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"The former South Side home of blues legend Muddy Waters is now a city landmark.

"Built in 1891, Waters and his family lived on the first floor of the home at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave. in Kenwood for nearly two decades, playing host to a bevy of music legends, including Howlin’ Wolf and Chuck Berry, on the second floor. Waters and his contemporaries practiced in the basement.

"The home, known as the 'unofficial center for the Chicago Blues community,' was one of three projects City Council unanimously approved for landmark status Thursday. The landmark designation protects the home from demolition and its exterior, which is largely intact from when Waters resided there, can not be significantly changed.

"'We believe it is essential — culturally and for the legacy of African American history — that this home is designated a city of Chicago landmark,' Chandra Cooper previously said.

"City Council also approved landmark status for a group of four buildings in Lincoln Park at the corner of North Halsted Street and West Willow Street, described as a 'gateway' to the neighborhood.

"Built in the late 1880s by ethnic-German owners, the three-story Italianate and Queen Anne mixed-use brick buildings currently house restaurants on the ground floors.

"Hahn said Tuesday the buildings’ 'outstanding integrity and proximity, create a rare grouping that have been noted as a highly localized node of activity for nearly 140 years.'

"'People always recognize that one of the hallmarks of the Lincoln Park community is its historic structures. So the fact that the buildings on these corners have been preserved up until this time, it really is the gateway to this part of Lincoln Park,' said Ald. Michele Smith (43rd), whose ward shares the buildings with 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins.

"Both Smith and Hopkins acknowledged the longtime efforts of local residents and preservationists to push for the landmark status. 'These buildings are so worth saving. It is such an important part of the history of the North Side of Chicago,' Hopkins said.

"Smith rejected a development proposal that would have torn down the building at 1800 N. Halsted St.

"The Monastery of the Holy Cross, formerly the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 3111 S Aberdeen St. in Bridgeport, also received landmark status Thursday." (Laurence and Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 10/14/21)

Preservation Chicago has been working diligently on all three efforts for years and is thrilled by this outcome.

"McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center would become the 'gem' of a south lakefront entertainment district under a proposal to transform the 50-year-old structure into Chicago’s mega-casino.

"A group of developers who are already behind a $4 billion redevelopment of the former Michael Reese Hospital site near Bronzeville said Wednesday they’re ready to go all in with another billion-dollar investment to turn the 'iconic' but 'sparsely used' convention space into an 'entertainment mecca.'

"For years, we’ve been talking about how do we revitalize this thing, even way, way, way before the casino was in the lexicon here,' said Scott Goodman, founding principal of Farpoint Development. 'Bringing more and more people to the lakefront has always been a goal of ours, and we think this is something that will help do that.'

"Goodman’s firm is partnered with McLaurin Development and the nonprofit Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives on the Lakeside Center proposal, which was one of five bids submitted to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office last week to launch the big-city casino that officials and developers alike have coveted for decades. The developers say minority investors will have a 25% ownership stake.

"Also in on the Lakeside Center proposal is billionaire casino mogul Neil Bluhm and his Rush Street Gaming company, which already runs Illinois’ most lucrative casino — Rivers Casino in Des Plaines — and which is hedging bets with different partners on a separate casino bid at another South Loop site.

"'Clearly, [Bluhm’s] got competing interests because he’s in two bids, but we are very confident in our bid,' Goodman said. 'We think that with all objectivity, we check as many boxes as are capable of being checked.'

"Their Lakeside plan calls for 'significant capital improvements' to the aging facility, which has only hosted a handful of large shows over the past few years, but has the “perfect” dimensions for a casino, Goodman said.

"The so-called Rivers Chicago McCormick would include indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces plus bars and restaurants, as part of a roughly $1 billion plan that would create a 'tremendous residual domino effect' of economic growth for the Cermak Road district near McCormick Place, developer Zeb McLaurin said.

"The group said they’d add about 2,000 parking spots within the building, which is just south of Soldier Field. Whether the Chicago Bears stay there or take their flirtation with Arlington Heights to the next level with a suburban stadium 'doesn’t have any effect on us one way or another,' Goodman said." (Armentrout, Chicago Sun-Times, 11/3/21)

If a casino will be built in Chicago, Preservation Chicago strongly supports the adaptive reuse of Lakeside Center for use as a Chicago Casino. Other complementary uses include and Park District fieldhouse, or arts and cultural center. If the Chicago Casino were to be located at Lakeside Center, perhaps the proposal could accommodate and support all three uses.

The loss of Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, situated at 23^rd Street and the lakefront, would be tragic for Chicago. Lakeside Center is an extraordinary building by architecture firm C.F. Murphy and designers Gene Summers and Helmut Jahn, both acclaimed students of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at Illinois Institute of Technology. In Lakeside Center they took Mies van der Rohe’s design principles and the numerous published design studies by Mies, his office, and his graduate students and applied them on an enormous, convention hall scale. The construction of Lakeside Center was an amazing feat and is on par with the City’s other superstructures of that period, specifically the John Hancock Building and the Sears Tower. However, unlike the vertically oriented Hancock, Sears and Standard Oil Buildings, Lakeside Center is a mammoth horizontal long-span structure. The Hancock Building roof is 1,128 feet tall while Lakeside Center is 1,366 feet wide. The result was a monumental architectural achievement for Chicago which helped to reinforce Chicago’s title of convention city with the largest roof, convention hall and was, and perhaps still is, the largest space-frame structure in the world. To provide some relative scale, a football field, including end zones, is 1.3 acres. Lakeside Center's rooftop is 19 acres.

Lakeside Center was a model convention facility that influenced architect I. M. Pei, when designing the Javits Center’s glass convention halls in New York City, decades later. The building has been featured in the book "Chicago's Famous Buildings" in multiple editions by various editors and scholars over the past 50 years since its construction. Prior to the current Lakeside Center glass and steel building, the earlier convention building was a windowless exposition hall, dubbed the “mistake on the lake”, erected hastily in 1960 and destroyed by fire in 1967. In reaction to solid block walls on the lakefront, the replacement Lakeside Center building was a modernist steel and glass building designed to optimize the location. and construction grand opening was held on January 3, 1971.

Other proposed ideas for Lakeside Center by architecture critic and photographer Lee Bey in 2015 was the creation of a Veterans Memorial and Military Museum, similar to the successful Nationaal Militair Museum in a highly similar structure located in Soesterberg, Netherlands.

More details on Chicago casino bidders—and how the Bears factor in: As the Bears eye the suburbs, several bidders propose putting a Chicago casino a stone's throw from Soldier Field. Here are the latest details on the gambling bids and how the NFL team's moves might make a difference. Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/2/21

"The Chicago City Council landmarked the home of blues great Muddy Waters today, capping a months-long effort by preservationists and the musician’s family to gain official recognition of the historic house in North Kenwood.

"Mississippi-born as McKinley Morganfield, who took the stage name Muddy Waters, he bought the red-brick two-flat on South Lake Park Avenue in 1954 and lived there until the late 1970s, when he moved with his children to Westmont. It remains in the family’s hands 67 years after he bought it and is being turned into the Mojo Museum by Waters’ great-granddaughter, Chandra Cooper.

"While living on Lake Park Avenue, he had his biggest musical successes, including three singles that reached highest on the R&B charts: 'I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man,' 'Mannish Boy' and “'Just Make Love to Me.' Waters influenced many blues musicians, as well as rock 'n' rollers, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and ZZ Top among them.

"The basement of the Lake Park Avenue building was rehearsal space, according to historical write-ups. Landmarking the house amounts to the city officially honoring 'who this man was and what he did while he was living in that house,' Cooper has said. Having official recognition from the city will also help her fundraising for the museum.

"The two-flat, built in the mid-1880s, was owned by the musician’s estate after he died in 1983. Cooper has owned the house since 2000, according to the Cook County recorder of deeds." (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 10/14/21)

We're thrilled that the long-endangered Muddy Waters home finally has the protection and recognition that it deserves. Bravo to Chandra Cooper for her dedication in face of adversity and her fierce love for this important element of Chicago's cultural heritage. Chicago collectively owes you a debt of gratitude for your efforts. We will continue to support this effort until the MOJO Museum celebrates its grand opening.

Preservation Chicago has worked very closely with neighborhood preservation partners and has played a strong role in supporting the effort to protect and landmark the Muddy Waters home. Additionally, our petition with nearly 33 thousand signatures and other efforts played a decisive role in blocking the proposed House Museum Ban ordinance that would have been devastating for emerging house museums like the Muddy Waters home, and scores of arts and cultural centers across Chicago. We continue to advocate for a Chicago Jazz, Blues, and Gospel Thematic Landmark District that would recognize and protect the places and spaces where Chicago musicians made history.

"The long-awaited revival of Bridgeport’s Ramova Theater has begun. City officials, developers and community members gathered Tuesday to celebrate the groundbreaking of a project that will restore the historic theater, 3518 S. Halsted St., into a live entertainment space, restaurant and brewpub.

"The theater, which has been vacant for more than 30 years, will be the centerpiece of the $28 million overhaul led by developers Our Revival Chicago LLC and Baum Revision LLC.

"The space is expected to hold up to 1,800 people and feature a renewed Ramova Grill, which was best known for its chili. Bridgeport native and Duck Inn chef-owner Kevin Hickey will be at the helm of the restaurant, officials said at the ceremony.

"The project to bring back the Ramova has been in the works for years. The venue is planned to open in late 2022, according to a statement.

"The city bought the theater in 2001 to preserve it for future development and spent more than $350,000 in roof repairs. City leaders struggled for years to find developers who were willing to invest in rehabilitating the deteriorating structure. In 2020, the city sold the property to developer Tyler Nevius for $1 and provided $6.8 million in tax increment financing to support the construction, enough to cover roughly 30 percent of the cost of renovation.

"'I’m so excited,' said Deborah Lessner, who grew up a couple of blocks from the theater. 'It’s been ages. It was such a shame to watch it go to waste. Do you know how many of us had our first kiss in this theater?'

"Helen Antonopoulos worked at the theater’s candy counter from 1973 until 1985. She hopes the theater will revitalize Halsted Street. 'In the ’60s, this whole street was so lit up at night. It looked like you were going to a party,' Antonopoulos said.

