1952, is also up for bid. The money raised will go to Comfort Station and the artists.

"The auction will feature the works of 20 artists, all based in Chicago. A light installation made by Sean Gallero and Petra Bachmaier, who go by the moniker Luftwerk; a custom portrait by Zakkiyyah Najeebah Dumas-O’neal; and a bent metal sculpture by Robert Burnier are among the offerings.

"Comfort Station, like many arts organizations across the city, has struggled to bring in revenue this year with in-person gatherings restricted due to the pandemic.

"Unlike other arts organizations, Comfort Station is not in danger of closing completely. The volunteer-run organization has a partnership with the city and Logan Square Preservation that allows it to operate rent-free out of a one-story cottage, an old city warming station at 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave., and that won’t change.

"'We’re very, very relieved and grateful that we can weather this. And a lot of of other arts organizations don’t have this luxury. They may not weather it; they may not know if they can reopen. We know we can reopen. There’s been a lot of gratitude for that,' Martins said." (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 11/20/20)

"The historic Central Park Theatre is the mothership movie palace of collaborations between theater operators Balaban & Katz and Architects C.W. Rapp and George L. Rapp.

"Located in the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, it has been in the care of the House of Prayer Church of God in Christ since shortly after the movie palace closed in 1971.

"The church is working with a collaboration of non-profits and historic preservation professionals organized as the Central Park Theatre Restoration Committee. The long-term goal is a phased plan to fully restore the theater, which was built in 1917.

"Immediate stabilization needs are to install a furnace in the building as well as address some final water infiltration issues. The repair funds are needed by January 2021:

1. Replace existing furnaces in the auditorium area and provide new spiral ductwork to improve distribution.

2. Address water infiltration

3. Dispose of water damaged material from basement."

"The Chicago Printers Guild is rallying its members and community to support the efforts and contributions that the South Side Community Art Center continues to make in the Bronzeville Neighborhood and community at large.

"The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) is the oldest independently-owned African American art center in the United States. Founded by Dr. Margaret Burroughs and other African-American artists in 1940, the SSCAC boasts connections to printmakers Charles White and Elizabeth Catlett, photographer Gordon Parks, and the first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize, Gwendolyn Brooks. Today, SSCAC serves as an exhibition space, a venue for film and literary events, and a host for educational talks and panels including: 'Black and Informed” a series of discussions and political consultation for Black Millenials in Chicago; 'Existing Between Line & Space' an exhibition which featured CPG member Thomas Lucas among others; and, currently artist Jesse Howard’s solo exhibition 'The Spirit of Community'.

"The historic wood-paneled walls of the Margaret Burroughs Gallery at SSCAC contain 80 years worth of holes made by artwork hung there. The space is full of energy and gravitas. The ceiling and lighting, however, are in need of improvement. The CPG and SSCAC leadership have identified this project as the focus for our fundraising campaign."

"Ambrosia Homes, a local developer based on the northwest side of Chicago, has teamed up with Lake Effect Brewery, a local brewer of craft beers based in the 45th Ward, to redevelop and repurpose the old Jefferson Park Firehouse, which is currently owned by the City of Chicago and is vacant.

"Starting back in 2016, Ambrosia began developing concepts to share it’s vision of the future project. It’s initial concept was to add two stories to the building with the brewery on the 1st floor and apartments on floors 2 through 4. In 2017, Ambrosia began the Negotiated Sales Process with the Planning Department of the City of Chicago to purchase the building and rebuild it according to this vision.

"In 2018, Ambrosia and Lake Effect participated in a neighborhood meeting held at the Copernicus Center to share it’s vision for the project with all of the neighbors and solicit feedback. The meeting was standing room only with close to 200 people in attendance, including members of the local neighborhood groups such as Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association, Jefferson Park Forward, and the Northwest Chicago Historical Society. Representatives of the City of Chicago Housing & Planning Departments were also present.