"Maurice Cox, commissioner of the city’s Department of Planning and Development, compared the theater to a 'sleeping beauty' and said the area is 'about to be awakened. I can’t wait to see what happens for Bridgeport and for the businesses on this corridor who will now have patrons by the thousands who come out.'(Qin, Block Club Chicago, 10/12/21)

"The Ramova Theater opened in 1929 on S. Halsted Street at W. 35th Street, as a “sister” to the Music Box Theater in Lake View, which was opened that same year. The architect of the Ramova Theater was Meyer O. Nathan.

"Like the smaller Music Box Theater, which seats about half as many as the 1,500-seat Ramova Theater, both were designed in Atmospheric style inside, their auditoriums built to resemble Spanish-courtyards. On the deep blue ceiling of the Ramova Theater, “stars” glittered before each movie, and through the archways along the side walls were scenes of the Spanish countryside. Like the Music Box’s lobby, the blue sky with stars motif also continued into the ceiling. Faux-marble and gilded plasterwork were also in abundance, even more so than at the Music Box Theater.

"The highlight of the Ramova’s life came in 1940, when Charlie Chaplin had the Chicago premiere of his 'The Great Dictator' at the Ramova Theater and Music Box Theater, since the Loop palaces which would normally host such events were uncomfortable with the sensitive subject matter of the film and wouldn’t play it on their screens.

"By the 1950’s, the Ramova Theater was no longer a first run house, but began to show second-run features.

"The theater was closed in April 1985 with 'Police Academy 2', and has since sat vacant, but very much intact; a reminder of the neighborhood’s past and a viable and eminently restorable venue for Bridgeport’s future. (CinemaTreasures.org)

"The Chicago Theatre turned 100 years old last week, which is a milestone worth celebrating, given the venue narrowly dodged demolition to become a cornerstone of the downtown live theater district. With the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., motion picture theater owners Balaban & Katz and their architects, C.W. & George Rapp, created a striking French Revival movie palace that put on a show before the the film even began. But many of the elements perfected in the Chicago Theatre were brought to bear by the same team four years earlier with the construction of their first movie palace, the Central Park Theater, in the North Lawndale community.

"There’s a movement underway to seek landmark status for the building, 3535 W. Roosevelt Road, which has been House of Prayer Church of God in Christ since 1971. We’d like to see this happen.

"The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but a local designation would help draw more attention to this important but lesser-known structure. And it certainly couldn’t hurt current efforts to raise money to reopen and restore the 104-year-old building.

"Built in 1917, the exterior of the three-story brick and terra cotta building on Roosevelt Road isn’t visually lavish compared with the movie palaces Balaban & Katz and their architects Rapp & Rapp would create a few short years later — although the interior comes pretty close.

"'As a result, the innovations pioneered at the Central Park — the design of lavish theater buildings in outlying commercial centers, live stage shows, outstanding service and the novel use of air conditioning — were applied on a national scale to hundreds of theaters from coast to coast,' according to the National Register nomination documents from 2005.

"Built when North Lawndale was primarily Jewish, the theater remained a community focal point when Black people became the majority of the neighborhood’s residents beginning in the 1960s. Under a new banner as House of Prayer Church of God in Christ, the venue became a popular spot for major gospel music acts of the day such as Shirley Caesar and the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the church’s current senior pastor, Robert Marshall, told Block Club Chicago in 2020.

"The former theater isn’t under threat of demolition, but it is in disrepair — so much so, the building is shuttered due to code violations. Though worn, the interior retains much of its original magnificence, however. A coalition of North Lawndale residents, House of Prayer, preservationists and others have formed the Central Park Theater Restoration Committee to raise money and awareness about the building’s history and figure out possible future uses.

"City landmark status would significantly protect the building from demolition while this important work gets done. Given Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration’s plans to redevelop the Ogden Avenue corridor in North Lawndale through the Invest South/West program, it’s clear the city has its eyes on the neighborhood.

"We hope a landmark designation protecting the former Central Park Theater can happen as well.

"And back to the Chicago Theatre, reaching the century mark last week. The theater was slated for demolition in 1985. Then, Chicago Theatre Restoration Associates stepped in and spent millions restoring it. Frank Sinatra sang at the theater’s 1986 reopening. That’s the kind of ending we’d like to see for the old Central Park. (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 10/30/21)

"We urge the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to Landmark the Central Park Theater at 3535 W. Roosevelt Road in North Lawndale.

"Chicago was once home to hundreds of neighborhood movie palaces, a type of movie house that was pioneered in the city. More than just a place to see a movie, these structures were places to escape from everyday life for working class Chicagoans. Featuring ornate designs, today very few of these structures remain, and even fewer remain in their original configuration.

"The Central Park Theater, located in the historic and ever-changing North Lawndale community on Chicago’s West Side, is arguably one of the most historically important movie houses in the United States. The first Balaban & Katz movie palace (also in collaboration with the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp), the Theater is by most accounts the first movie palace constructed in the nation and was the model for those that came after it.

"With nearly 1,800 seats, the Theater opened in 1917 in what was once the hub of Chicago's Jewish community. During the 1950s North Lawndale became a focal point for the city's African-American community, and in 1971 the Theater transitioned into both a church and a community cultural center. While the church still operates in the Theater and has been an important steward of the site, they lack the resources to support its full restoration to resume functioning as a theater and cultural hub for the community. Despite being on the National Register of Historic Places, the Theater’s future is uncertain.

By nominating the Central Park Theater for landmark status, the future is brighter for the Theater and its potential to be a beacon showcasing the beauty of North Lawndale and Chicago as a whole. A coalition of partners is joining with the theater owner – House of Prayer Church of God in Christ – to plan for a sustainable reuse and redevelopment of the theater, which landmark status would greatly help achieve." (Petition to Landmark the Central Park Theater)

"Lincoln Park Zoo’s beloved big cats have finally returned. The zoo opened its Pepper Family Wildlife Center on Thursday after two years of work. The center houses a pride of lions, as well as two red pandas, two Canada lynx and two snow leopards.

"The zoo’s lion house closed in 2019 for a major overhaul. Their habitat has now doubled in size and is home to four lions: 3-year-old Jabari, a male; and sisters Zari, Cleo and Hasira. They explored their space for the first time Thursday as visitors looked on. The lion habitat has new rock formations, climbing trees, deadfall made from trees and cooling and heating elements.

"Mike Murray, the zoo’s curator of mammals, said 'excited is an understatement' when it comes to seeing people enjoy the new habitat after years of renovations. 'It took us many years and a lot of hard work, and we are just honored to show this building and this state-of-the-art lion habitat to everybody,' Murray said. 'It’s almost indescribable.'

"Renovations were also done to the lion house, which was given city landmark status in 2005. The building was constructed in 1912. Major changes couldn’t be made to its structure due to its landmark status, but updates were made to the façade and several parts of the interior. The lion house now features the Lion Loop, which allows visitors to see the outdoor lion habitat from the center of the exhibit.

"The Pepper Family Wildlife Center is named after Roxelyn and the late Richard Pepper, whose $15 million gift allowed the zoo to break ground in December 2019. The $41 million renovation of the lion house was the final phase of The Pride of Chicago, a $135 million campaign that began in 2012. McDonald, (Block Club Chicago, 10/14/21)

The Lincoln Park Lion House was designed in 1912 by architect Dwight Perkins, with his partners William Fellows and John Hamilton. With its decorative brickwork and terra-cotta ornament, lion mosaics and grand hall with a vaulted Guastavino-tile ceiling, it was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2005.

Preservation Chicago worked in cooperation with the development team from the Lincoln Park Zoo and architect Goettsch Partners, to help to optimize the Kovler/Pepper Lion House improvements. Plan review and site visits resulted in dozens of observations, comments and suggestions.

The objective was to both accommodate the desired programmatic functionality including ADA accessibility and to be sensitive to the historic building design and elements. A good process yields a good outcome. Much of the design work to rethink this space is innovative, and the design team should be recognized for their success.

Preservation Chicago strongly supported the restoration of historic features on the principal facades of Lion House, its interior Landmarked features and other alterations. These changes have made significant improvements to the well-being of the animals and improved public access to the historic building. Preservation Chicago submitted a letter of support to the Commission of Chicago Landmarks and testified in support of the project who recognized our contributions.

Based on the wonderful success of this project, Preservation Chicago further encourages the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Department of Planning and Development, Historic Preservation Division, to consider a thematic Landmark District to incorporate the historic buildings forming the historic core of Lincoln Park Zoo. These buildings could include the Primate House (1927), the former Reptile House (now the Park Place Café cafeteria building), The Bird House (1904), the former Academy of Sciences Matthew Laflin Memorial Building (now the Lincoln Park Zoo Administration Building, 1893) and the rounded “Landmark Cafe” Building (1899).

A Landmark designation of these structures would be much in the spirit of Cafe Breuer (1908) and The Lion House (1912), both by Dwight Perkins, and would further ensure good preservation practices going forward. The Lincoln Park Zoo should also encourage a celebration of its landscape and the landscape design work of Swain Nelson and Olaf Benson to which the grand promenade or east-west access may be part of the original overall design.

"[Fern Hill Company] Developers have recruited architect David Adjaye to overhaul several properties in Old Town, including the site of the old Treasure Island Grocery Store.

"Adjaye, known for projects like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, was selected to design buildings owned by Fern Hill and Moody Church, a historic non-denominational Christian Church at 1635 N. LaSalle Drive.

"The development, which generally surrounds the area of 1600 N. LaSalle Drive, will include:

"'We’ve asked ourselves as owners, 'Who do we take this disjointed collection of separate parcels and transition these sites to a more cohesive and inclusive vision for the community as a whole?'' said Fern Hill co-principal Nick Anderson.

Adjaye told neighbors during a virtual community meeting Wednesday he and his team 'know Chicago very well and are big fans of the city.'

"'Chicago has this extraordinary heritage of architecture, and Old Town was sort of the roots of that,' Adjaye said. 'The neighborhood has beautiful two- to three-story, Victorian-style architecture, which is why that part of the city is so distinct.'

“This is a blank canvas right now as we start,” Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said. “You all are invited to pick up a paintbrush. Let’s decide together what we want to happen here in conjunction with Moody Church and Fern Hill.” (Wittich, Block Club Chicago, 9/30/21)

PC would like to see many of the notable structures on this site landmarked and integrated into the proposed development plans by this much acclaimed architect, David Adaje. You can name them from North Federal Savings Bank/Wintrust Bank, Moody Church, Archway Standard/BP Service Station, Walgreen’s building by Stanley Tigerman and the two 1880s buildings on Wells Street, including the former “Earl of Old Town."

"A community organization is reviving vacant spaces in Englewood with interactive weekend programs aimed at neighborhood youth.

"Teamwork Englewood — a nonprofit that works to improve the quality of life for neighbors through economic, educational and social opportunities — will offer three free community programs beginning Saturday for Englewood’s youth. The programs will be held at Harper High School, 6520 S. Wood St., which was closed by the school district this summer.

"Cecile DeMello, executive director for Teamwork Englewood, said the initiative showcases how Englewood natives are turning negative situations into positive, community-driven opportunities.

“I hope this city is seeing how, in Englewood, we are trying to be innovative and taking some of the vacant spaces in our community and using them for the needs of our community in creative ways,” DeMello said. 'We’re thinking about how spaces can meet the unique needs of our community and how there can be unique partnerships that can be built by leveraging city resources.'

“We’re able to engage young people in some positive programming that can keep them out of trouble, help them to think about new careers and also build a sense of community,' DeMello said. 'Our programs have brought young people together that may have never come together in a positive, facilitated way to build relationships across this community.'

“Other youth providers in the community were facing the same challenges as us. They didn’t have big enough space and they were trying to avoid virtual programming,' DeMello said. 'So, they said, ‘Well, what if we could just ask [Chicago Public Schools] if we could use some space at Harper High School?’

"Often touted as the oldest neighborhood school in Englewood, Harper closed its doors permanently June 30. The closure was part of a 'phase out' of three neighboring high schools, including Hope and Robeson, to make way for a new STEM school in the area.

"Working with CPS’ Facilities Department, DeMello was able to secure space in the closed school for Teamwork Englewood and other community groups, such as GoodKidsMadCity. They have access to a few classrooms and the gymnasium. As the program continues to grow, DeMello hopes she can use more vacant spaces for more youth-driven programming, she said.

“'Even though it’s cool that this is happening inside of this closed school, we’re really just advocating for more youth-based programs in spaces like Englewood, period,' DeMello said." (Reed, Block Club Chicago, 10/21/21)

Designed by celebrated architect Dwight Perkins in 1911, the four-story brick Harper High School at 6520 S. Wood Street is bold in its execution, with its well-organized composition expressing its strong massing and verticality. As this was a public school with a limited construction budget, Perkins sought to reduce the amount of expensive materials like limestone or terra cotta. Determined to make a beautiful school for the children, his brilliant and creative design used inexpensive brick in highly creative and visually compelling ways. His design used wide brick piers accentuated with large flat masonry surfaces, and elaborate fields of intricately patterned brickwork with integrated bands of ornamentation resulting in a beautifully ornamented façade.

Harper High School became a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2018 when Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Board of Education voted for its permanently closure. There was concern that this important building would remain empty for a protracted period of time and fall into disrepair. At that time we encouraged adaptive reuse of the historic high school building which has always served as a focal point within the community. We recommended that Harper High School's large auditorium, indoor pool, and gymnasium be repurposed as a community fitness center and community gathering space, possibly a Chicago Park District field house. Additionally, we suggested that the building's many classrooms could easily be converted into housing units possibly including affordable housing, senior housing, and/or veterans housing. We sully support this current reuse plan and hope to see it expanded across the entire Harper High Building. Furthermore, we consider this a best practice for these valuable assets and encourage all vacant former Chicago Public School buildings to be repurposed for their respective communities.

"Sitting at the corner of 82nd Street and South Shore Drive for more than a century, thousands of footsteps into St. Michael the Archangel Parish are fading into history as a final mass was celebrated Sunday before the venerable building is closed.

"'It’s amazing structure, really the cathedral of South Chicago,' Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago said. 'It’s so unfortunate that this is being closed by the Archdiocese of Chicago when this is still a viable parish.'

"Miller came to the church Saturday to lobby for landmark status of the building and to celebrate his family’s history. St. Michael’s is where his great-grandparents were married in 1895.

"'These are landmarks and gateways to communities. The faithful built these churches with pennies, nickels and dimes and they were given to the Archdiocese to steward and maintain, and when that can’t happen anymore we need to think of other solutions,' Miller said.

"US Steel, a large employer at the time on the Southeast Side made large donations as well to help contruct the Gothic revival structure as a place for many of its Polish immigrant workers to worship.

"'A whole sense of community is lost here. It’s more than just a faith-based place of worship and house of worship, it’s a gateway to these communities, it’s a cornerstone to these communities,' Miller said. 'These are true landmarks in our community and when they’re closed, not only do we lose a religious site but we lose all the services, the human services, the counselors, the food and the food pantries.'" (Lewis, WGN Chicago 9, 10/30/21)

"A historical church that for decades served residents of the now-demolished Cabrini-Green public housing towers is back on the market more than three years after its congregation struck a deal to sell the site for redevelopment.

"The Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church parcel, 2.72 acres on Elm Street, was listed yesterday with an asking price of $2.95 million. The parcel includes a four-story, red brick church—built in 1889 as the First Swedish Baptist Church—and a low-rise midcentury addition, as well as some empty land. The listing suggests both buildings could be demolished.

"'Currently there is a church building on the parcel,' according to the listing posted by Robert Waldschmidt and Clifford Perotti of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago, 'but highest and best use is to replace it with a more modern residential development.' Waldschmidt said he and Perotti declined to comment.

"In June 2018, the Wayman Church parcel went under contract in just two days on the market with an asking price of $3.25 million. The 2018 deal presumably fell apart, as the property is now back on the market at a lower price. Rev. Thomas Hughes did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Pettis did not respond to a request for comment, either. Wayman Church’s listed phone number has been disconnected.

"The building’s roots reach back to 1853, when the neighborhood, known as Swede Town, had several Swedish churches, including First Swedish Baptist, whose original sanctuary may have been destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire 150 years ago this week. The Swedish Baptists completed the present church building in 1889; it's not clear whether they they transferred it to the AME church in 1920, or if there was another inhabitant between the two congregations.

"For several decades, Wayman AME was a spiritual haven for Black residents of Cabrini-Green, which was built in stages from the early 1940s through the early 1960s. In the early 1990s, Wayman AME was part of the backdrop of one of Cabrini-Green's most horrific incidents: On Oct. 13, 1992, bullets fired by a sniper in a building just north of Wayman AME rocketed past the church before killing 7-year-old Dantrell Davis, who was holding his mother's hand as he crossed Cleveland Avenue a short distance south of the church.

"Davis was the third Jenner Elementary School student killed that year. His death was one of the events that galvanized the city's Plan for Transformation, announced in the late 1990s, which included tearing down the Cabrini-Green high-rises​​​​​​. (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 10/8/21)

Preservation Chicago considers the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church/First Swedish Baptist Church an important historic church building that should be protected and adaptively reused. This building is an excellent example of the Romanesque Church construction and despite some deferred maintenance is in surprisingly good and stable condition. The historic buildings from the Cabrini-Green Neighborhood have almost all been demolished, so this is one of the last standing survivors and must be protected.

Additionally, the church building is located in one small corner of the large vacant lot. The church building occupies approximately 1/20th of the site, or 0.14 acres of the total 2.72-acre lot, so the developer could build extensively without the historic church building interfering.

"For years, the team behind a Latino community center and education arts program in Logan Square wanted to reach more youth. Now, they can finally get to work. After more than two decades in Logan Square and Humboldt Park, The Miracle Center bought a 66,000-square-foot church campus at 5454 W. Diversey Ave. in Belmont Cragin for $1.5 million. The move will give the nonprofit the space it needs to expand its services.

"The campus was formerly home to the St. Peter’s United Church of Christ. The Miracle Center is planning a $3-4 million renovation, transforming the campus into a community center with three theaters, a wellness center, work/live spaces for artists, a fitness room and a dance hall, said Vanessa Torres, communications director at The Miracle Center.

"For the past nine years, The Miracle Center was at 2311 N. Pulaski Road in Logan Square. Its 11,400-square-foot space was bulging at the seams, Torres said. The nonprofit planned to purchase an adjacent property in early 2020, but it didn’t work out. The old Belmont Cragin church turned out to be a better fit. 'What is so great about it is the aesthetics,' she said. 'We are going to keep the character of it. The acoustics are phenomenal.'

"In addition to hosting after-school programs and performances for students interested in theater, music, dance, podcasting and cooking, the center will be a gathering space for the community, working with nearby schools and institutions to host classes and events. The church campus’ four kitchens will be renovated and the largest one will house a workforce development cooking program. It also has 28 multipurpose rooms, five pianos, and will add a production center and a cafe.

"The massive renovation will be completed in phases as the organization receives funding. The team hopes to fully open the center by fall 2022 but will resume in-person programs at the beginning of 2022. The Miracle Center is working with longtime supporters like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Family Fund, the Hispanic Federation, The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, GOYA Foods, Walmart and others to secure funding for its renovation work.

"Since The Miracle Center’s founding 26 years ago by Executive Director Mary Santana, it has served more than 20,000 students with a 94 percent high school graduation rate, produced and presented more than 50 professional-quality productions and hosted more than 35,000 audience members. The center’s work was the focus of a documentary in 2019. (Parrella-Aureli, Block Club Chicago, 10/18/21)

"The city has halted work on a historically protected building in Rogers Park after its new owner improperly removed a terra cotta bust and other features from its façade.

"Two stop-work orders have been issued to the owner of 1618 W. Devon Ave., a former movie house built in 1912. The first order was issued Oct. 4, after neighbors and city officials noticed the building’s decorative figurehead had been removed without proper permits.