"The meeting was widely covered by the local media, including the Chicago Sun Times, Nadig Newspapers, Block Club Chicago and Curbed Chicago. Two stories would be added to create a four story building, using as much of the same material as possible. The existing building condition was also discussed. While the feedback at the meeting was overwhelming positive, it was clear that the neighborhood groups had ideas that would make the plan better and that would need to be incorporated into the drawings.

"In 2019, Ambrosia, after receiving feedback from both Preservation Chicago and the Northwest Chicago Historical Society, decided to significantly change the plan for the redevelopment of the Firehouse. The fourth floor was removed entirely from the project and the remaining third floor addition was set back on the property while also changing exterior materials for the addition. Balconies were added to the Ainslie side of the project make up for the reduction in size of the project. With these changes, both of these historical groups offered letters of support for the project. Jefferson Park Forward has shared a letter of support for the project. The project has also received support letters from both the former Alderman and current Alderman of the 45th Ward.

"Staring in 2020, the City asked Ambrosia to pay for a new boundary survey of the property. In June of 2020, Ambrosia paid for additional architectural drawings that could be used for the zoning change needed for the property’s new uses. In July of 2020, the Chicago Development Commission approved the sale of the property to Ambrosia Homes. The zoning change was officially approved by the City Council in September 2020. In October of 2020, the Chicago Plan Commission reviewed the project and approved it. The final sale of the project needs to be approved by the City Council of Chicago."

"Chicago’s only Castle: No depiction of the Beverly-Morgan Park neighborhood is complete without the iconic turrets of the Givins Beverly Castle located at 10244 South Longwood Drive in Chicago.

"The Current Need: Time and 130 icy, windy Chicago winters have taken a toll on the 1886 limestone structure. The turrets have begun to decompose.

"Temporary stabilization was completed in 2018, and the cost to complete the necessary restorations will approach $1,000,000.

"With the endorsement of the Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA), the Ridge Historical Society, the 19th Ward Alderman, Matt O'Shea, and historic preservation advocates across the city, we launched a capital campaign with an initial goal of $800,000. A successful grant proposal to Landmarks Illinois in 2019 is testimony to the importance of this historic preservation campaign, as is the selection of the Givins Beverly Castle for a Rebuild Illinois state capital project grant and the award of an Citywide Adopt-A-Landmark Fund grant.

"Your Role: The restoration campaign requires extraordinary generosity from many members of the local community and those across Greater Chicago who value historic preservation.

"Members of Beverly Unitarian Church, the 'Castle Keepers' since 1942, have pledged more than $400,000 toward the restoration campaign goal. We are now seeking matching gifts from the larger Chicago community.

"Please support the campaign to preserve and restore Chicago's Only Castle.

"To make a donation online, go to www.givinsbeverlycastle.org. Check donations may be made to the Castle Restoration Fund at 10244 S. Longwood Drive, Chicago IL 60643. Gifts are tax deductible.

"On June 7th, 2020, Holy Trinity Cathedral designed by Louis Sullivan celebrated its 128-year anniversary of its founding as the oldest Orthodox community in Chicago. The goal is simple – we need to finish our restoration of the main cathedral and are in the final stretch of accomplishing this. We need $85,784 to:

"This community was founded by hard working immigrants and even saints of the Orthodox Church. It serves as a prominent holy site for the Orthodox Church in America and is an important monument of architecture within the city of Chicago. This beloved landmark was built by the famous architect, Louis Sullivan and is the only church he design that still exists today. Please help us preserve history while securing the future."

"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."

Due to popular demand, the 2020 Thompson Center “Chicago 7 Most Endangered” poster is now available for sale on the Preservation Chicago webstore.

Previous years' “Chicago 7 Most Endangered” posters including Union Station Power House, Jackson Park, and Holy Family Church are also available. The posters are available in three sizes; 8x10, 16x20 and 24x36.

Additionally, we've begun to offer additional Chicago 7 swag including mugs and bags featuring the wonderful Chicago 7 artwork. Please let us know what you’d like to see offered, and we can work to make it happen.

Please note that between 30% and 40% of the sales price helps to support Preservation Chicago and our mission.