"The stop-work orders were issued because of permitting problems, officials said. But the work also runs afoul of city preservation statues that seek to prevent protected buildings from being altered.

"The original terra cotta figurehead — thought to be a bust of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis — was removed along with glazed bricks because they were in disrepair, building owner Doris Eneamokwu said. The bust has been discarded, she said.

"Had the owner filed for the proper building permits, she would have learned of the building’s historical status, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.

"The Devon Avenue building is rated 'orange' in the city’s historic resources survey, the second-highest preservation status a city building can earn. When developers seek permits for such buildings, city staff usually notify applicants of historic protections and can help with funding and assistance for renovations, Miller said. Demolition permits for orange-rated buildings trigger a 90-day hold to review the building’s significance and options for preservation.

"'They bypassed an important step,' he said. 'There could have been programming in place to fix the building and the problems with it.'

"The building was constructed as the New Devon Theater movie house in 1912 by noted architect Henry Ross. Built with a glazed brick façade and including a large arch and the bust, its design is indicative of turn-of-the-century movie houses in Chicago, according to the Rogers Park West Ridge Historical Society.

"Neighbors and officials with Ald. Andre Vasquez’s 40th Ward office noticed work was being done on the building, and the ward office contacted the Department of Buildings after learning no permits were pulled, said Geoffrey Cubbage, Vasquez’s director of policy and economic development.

"Officials said there is a chance the building’s existing façade can be restored. The local ward office is looking into requiring restoration rather than just fines or other penalties, Cubbage said.

"There are companies that can restore the façade and possible funding sources for historical preservation, Miller said. 'There could be a really remarkable restoration of the façade. That would be an ideal situation.'" (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 10/28/21)

The adaptive reuse process of "The Jewel Laundry” Building located at 1730 W. Greenleaf Avenue has been in motion since 2017. The plans required an upzoning request. Preservation Chicago had been in early conversations with key decision-makers and helped polish this development. We supported the adaptive reuse proposal and spoke on its behalf at a community meeting on June 14, 2017 at the Ethiopian Community Center of Chicago.

The “Jewel Laundry” Building is classified as orange-rated by the Chicago Historic Resources Survey which highlights the building’s “Prairie and Sullivanesque” ornamentation and detailing. Preservation Chicago worked with developer, Dave Gassman, and alderman's office to help shape an adaptive reuse plan that embraced the authenticity and beauty of the historic building while allowing the development program to be accomplished. The historic façade was restored as part of the redevelopment plan. A new two-story addition was be added to the top of the building with a set-back behind the existing historic façade.

This white terra cotta commercial building was the long-time location of Maya Romanoff Corporation wallpaper and textiles plant until 2008 when it became the Ethiopian Community Center of Chicago. The historic building was designed by Aroner & Somers and dates to circa 1915.

"A 120-year-old metal finishing warehouse on Logan Square’s Armitage Avenue that was spared from the wrecking ball is now a vibrant food prop styling studio, thanks to its new owner and Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st).

"The transformation started in 2019, when food prop stylist Johanna Lowe bought two neighboring properties on Armitage Avenue near Richmond Street from longtime owner Al Meijer of AAA Metal Finishing. When Lowe first toured the 7,000-square-foot property, Meijer had already accepted another offer from a developer who wanted to tear down the buildings and build condos in their place.

"'It’s a tried and true story: Someone who saw no value in the existing building wanted to demolish it for new residential with zero affordable' units, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said.

"It seemed the buildings were headed for the wrecking ball, but La Spata stepped in and rejected the developer’s zoning change request, and the deal fell apart. Lowe was next in line. Because of the alderman’s stance, Lowe was able to buy the old buildings and completely transform them into Parchment Studio, a high-end food prop styling studio with bow truss ceilings and original details, including furniture from Meijer’s metal finishing company.

"The adaptive reuse project is an example of how so-called aldermanic prerogative — the power alderpeople have to block zoning decisions in their wards — can benefit neighborhoods if used correctly, Lowe and La Spata said.

"'When you’re willing to say no and wait, you do end up with better projects,' La Spata said.

"Despite the challenges, construction wrapped up earlier this year. Today, the old metal finishing warehouse is a meticulously designed studio with a full-service kitchen and a kitchen prop room, as well as cozy seating areas. A lover of old materials, Lowe incorporated Meijer’s decades-old metalworking furniture into the design. The kitchen islands are made with sideboards from Meijer’s office, and Meijer’s shelving is in the prop room. Lowe also used metal cladding on the front facade as a nod to Meijer’s business.

"'There are stories to tell with old buildings, whereas with new builds, there’s no history. I think it’s just a marvelous thing to recognize the value of something beyond the cosmetic nature of it,' she said. 'If it’s got good bones, then revive it. There’s so much waste in the building industry.'

"La Spata said this project should serve as a model for other parts of the 1st Ward and neighborhoods across the city. 'It’s the kind of story that we really want to replicate up and down our commercial corridors, a real respect for what these buildings are,' he said. (Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 10/13/21)

"The development boom along Wells Street in River North could be adding another 178 apartments to the mix. Developer Vista Property Group has filed a zoning application with the City of Chicago to construct a 21-story tower on the east side of the street between Chicago Avenue and Superior Street.

"Under the plan, the single-story retail building that was home to Yolk restaurant and Jess Chicago as well as a vintage three-story Italianate at 739 N. Wells would be demolished. The three-story commercial building at the north end of the block would be spared from the wrecking ball. The older four-story building housing Brehon Pub is outside the boundaries of the development.

"Designed by Antunovich Associates, the 254-foot tower will feature 178 rental units and 21,000 square feet of retail.

"The proposed development will require a zoning change from the city of Chicago and will go before the Chicago Plan Commission, Committee on Zoning, and full City Council.

"Wells Street in River North has been a standout during downtown Chicago's ongoing apartment boom. Recent developments like Gallery on Wells, Exhibit, Marlowe, and 640 North Wells have delivered nearly 1,200 new rental units to the immediate area." (Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago 5/25/21)

Preservation Chicago encourages the developer Vista Property Group and architect Antunovich Associates to integrate the historic three-story Italianate building, into the new development. At a minimum, the historic c. 1870s post-fire building façade should be restored and incorporated into the new development. Perhaps its time to consider a River North Historic Landmark District to protect historic buildings like this from demolition. 

"A development team wants to replace a retail strip and parking lot along Wilson Avenue with a two-building development totaling 34 units, the second time a developer has recently tried to build on the site.

"Developers Ayman Khalil and Kareem Musawwir want to tear down the building at 1359 W. Wilson Ave. and replace it with two buildings: a five-story, 30-unit complex and a three-story building on Dover Street, according to plans made public by the office of Ald. James Cappleman (46th).

"The development team will hold a meeting with neighbors, though the project does not need local approval, said Tressa Feher, Cappleman’s chief of staff. Because it is only seeking a zoning variance and not a rezoning, the request goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals and not the City Council.

"Still, some neighbors in the Sheridan Park Historic District and the Dover Street Landmark District think the project is out of scale with the surrounding area. That is especially true of Dover Street, where properties have setbacks and front lawns, said Scott Adams, president of the Dover Street Neighbors Association. 'Those are outliers,' he said of the proposed buildings.

"Developers Khalil and Musawwir control Inverbrass Funds, according to reports. An entity tied to the developers bought the retail strip and parking lot at 1359 W. Wilson Ave. in August for nearly $2 million, records show.

"In late 2019, developer Jody Libman sought to buy and replace the retail strip with a four-story, 40-unit building that had a garden level. Libman’s development required a zoning change. That request was rejected by the Dover Street Neighbors Association, according to Uptown Update, and Libman decided to forgo efforts to redevelop the site.

"The existing building at 1359 W. Wilson Ave. — known to neighbors as the Happy Wash building — is home to The Mukase African Restaurant." (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 10/21/21)

"The dilapidated Martin Luther King Jr. Drive mansion of a Black attorney who played groundbreaking roles in law, newspapers, libraries and other fields may have a rescuer after a very short time on the market.

"The Victorian greystone mansion [at 4806 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive] in Bronzeville went on the market yesterday, and by midday today the listing agent already had a group of showings and a promise of an offer.

Built in the 1890s, the home for about the past 80 years has been owned by the family of Nathan K. McGill. The asking price is $500,000 for the property, a 56-by-151-foot lot that holds both the three-story, seven-bedroom house and a two-car garage with a two-bedroom apartment above.

"The house “'demands a lot be done,' said Winston McGill Jr., one of three brothers, grandsons of Nathan McGill, who own and are now selling the house. Winston McGill said his generation had been planning to rehab the home since their father died in 2006, 'but at this point in our lives, I don’t think we can give it what it’s demanding.'

"The utilities are working, but all need to be updated, he said, and the home still has its original woodwork, tile and stained glass. 'Somebody can bring back all that original luster,' Rountree said.

"McGill was the first Black assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois, appointed in 1929; was the first Black member of the Chicago Public Library board, appointed in 1930; and for nearly a decade, he was the second in command at the Chicago Defender, the historic newspaper that urged Blacks to move out of the South to the relatively more welcoming North. After McGill left the Defender in 1935, he founded his own newspaper, the Metropolitan News.

"In his legal career, according to historical articles archived online, McGill was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1917, served as assistant state’s attorney for Cook County—possibly the first Black man in that post—and fought battles to strike down union rules that shut out Black workers.

"Nathan McGill had moved to Chicago from Florida in the late 1910s, encouraged to make the move by Chicago Defender founder Robert S. Abbott. The newspaper explained that McGill's 'color alone prevented him from receiving in Florida what he has in Illinois. In Illinois, he is a state's attorney; in Florida, no matter how well trained he was, his color barred him. We are pointing out to you the advantages of living North, where a man with an education and a trade or profession is given a chance.'

"In the King Drive home, Winston McGill said, his grandfather's 'footprint is still here.'" (Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 10/19/21)

"Truly unique opportunity in Chicago's South Shore community - just steps to Lake Michigan. The former St. Bride Church and Rectory are being offered as a package. The church was designed as a French Gothic edifice comprised of brick and stone accents. The actual dedication of the church was in June, 1909. The main level worship, altar, and sacristy space is approximately 4, 800 sq ft. The church has ten double stained glass windows and a choir loft. There are 51 pews of various sizes circling a raised altar, seating for nearly 350 worshippers. The church has a full basement which houses a large meeting/gathering space, a full kitchen, a raised stage area, and two restrooms. The basement has nearly 4, 200 sq ft.

"The rectory to the south of the church was built in 1925 of similar French Gothic design and on the site of the original church. It's a 2.5-story building of brick and stone with a clay roof. The main level has three offices, a chapel, a full-sized kitchen with butler's pantry, an expansive formal dining room, 1.1 baths, and extra closet space. The upper level has a large Pastor's suite at the front of the building - living room/office area, a primary bedroom with private bath, closet, and an enclosed porch/sunroom. The remainder of the upper level has five additional bedroom suites with three full bathrooms. The center hallway has a domed ceiling and access to the top level which had been used as recreational space. The full basement is partially finished and houses the heating system - a six-year-old Weil McLain boiler which fuels the radiators throughout the building. There is a 100-gallon water tank. There are two electrical panel - one with circuit breakers, the other with fuses. The sump pump system is about three years old. Laundry facilities and plenty of storage also exist in the basement.

"A concrete side drive separates the church and rectory. At the end of the drive way is an all brick 2-car garage. Above the garage is a brick breezeway or "bridge" that was built to provide interior access from the rectory to the church. There are separate PINs - 0000 (the church which sits on a 138'x135' lot); and 0000 (the rectory and green space on a lot measuring 35'x198'). Final lot size will be determined by the survey. Property is currently tax exempt. Looking for a visionary to transform or repurpose this historic part of South Shore. (Former St. Bride Church Listing on Weichert.com)

"St. Bride Church, built in a French Gothic style, was established in 1893 as a mission of St. Kevin Church at 105th and Torrence Avenue to serve 45 families who lived north of 87th Street, in the neighborhoods of South Shore, Windsor Park, and Cheltenham.

"In 1907, the parishioners voted to build a new church, and in September ground was broken at the southeast corner of 78th Street and Coles Avenue. The cornerstone was laid on June 14, 1908. On June 6, 1909, the new St. Bride Church, with a seating capacity of 600, was dedicated by Archbishop James E. Quigley. The parish roster then listed 300 families.

"The old mission church was remodeled into a school, which opened in September 1909. The St. Bride School was the first Catholic grammar school in South Shore. The following year, Rev. O’Sullivan died and was succeeded as pastor by Rev. William J. Lynch, who began construction of a new school. In 1911, a new school opened with a capacity of 400 students.

"For several decades, South Shore was a largely Catholic and Jewish neighborhood. However, the demographics changed beginning in the late 1960s when South Shore became a majority Black neighborhood. New and old parishioners celebrated the 75th anniversary of St. Bride Church in December 1968. During the 1970s, ties were strengthened between the new Black and Haitian parishioners and the older parishioners of Irish and German descent. By 2005, student enrollment had declined to such an extent that St. Bride School closed its doors in June, with the graduation of its 96th class.

"In 2020, all four of the South Shore parishes, including St. Bride, were merged by the Chicago Archdiocese into one newly created parish, Our Lady and Ss. Bride and Philip Neri. On July 1, 2020, St. Bride Church was closed. Our Lady of Peace and Our Lady Gate of Heaven were also closed. St. Philip Neri Church is now the surviving Catholic church in South Shore." (Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered 2021)

"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks today honored 12 exceptional development projects at the 2021 'Preservation Excellence Awards,' including the restoration of Union Station, the adaptive reuse of the former Cook County Hospital, the rehabilitation of two 19th century homes in the Old Edgebrook District, and the adaptive reuse of the former West Pullman School.

"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 virtual award ceremony, the winners were chosen from dozens of projects reviewed by the Landmarks Commission’s Permit Review Committee over the last year.

"'Whether reimagining a Chicago icon like the Old Main Post Office, or awakening a ‘sleeping beauty’ like the shuttered 1894 school in Pullman, each of the projects honored today represents an enormous commitment to preserving Chicago’s past,' said Commissioner Maurice Cox of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), which provides staff services to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

Established in 1999, the awards recognize a wide range of efforts to preserve, restore and promote the City’s architectural heritage.

More information at City of Chicago Landmarks Commission website

"For the past 27 years, the Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards has honored individuals, organizations, projects and programs whose work demonstrate a commitment to historic preservation. A generous grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation enables Landmarks Illinois to present awards annually in various categories. The awards ceremony is held each fall."

The 2021 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards took place October 22, 2021, at the Davis Theater in Chicago. Chicago award recipients included:

Prior to its emergency demolition, the Rambler Automobile Co. Showroom was a contributing building in the Motor Row Historic Landmark District established in 2000. It was built in 1912 and designed by architects Jenney, Mundie & Jensen. It was located at 2246-58 S. Indiana Ave.

Details surrounding the neglect and demolition remain unclear, but an investigation should be conducted to hold those responsible accountable and to ensure that this circumstance is prevented in the future. Per the recently adopted City of Chicago ordinance specifically designed to prevent demolition by neglect for Designated Chicago Landmarks, sites can become ineligible for new construction for up to ten years.

Current ownership is unknown. An adaptive reuse plan had been proposed in 2014, but never moved forward. Some information regarding the failed 2014 redevelopment plan can be found in a DNA Info article from September 16, 2014.

"Activist, educator, historian Timuel Black, the revered elder statesman and griot of Chicago’s Black community, was active in every major American movement during his long life and spent his later years telling stories from our nation’s blueprint — in oral and literary form.

"A retired sociology and anthropology professor with City Colleges of Chicago, a former Chicago Public Schools high school history teacher and a pioneer in the independent Black political movement who coined the phrase 'plantation politics,' Mr. Black died Wednesday.

"'Tim left his mark on this city, on his friends who knew him and on those who knew of him, and he would like for his legacy to be an inspiration to people who are trying to make this world a better place, because that’s all he tried to do,' his wife [Zenobia Johnson-Black] said.

"The revered community leader and scholar was 102.

"Among those expressing sadness at Mr. Black’s death was Barack Obama, who said 'the city of Chicago and the world lost an icon with the passing of Timuel Black.'

"The former president’s statement continued: 'Over his 102 years, Tim was many things: a veteran, historian, author, educator, civil rights leader, and humanitarian. But above all, Tim was a testament to the power of place, and how the work we do to improve one community can end up reverberating through other neighborhoods and other cities, eventually changing the world.'

"A prolific author whose sharecropper parents fled Birmingham, Alabama, for Chicago in the Great Migration, Mr. Black made the Chicago Sun-Times’ 2018 list of the 200 most prominent Illinoisans in the state’s 200-year history.

"Mr. Black’s family settled in the city’s densely populated “Black Belt”— now Bronzeville — where Blacks were confined, due to restrictive covenants forbidding them from moving into white neighborhoods.

"'There were two waves of Great Migrations. My parents were part of the first wave around World War I, when industrialists enticed African Americans north for cheap labor. The second wave occurred around World War II, when people were pushed off the land by agricultural technology,' said Mr. Black, an authority on the 55-year phenomenon in which six million Blacks left the South for the North and West between 1915 and 1970.

"'They fled the South for better opportunities — education, jobs, housing, the right to vote. Instead, they were ghettoized by landlords determined not to rent or sell to Negroes. By the mid-’50s, the population in what was called the Black Belt was 84,000 per square mile — four times the 23,000 density of adjoining white communities,' Mr. Black recounted.

"'It wasn’t until 1940, when Carl Hansberry, father of Lorraine Hansberry, fought the restrictive covenants with ‘Hansberry vs. Lee’ — taking it all the way to the Supreme Court — that the barriers of segregation were broken in Woodlawn. ‘Shelley vs. Kraemer’ in 1948 then cleared the way for people to leave the ghetto,' he said, ever the professor.

"Mr. Black wrote two seminal volumes of oral histories on the subject. The 2003 'Bridges of Memory: Chicago’s First Wave of Great Migration,' compiled conversations with Great Migration descendants, among them the father of jazz musician Herbie Hancock and the mother of former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. The 2007 “Bridges of Memory: Chicago’s Second Generation of Black Migration” centered on those who were teenagers during the Civil Rights Movement.

"'Clearly, the most important thing that has happened in this country has been the migration of African Americans from the South into places like Chicago. Timuel Black’s life was shaped by those stories,' Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — now secretary of the Smithsonian Institution — told the Sun-Times on Black’s 100th birthday.

"'Here is someone who has lived his whole life trying to make Chicago better, working in labor, in education, in civil rights,' Bunch said. 'He has dedicated his life to fighting for fairness for the African American community. What is really important to me is that Tim is also the keeper of the flame. He keeps the history of Black Chicago alive, reminding us that civil rights is an ongoing struggle.' (Ihejirika, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/13/21)

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.

#100945948

Date Received: 10/26/2021

Ward: 43rd Ald. Michele Smith

Applicant: Quality Excavation Inc. C/O Anne Quinn

Owner: Patrick Nash

Permit Description: Wreck and removal of the three-story, masonry residential building and a frame garage.

#100945235

Date Received: 10/22/2021

Ward: 47th Ald. Matt Martin

Applicant: Precision Excavation, LLC C/O Angela Dillon

Owner: Angelico Two Series 3849, LLC C/O Jay I. Hausler

Permit Description: wreck and removal of a two-story, masonry and frame, multi-family residential building.

#100937432

Date Received: 10/15/2021

Ward: 41st Ald. Anthony Napolitano

Applicant: Dan Durkin

Owner: Nicholas W. Degnan

Permit Description: Substantial demolition, alteration and expansion of the two-story frame, single-family building.

Address: 2622 N. Dayton St., Lincoln Park

#100943432

Date Received: 10/08/2021

Ward: 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith

Applicant: Tir Conaill Concrete, Inc. C/O Charlotte McVeigh

Owner: David Hansen

Permit Description: Wreck and removal of a single-family, frame residential building and garage.

Status: Under Review

#100934954

Date Received: 10/01/2021

Ward: 27th Ald. Walter Burnett, Jr.

Applicant: Thomas Montgomery

Owner: Sam Brashler

Permit Description: Wreck and removal of the existing roof structure on a two-story, masonry residential building, to accommodate the construction of a new rooftop addition

#100937432

Date Received: 10/01/2021

Ward: 43rd Ald. Michele Smith

Applicant: JAR Corp.

Owner: Frederic Boyer

Permit Description: Partial demolition to accommodate third floor additions and a side addition.

Address: 4323 N. Paulina St., Ravenswood

#100941425

Date Received: 09/29/2021

Ward: 47th Ward Ald. Matt Martin

Applicant: American Demolition Corporation

Owner: GXSR, LLC C/O Josephine Cronnolly and Thomas Taylor, Managers

Permit Description: Demolition of a two-story, frame, single-family residential building.

Status: Under Review

Address: Commonwealth Edison Substation, by Hermann von Holst, 747-751 W. 82nd St., Auburn Gresham

#100937610

Date Received: 08/31/2021

Ward: 21st Ward Ald. Howard B. Brookins Jr.

Applicant: Alpine Demolition Services, LLC

Owner: Commonwealth Edison Company C/O Leon Guaquil

Permit Description: Demolition of a 1-story, masonry substation building Fieldhouse for the

Address: Salerno Cookie Factory, 4450 and 4500 W. Division St., Humboldt Park

#100930920

Date Received: 07/15/2021

Ward: 37th Ward Ald. Emma Mitts

Applicant: American Demolition Corporation

Owner: Amazon.com Services LLC

Permit Description: Demolition of buildings.

"An Art Deco-era factory that has long anchored a stretch of Division Street in Humboldt Park is currently being demolished. According to preservationists, the building that spans from 4422 to 4500 West Division Street was listed on the city's 90 day demolition delay list, but was released before that period had been reached.

"The sprawling factory was once home to the Salerno Butter Cookie company, and similar to the old Wrigley Gum Factory and the Brach Candy Factory which have also been demolished in the last couple of years, helped make Chicago the 'Candy Capital of the World.' In a joint statement, Preservation Chicago's Ward Miller and Andrew Schneider reveal that preservationists were not made aware of the situation until it was too late.

"'The former Salerno Cookie Factory, home of that familiar and delicious butter cookie, at 4500 W. Division, an orange-rated building, has apparently been cleared for demolition, despite the fact that it is a rare example of famed architect Harold Zook in an industrial context,' Miller and Schneider state.

"'The building appeared on the city's mandatory demolition delay hold list, that typically requires buildings of significant architectural merit to be held for 90 days. That doesn't appear to have happened in this case. The application to demolish the building was received by the city on June 29 and was released little more than one week later, on July 8, 2015.'

"In addition, Miller says that there has been no word on why the city did not allow the full demolition delay hold to complete its cycle.

"The building is certainly a unique example of Chicago's history of a confection capital but also of striking Art Deco design of Harold Zook. After the Salerno company left the factory behind, the building was home to a graphic imaging company and then later a small parts supplier. While demolition has started on the factory, Miller hopes that the main entrance will be preserved and readapted." (LaTrace, Curbed Chicago, 7/24/15)

Address: 1851 and 1853 N. Leavitt Street, Bucktown

#100913335 and #100929919

Date Received: 07/13/2021

Ward: 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack

Applicant: Evergreen Solution USA Inc.

Owner: 1853-51 N. Leavitt LLC

Permit Description: Wreck and remove a 2-story masonry multi-unit residence.

Address: 940 W. Cuyler Avenue, Buena Park

#100926339

Date Received: 06/10/2021

Ward: 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman

Applicant: Taylor Excavating & Construction, Inc.

Owner: 940 West Cuyler, LLC C/O Josephine Cronnolly

Permit Description: Demolition of a 2-story, 4-unit masonry residence and detached garage.

“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.

5230 S. Sangamon Street, Garfield Park. Demolished October 2021. Photo Credit: Google Maps

as part of the Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright from Wrightwood 659.

Watch a rare one-on-one interview with architect, John Vinci produced and pre-recorded with Spirt of Space. This feature reflects on legendary adventures in salvaging with architectural photographer Richard Nickel, and how their efforts to preserve the Garrick Theater and Chicago Stock Exchange redefined the preservation movement and set the course for Vinci’s life’s work.

"Blue legend Muddy Waters bought his first home on Chicago’s South Side in 1954 and turned it into a rehearsal space for fellow musicians like Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy and Howlin’ Wolf. Now, his family plans to convert the building at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave. into a museum in his honor.

"Reset talks to Muddy’s great granddaughter, Chandra Cooper, about her family’s legacy and the push for landmark status.

"GUEST: Chandra Cooper, Muddy Waters’ granddaughter and MOJO Museum president" (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 10/21/21)

We're thrilled that the long-endangered Muddy Waters home finally has the protection and recognition that it deserves. Bravo to Chandra Cooper for her dedication in face of adversity and her fierce love for this important element of Chicago's cultural heritage. Chicago collectively owes you a debt of gratitude for your efforts. We will continue to support this effort until the MOJO Museum celebrates its grand opening.

Preservation Chicago has worked very closely with neighborhood preservation partners and has played a strong role in supporting the effort to protect and landmark the Muddy Waters home. Additionally, our petition with nearly 33 thousand signatures and other efforts played a decisive role in blocking the proposed House Museum Ban ordinance that would have been devastating for emerging house museums like the Muddy Waters home, and scores of arts and cultural centers across Chicago. We continue to advocate for a Chicago Jazz, Blues, and Gospel Thematic Landmark District that would recognize and protect the places and spaces where Chicago musicians made history.

"As a child growing up in Hyde Park, Rivka Hozinsky watched people coming and going from the [St. Stephens ] Tenth Church of Christ, Scientist a building that commanded attention among a block of historical houses and one-flats. But today, the sanctuary sits empty and crumbling. So Hozinsky asked RESET: 'What’s the story of the long-abandoned church at East 57th Street and Blackstone Avenue?'

"Built in 1917 (some sources say 1915) for the Christian Science denomination, the church has a classical revival entry. Tall stone columns support a hefty, carved crown, and two monumental walls curve out on both sides like a pair of unfurled scrolls. Beginning in the 1960s, it housed the St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ. But since 1997, the building has sat empty, as multiple owners have struggled to redevelop the structure.

"The building has been owned by Zhendong 'John' Liu since 2015, who would not offer WBEZ free access inside. However, over the years other explorers have gotten in, including prominent architecture writer Lee Bey and photographer Eric Holubow.

"Bey’s pictures show a colossal dome with a glass central aperture to let the sun into the grand space it hangs over. In Holubow’s photos, taken in 2009, you can see the ravages of time: Crumbling plaster lie all over the bare floor, graffiti is on the walls and big scars mark places where ornamental pieces were torn off.

"The church, designed by Coolidge and Hodgdon, was meant to be an idealized, classically-inspired space — more like a stately Roman temple than a traditional Christian sanctuary. The design was largely inspired by Chicago architect Spencer Solon Beman, who famously planned the town (today the neighborhood) of Pullman and has been called the 'chief theorist of Christian Science architecture.'

"Liu, the developer who bought the Hyde Park church, hopes to fill its cavernous, domed interior with condominiums. He paid $650,000 nearly six years after the previous developer-owner, Konstantinos Antoniou, lost the building in foreclosure. But his plan has stalled for years, in part because of a long-running conflict with neighbors, city officials and preservationists over what can or should be saved.

"There’s another factor that may be slowing Liu’s attempt to revitalize the church: He is also in the midst of redeveloping a different historical church, the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist in Kenwood. Built in 1914 and also designed by Beman, the building has been vacant since 2003. Like its peer on Blackstone, the church has seen a couple of development plans fail. Liu bought the Kenwood church for $650,000 in 2014. An extensive rebuild retained the façade and some interior spaces. The 13 townhouses created first went up for sale in July 2019, with asking prices starting at $1.17 million. More than two years later, real estate and Cook County records indicate none of the units have sold. (Rodkin, WBEZ Chicago, 10/16/21)

"While Chicago was on COVID-19 lockdown, the Standard Club folded without the sendoff due a bastion of high society. There was neither a black-tie banquet nor a final masked ball at the exclusive 151-year-old club. A band didn’t play 'Auld Lang Syne' on May 1, 2020.

"Yet chapters in Chicago history were written in its 10-story quarters at 320 S. Plymouth Court. It hosted a 54th birthday party for Albert Einstein and kept the University of Chicago from being stillborn.

"At the age of 80, Jack Arvey explained the evolution of the Standard Club’s mores to another Tribune reporter. Arvey was the co-founder of the fabled Chicago machine, and the two were seated in the dining room of a club once off-limits to Polish Jews, like himself. 'It used to be that if you weren’t a German Jew — if you were an Eastern European Jew — you couldn’t get into the Standard Club,” he said. 'Even if you had $10 million, you couldn’t.'

"Chicago had two Jewish communities whose origins differed as day does from night. Polish Jews were sweatshop workers. Standard Club members were captains of industry, like Julius Rosenwald of Sears Roebuck & Co. and Joseph Schaffner of Hart, Schaffner and Marx, the clothing manufacturers.

"...the University of Chicago. Its founder, John D. Rockefeller, insisted that supplementary funds be raised locally. The deadline was about to expire when an urgent meeting was called at the Standard Club.

"'When hope was almost abandoned, Jews of Chicago made possible the success of the project,' President William Rainey Harper told the university’s senior class in 1904. 'Members of the Standard Club, composed of prominent Jews, came to our aid with a contribution of $50,000.'

"One episode in the club’s long run shouldn’t be forgotten.

"On Dec. 7, 1921, Jacob Loeb, its president, sponsored a fundraiser for the destitute Jews of European villages pillaged during World War I. As guests arrived, they found elegant place settings awaiting them. After a fine dinner, there’d be a call for pledges of financial support. Instead, waiters moved through the ballroom, collecting the plates and silverware. Loeb explained what was going on.

"'For so many to dine in this place would be an expenditure of thirty-five hundred dollars, which would be an unwanted extravagance, and in the face of starving Europe, a wasteful crime,' Loeb said. 'So that this money might be saved for them, you are brought here for this foodless banquet.'

In honor of those who went home hungry that others might eat, indulge me in saying a prayer that my grandparents said upon hearing of a death: 'May the Standard Club’s memory be for a blessing.'" (Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 10/14/21)

"The Old Post Office sat vacant for two decades, but in the largest historical redevelopment in the nation, the building, erected in 1921 and spanning three city blocks, is now a thriving work hub.

"Nearly $1 billion has been spent restoring, replacing, replicating and cleaning significant architectural features and readying the 2.8 million-square-foot limestone structure to accept new tenants.

"The unprecedented overhaul was spearheaded by developer 601W Cos. in conjunction with design giant Gensler and general contractor Bear Construction, along with historical consultants, preservation experts and civil engineers.

"Since November 2019, companies such as Cisco Systems, CoinFlip, PepsiCo, Home Chef and Walgreens have taken up office and retail space in the iconic building. It is more than 90% leased, according to Jamey Dix, principal of leasing firm the Telos Group.

"Ferrara Candy was one of the earliest tenants to plant headquarters in November 2019. “It is obviously a very attractive place to bring prospective employees,” said Abbye Lakin, senior manager, corporate affairs, at Ferrara. “When we announced our move to the Post Office, we saw an increase in applications across the board.” The firm intentionally kept some of the historical features in their space, such as original scales and a package mail chute, while incorporating one of its iconic copper drums used to pan candy into the design.

"Cboe Global Markets was another early tenant. Its headquarters spreads across two adjacent structures with sculptural staircases connecting the spaces and invigorating movement throughout. At each staircase, massive, two-story murals attract attention, while rolling tickers create a sense of buzz. Cboe proudly displays its history with signature pieces, including historic trading jackets and cables symbolizing the technology and energy that fuel options trading. “The dynamic space inspires us all to be more creative, collaborative and innovative in everything we do,” said Marc Magrini, vice president, administration.

"For all occupants, amenities such as a concierge, 3½-acre rooftop park, rooftop bars, a stunning tenant lounge, expansive fitness center and event space were huge draws.

"'Tenants in the Old Post Office enjoy some of the best amenities of any office building in Chicago,' said Dix. 'Paired with the location, historic redevelopment and impressive tenant roster, these are some of the best things about the Old Post Office.' (Naumovski, Crain's Chicago Business, 10/14/21)

"After paying $240 million for Chicago's famous Tribune Tower in 2016, co-developers CIM Group and Golub & Company are finally ready to take the wraps off their multiyear conversion of the landmark 1925 neo-Gothic skyscraper into luxury condominiums. Urbanize Chicago was invited for a sneak peek of the renovation project, overseen by architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz.

"The tour began in the development's more contemporary lobby off of Illinois Street. This area led to a bank of elevators for the northern wing of the Tribune complex (the former WGN TV building), which has received a four-story vertical addition to house more condos. From there, a longer-than-expected hallway lined with art zig-zagged southwest to the tower's historic Michigan Avenue lobby.

"Home to the 'Hall of Inscriptions' featuring quotes about the press from Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, and others, this lobby is mostly untouched since it was the only interior portion of the building included in the property's landmark designation. The only noticeable changes are some new lounge furniture and more art. According to the development team, the entire project contains $1 million worth of custom commissioned artwork.

"Next, we headed to the third-floor amenity level. Here, the so-called 'great room' includes a large kitchen for entertaining and multiple seating areas that can be used to socialize or work. One such nook, dubbed 'McCormick's study,' has the original fireplace salvaged from the 24th-floor office of former Chicago Trib owner Col. Robert McCormick.

"The next stop was the tower's striking 25th-floor amenity level which is home to a curving terrace that wraps nearly 360 degrees around the building's crown. The space offers outdoor seating, grilling stations, an herb garden, and impressive views of the city and lake between the tower's Gothic flying buttresses. The interior of the 25th floor includes additional lounge seating, a full catering kitchen, and a place to eat if your picnic on the terrace suddenly gets rained out.

"The amenities keep going on the seventh floor, where residents can enjoy a south-facing sun deck behind the iconic 'Chicago Tribune' sign and more outdoor grilling stations. This space overlooks Pioneer Court, which is in the midst of its own makeover as part of the Tribune Tower redevelopment. The seventh floor's 75-foot indoor lap pool was still under construction during our walk-through, so snapping photos was off-limits. We also swung by the second-floor fitness center, spa, locker rooms, golf simulator, and indoor putting green.

"Construction work is ongoing at the tower's base, which will reopen as new retail space. CIM and Golub have already secured a long-term commitment from the Museum of Ice Cream to occupy 13,000 square feet in the tower. Crews are also putting the finishing touches on renovations to Nathan Hale Court along Michigan Avenue. The famous bronze statue of Nathan Hale will be making a return to his namesake courtyard, but poor Mr. Hale is currently entombed in a wooden box marked 'top-heavy.'" (Koziarz, Urbanize Chicago, 10/15/21)

"Today, New York City is seen as the backdrop of Spike Lee’s most famous films, Atlanta is known for Tyler Perry Studios, and Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY is based in Los Angeles. But it was on Chicago’s South Side where the start of Black cinema took root.

"Even before the first wave of the Great Migration in the 1910s, Chicago’s Black population had already been steadily rising. And like with other industries, Black Chicagoans found their way into film.

"During the early 1900s, as silent film production was growing, Black film companies lined State Street in what would eventually be considered Bronzeville — the first of which was Foster Photoplay Company, owned by William Foster. Foster Photoplay is considered to be the first Black-owned film production company in the U.S. that featured an all-Black cast.

"But unfortunately, Foster’s films and those of most of his contemporaries have been lost. (Although the exact number of how many silent films have been lost is unknown, it’s estimated that only about 25% of all feature-length silent films made in the U.S. have survived. But for “race films” — those created for Black audiences — around 80% have been lost and it’s likely that number could be even higher.)

"'Black history is so many times lost, forgotten, thrown away,' said Sergio Mims, a film critic and co-founder of the Black Harvest Film Festival. '[Black silent films were] not preserved, and so, no, we don’t know a lot about William Foster or the other filmmakers.'

"But William Foster was a writer, using the pen name Juli Jones, and so even without his films, his writing and the work of the filmmakers he influenced helps unwrap the origins of Black cinema in Chicago — and the legacy it leaves behind.

"In 1913, Black Chicagoans would have lined up early to get a good seat at the Pekin Theatre. Located on 27th and State Street, it was Chicago’s first Black-owned theater and large enough to hold up to 1,200 people.

"Pekin was a popular attraction because Black audiences could watch Black talent perform musicals and comedies, especially Vaudeville — a popular type of comedy that was similar to a variety show. Pekin is thought to be the country’s first Black-owned theater to have a stock company, a troupe of actors that perform regularly.

"But on this particular day, the audience wasn’t there to see a live performance. They’d come to see Foster’s first silent film, The Railroad Porter. A short comedy, the film tells the story of a Pullman porter whose wife is being wooed by a cafe waiter and is credited as being the world’s first film with an entirely Black cast and director. Music accompanied the film as it was projected on the screen, and one of the stars of the movie, Lottie Grady, sang live between reels. (Nettles, WBEZ Chicago, 10/21/20)

"Two lost works by architects Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright share the spotlight in a new, dual exhibition at Wrightwood 659. We speak with the city’s cultural historian and a noted artist who were part of a team exploring a long-lost theater and more.

"Marc Vitali: Salvaged ornaments, documentary photos and immersive digital animations bring to life the Garrick Theater, a lost masterpiece of Chicago architecture.

"The Garrick opened as the Schiller Theater Building in 1892, one year before the Chicago World’s Fair. The early skyscraper at 64 W. Randolph St. was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler.

"Tim Samuelson, cultural historian and curator: In creating the show, certainly there’s going to be interest from people really into architecture and history, but we wanted to tell more of a broad story. It’s almost like the building is a living thing.

"Chris Ware, artist and designer: This entire show is an attempt to recreate a feeling of a building in the same way you get a feeling from a person, and to realize what’s really lost when that person or that building is gone.

"Samuelson: To say a building is a living thing is not really off base because part of what Sullivan tried to create were buildings that were an extension of nature. Beauty that will hit you in the heart and in the head.

"Vitali: Before the Garrick closed in 1960, Samuelson visited the theater when he was 8 years old.

"Samuelson: I was interested in these buildings when I was just a little kid, and I remember to this day walking into that auditorium and into this wonderful almost narrow space and it rose up and it arched to the center, and I was mesmerized. When the lights went down you could look around and see these spaces unfolding everywhere. And that stuck with me to this day.

"Ware: Recent neurological research shows that we have mapping neurons that create electrical impulses and shapes of buildings within our minds. As we get to know a building, we actually have little tiny models of buildings and spaces that we frequent in our brains and they affect our memories and our experiences of the world. So I tried to put a little bit of that into the show, if that doesn’t sound completely insane.

"Vitali: The building fragments come from salvage efforts of the late photographer and preservationist Richard Nickel. Nickel famously and tragically died in 1972 when a portion of the old Chicago Stock Exchange collapsed on him.

"Samuelson: Of the original objects in this exhibit, every one of them came from Richard Nickel himself or was part of the salvage effort, which he led with John Vinci and David Norris. These were the team that was actually chipping these things out of the building. Most of the pieces that we have here that are original came from something that Richard Nickel had. In fact, Nickel, when he was alive, he realized my interest in architecture and these buildings and he gave me many of them.

"Samuelson: What you have here is the story of two buildings, and they both share being created by architects who are passionate about creating buildings, buildings that were of beauty and utility, and ones that would impact you in the heart, just like you’d experience something in nature.

More on this story:

"The Garrick Theater was demolished for a parking garage. The Larkin building was razed for a truck stop that was never built." (WTTW Chicago, Vitali, 9/29/21)

Schiller Building / Garrick Theater, 1890-1892, Adler and Sullivan, 64 W. Randolph St. Demolished 1961. Photo credit: Richard Nickel / Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection

Schiller Building / Garrick Theater, 1890-1892, Adler and Sullivan, 64 W. Randolph St. Demolished 1961. Photo credit: Richard Nickel / Ryerson & Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection

"Why are buildings designed by architects Louis H. Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright so haunting, especially those that have been destroyed? More than simply creating a physical structure, both architects had rare gifts for engaging the human senses and emotions through the power of space, color, light, and motion – all qualities that can never quite be conveyed by photography or drawings. Their buildings demanded to be experienced.

"This exhibition attempts to conjure the essence of two long-gone masterpieces. Louis Sullivan’s Garrick Theatre Building in Chicago stood for only sixty-nine years and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Building in Buffalo lasted only forty-four years, and yet, these buildings continue to resonate, far outlasting their physical presence.

"Reconstructing the Garrick: Adler & Sullivan’s Lost Masterpiece, Curated by John Vinci with Tim Samuelson, Chris Ware,

"Reimagining the Larkin: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Icon, Curated by Jonathan D. Katz

"Learning from Lake Shore Drive by Julia Bachrach, a Newberry Adult Education Seminars Program

"North Lake Shore Drive has a fascinating history. Conceived as a pleasure drive at the Lake Michigan edge of Lincoln Park, the Drive was built in stages between the 1870s and late 1950s. As the lakefront boulevard was extended to the north and south, it attracted the development of nearby residences in the adjacent Near North, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, and Edgewater communities.

"Today, ambitious improvements for the historic roadway are being planned through an initiative called Redefine the Drive. As part of the environmental review processes for this project, Julia Bachrach headed a team of historians that produced a Historic Properties Identification Report. Their work involved conducting intensive research on Lincoln Park, Lake Shore Drive, and hundreds of buildings along the NLSD corridor. In this seminar, Bachrach will share her findings about the architecture, structures, landscapes, and social history of Lincoln Park and the adjacent neighborhoods.

"A consulting historic preservation planner, Julia Bachrach previously served as the Chicago Park District’s historian. Her books include The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago’s Parks. She served as lead author of the Historic Properties Identification Report for North Lake Shore Drive.

"Learning from Lake Shore Drive

Led by Julia Bachrach

The Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program

Three Virtual Sessions. Wednesdays, December 1, December 8, and December 15

6pm-7:30pm

Registration – $125

"The Available City at Central Park Theater by Chicago Architecture Biennial

Exhibit Runs September 17 to December 18, 2021

Monday- Friday, 11am-2pm

Central Park Theater, 3535 W Roosevelt Road, North Lawndale

Project by Manuel Herz Architects and the Central Park Theater Restoration Committee

Mural byThomas Melvin Painting Studio

"The Central Park Theater was one of the most important social and cultural hubs of Chicago: The place where Benny Goodman played his first concerts in the 1920s, and where gospel and blues musicians invented new styles in the 1950s and 60s. One of the most historically significant movie palaces in the United States, the theater is one of the first of its kind and became a model for buildings of its type which followed. In 1971, it became home to the House of Prayer Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Pastor Lincoln Scott and his successor, Pastor Robert Marshal.

"Since 2019, a committee—The Central Park Restoration Committee—of interdisciplinary partners has joined in collaboration with the Church to plan for a sustainable restoration and redevelopment of the theater to serve the North Lawndale community. Currently, a planning process is underway to seek funds to address deferred maintenance and restoration priorities, while continuing ongoing community engagement.

"Members from various local organizations—House of Prayer Church of God in Christ, Jewish Community Relations Council of Chicago, North Lawndale Historical & Cultural Society, Preservation Chicago, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Future Firm—are part of this committee, and were involved in both the design of the Biennial project and programming into the future.

For more information visit Chicago Architecture Biennial

"Welcome to the Pritzker Military Museum & Library’s newest exhibition, Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin & The Art of War, a retrospective of the provocative work by two-time Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin about our nation’s time of war, civil rights, and social justice.

"Explore Mauldin’s largest collection featuring 150 framed drawings and published cartoons, as well as personal material from his exceptional career including his Pulitzer Prize awards, fan letters, and Purple Heart medal. #WhoIsBillMauldin

"Learn more and purchase your exhibit tickets ahead of time here:"

Louis Sullivan’s Idea by Tim Samuelson. Rachel Freundt @chi_geek on twitter

"The story of Louis H. Sullivan is considered one of the great American tragedies. While Sullivan reshaped architectural thought and practice and contributed significantly to the foundations of modern architecture, he suffered a sad and lonely death. Many have since missed his aim: that of bringing buildings to life. What mattered most to Sullivan were not the buildings but the philosophy behind their creation. Once, he unconcernedly stated that if he lived long enough, he would get to see all of his works destroyed. He added: “Only the idea is the important thing.”

"In Louis Sullivan’s Idea, Chicago architectural historian Tim Samuelson and artist/writer Chris Ware present Sullivan’s commitment to his discipline of thought as the guiding force behind his work, and this collection of photographs, original documentation, and drawings all date from the period of Sullivan's life, 1856–1924, that many rarely or have never seen before. The book includes a full-size foldout facsimile reproduction of Louis Sullivan’s last architectural commission and the only surviving working drawing done in his own hand."

384 pages, 300 color plates

$45.00 cloth/jacket

'Modern in the Middle; Chicago Houses 1929-75, by Susan Benjamin and Michelangelo Sabatino with foreword by Pauline Saliga. Image Credit: Modern in the Middle

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.

"Modern in the Middle: Chicago Houses 1929–75, a book co-authored by Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture Professor and Ph.D. Program Director Michelangelo Sabatino and preservationist Susan S. Benjamin, has received a prestigious Docomomo Modernism in America Award. The award program, now in its eighth year, recognizes and celebrates work that documents, preserves, or reuses Modernist architecture in the United States.

"The book presents 50 Modernist houses in the greater Chicago area including examples by Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Stanley Tigerman, John Moutoussamy, A. James Speyer, Edmond Zisook, and John Vinci, several of whom were Illinois Tech graduates. The book’s detailed histories include information about the clients in order to show how modern social aspirations transformed the residential realm. Modern in the MIddle also examines how Chicago’s modern homes played a role in the development of the single-family home across the U.S., while helping to establish a unique Midwestern Modern design language.

"'The histories of Chicago’s built environment that focus on the accomplishments of only a handful of architects inevitably overlook the vital contribution made by a host of architects, and their clients, in shaping the city’s distinctive residential architecture,” says Sabatino.

"The jury, chaired by Marcel Quimby, principal of Quimby Preservation Studio, bestowed Modern in the Middle with an Award of Excellence, citing the variety of subjects within the publication and calling it 'a dynamic and engaging book that is a useful resource for the public.'

"'The brilliant thing about Modern in the Middle is that it focuses not just on the architects and their buildings, it also focuses on the clients, the real-life women and men who took a chance and commissioned these buildings,' says Pauline Saliga, executive director of the Society of Architectural Historians and the author of the book’s foreword. 'Because of that more personal focus, the public can better relate to these remarkable homes, and better understand how cutting edge these designs were. These were the teams—clients and architects—who helped shape the Midwest’s own unique brand of Modern residential architecture.'

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

"Nothing epitomized the glamour and excitement of Chicago’s jazz age and war years like the fabled Edgewater Beach Hotel. Much more than a hotel, the Edgewater Beach was a world unto itself—the only urban resort of its kind in the nation. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s North Side, it offered swimming, golf, tennis, dancing, theater, fine dining, exclusive shopping, fabulous floor shows, unique watering holes, and, of course, some of the best jazz and swing music of its era. It even had its own pioneering radio station, which broadcasted across the nation and burnished its fame. Many of the legends of the big band era played its stages, and many of Hollywood’s leading stars crossed its footlights. It was a stomping ground for both the rich and famous as well as ordinary people who wanted a small taste of the high life. The Edgewater Beach Hotel was world renowned. But the social upheaval of the 1960s, the ascendance of automobile culture, and rapid urban change led to its demise." (ArcadiaPublishing.com)

"Fifty years ago, the last remnants of Edgewater’s most famous building came down, ending an era for one of the most storied hotels in Chicago history. Now, the Edgewater Beach Hotel is being remembered in the first book on the subject, written by two neighborhood historians.

"'Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel' was published this year under Arcadia Publishing’s popular 'Images of America' series. It was written by Kathryn Gemperle and John Holden, members of the Edgewater Historical Society.

"The Edgewater Beach Hotel opened in 1916 in the 5300 block of North Sheridan Road. It quickly became the crown jewel of Edgewater, which was known for its wealthy residents and leafy mansions. With its own beach, the hotel quickly became a destination for well-heeled Chicagoans and dignitaries of the day, including Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby and Marilyn Monroe.

"'The hotel was that rarest of birds, perhaps without equal anywhere in the world: a full-service beachfront resort hotel located in the heart of one of the world’s great cities,' Holden and Gemperle write in the book. 'To find its rivals in the mid-20th century, one would have had to travel outside the Midwest to Atlantic City, Palm Beach, or the islands of California.'

"Aside from its lavish amenities, the hotel was the first home of WGN, which placed its broadcast antennas atop the hotel. The hotel also helped popularize jazz and big band music in the 1920s, with radio broadcasts beaming live performances from the hotel.

"The Edgewater Beach Hotel played a pivotal role in the founding of the Zenith Radio Company. It is also considered to have built the world’s first indoor parking garage.

"In 1947, the city approved a plan to extend DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Foster Avenue to Hollywood Avenue, cutting off the hotel from its private lakefront.

"The Edgewater Beach Hotel closed in 1967 and was demolished in 1971. All that remains is the Edgewater Beach Apartments, the historic building at 5550 N. Sheridan Road built in 1928 as a companion to the hotel.

"Despite its demise, the Edgewater Beach Hotel retains a special place in the memory of longtime Edgewater residents, Gemperle said. The authors hope the new book will help preserve the hotel’s legacy for future generations of Chicagoans.

"'The community of Edgewater has a nostalgia for the hotel, especially after it was torn down,' Gemperle said. 'It really was a big deal.' (Ward, Block Club Chicago, 8/5/21)