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Preservation Chicago 2017 Chicago 7 Most Endangered Buildings Announcement: March 1st
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| 63rd and Ashland, Photo Credit by Eric Rogers |
Preservation Chicago will announce its "Chicago 7 Most Endangered Buildings List" for 2017 at Noon, on March 1, 2017 in the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Lecture Hall, located off the lobby of the Railway Exchange Building, 224 S. Michigan Avenue. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend!
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Landmark Lincoln Park Community Group Advocates for Landmark District to Protect Endangered Lincoln Park Historic Buildings
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| Old Belden Hotel, Photo Credit by Eric Rogers |
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LandmarkLincolnPark.org" is a neighborhood initiative from a group of residents based near Lincoln Park West and Fullerton, which has launched a new website and is advocating to designate a new Lincoln Park Landmark District.
"The demolition threat is real for many of the stately residences along Lincoln Park West and Fullerton Parkway which form an elegant and welcoming backdrop to Chicago's Lincoln Park and its most popular cultural and recreational amenities, such as Lincoln Park Zoo, the Conservatory, and North Pond.
These historic buildings, along with their neighbors along Belden and Commonwealth Avenues, are essential to Lincoln Park's distinct feeling and sense of place. Built between 1907 and 1924 for some of Chicago's most influential citizens and designed by several of Chicago's most celebrated architects, this lovingly preserved district showcases the finest in the City's residential design of the early 20th century. It is a treasure for its residents, for Chicago as a whole, and for everyone who visits Lincoln Park's attractions." Adapted from LandmarkLincolnPark.org.
To protect this district's beauty and distinguished architectural history, and in addition to preserving the Lincoln Park streetscape and gateway to the community beyond, LandmarkLincolnPark.org requests the City of Chicago to grant this district Landmark status. Preservation Chicago fully supports this community-based effort and goal.
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Serbian American Club Resubmits Demolition Permit, Preservation Chicago Calls for Lake View Landmark District
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| Serbian American Museum (D.O. Hill House) 448 W. Barry Ave, Photo Credit by Ward Miller |
A rapid response preservation effort in late 2016 resulted in the Serbian American Club/St Sava withdrawing its demolition permit application. However, the Club recently reapplied for a new demolition permit.
The historic building at 448 W. Barry is in excellent condition and is in a highly desirable neighborhood. The rationale for demolition would be to sell vacant land to a developer to maximize sales price, so that the Club could move to a "location that is close to an expressway and has ample parking." From Chicago Tribune, 7/7/16.
Preservation Chicago, the Serbian-American community, Club members, and Lake View residents are preparing a renewed effort to prevent the demolition of the Serbian American Museum & Club/St Sava.
Preservation Chicago urges the Landmarks Commission, 44th Ward Alderman Tunney, Serbian American, and Lake View neighborhood organizations and Lake View neighbors to continue to advocate for protection for this important historic landmark.
The best way to ensure long-term protection for the highly-significant, orange-rated building is a historic landmark designation. Preservation Chicago fully supports a Chicago Landmark Designation and also to potentially explore a larger landmark district of historic houses in the vicinity.
The Serbian American Museum & Club/St Sava has operated since 1952 from the historic 11,400 square foot mansion in Lake View East. This extraordinary Prairie Style home, originally the D.O. Hill House at 448 W. Barry Ave was designed in 1902 by Frederick W. Perkins, better known for his work for Chicago's elite including the Armour family and the John G. Shedd family. Its graceful proportions, broad porch, intricate classical ornament, unique and highly-ornamented arched third floor dormer and fine detailing with Roman brick make it a natural candidate for consideration as a Designated Chicago Landmark. Additionally, this architecturally outstanding building has served an important cultural resource for the Chicago Serbian American community for over 60 years.
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Old Town Triangle Alarmed by Continued Loss of Historic Homes to Demolition
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| 321 West Evergreen Ave. under demolition. Photo Credit by Gabriel X. Michael/Chicago Patterns |
Growing redevelopment pressure in Old Town Triangle Landmark District has increased the targeting of historic workers cottages, orange-rated buildings, balloon-frame homes, and even mid-century modern homes as potential tear-downs.
Preservation Chicago and neighborhood preservation partner Old Town Triangle Association have found themselves testifying on behalf of multiple homes at many Landmark Commission meetings. This preservation effort has resulted in some preservation saves such as the prototypical workers cottage at 1639 N. North Park Ave. However, demolition for other homes, such as the mid-century modern 1638 N. Sedgwick Ave, have been approved for demolition, as this building was built outside of the 1872 to 1929 period of significance.
There was a silver lining to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks decision to approve the demolition permit for 1638 N. Sedgwick Ave, described by Old Town Triangle Association as "visionary and forward-thinking." This '60s brick, mid-century modern home with a distinctive curved front designed by architect Edward Marks clearly falls outside of the period of significance of the early workers cottages and homes. However, the effort to save Sedgwick will likely serve as the catalyst to save other mid-century modern buildings.
Preservation Chicago believes that a new Context Statement for the Old Town Landmark District would be an important tool to protect architecturally important homes of the mid-century modern period within the neighborhood by such architects as Bruce Graham, Walter Netsch, and Harry Weese currently beyond the period of significance. In addition, buildings from the 1930's from notable architects such as Edgar Miller and Sal Kogan should also be considered for inclusion in the Context Statement. Additionally, this would provide guidance to prospective residential developers to focus their interest and efforts on non-contributing buildings whose redevelopment would prove widely supporting and benefit to the community and to steer clear of historic and contributing buildings.
Ward Miller explained to DNAinfo that "The Landmarks Commission did recognize that there are buildings of the modern movement that are important. Chairman Rafael Leon requested a Context Statement be drafted by staff that would offer some protection to mid-century modern buildings short of them being landmarked." Preservation Chicago anticipates contributing to the preparation of this report.
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Celebrating Uptown Square Landmark District's City Council Approval!
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| Uptown National Bank, Photo Credit by Eric Rogers |
After a multi-year effort, preservation partners celebrated the final approval by City Council of the Uptown Square Landmark District. This district provides protection to 57 properties within the Uptown Entertainment District, located along the commercial corridors of Lawrence, Broadway, and Racine. Landmark buildings now protected include the Uptown Theater, Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, Essanay Studios, Green Mill, Wilson Avenue "L" Station, Lawrence Hotel, People's Church/Preston Bradley Center, and many of the beautiful historic commercial retail buildings, hotels and office buildings that make Uptown such an extraordinary neighborhood. The Landmark District also provides important economic incentives to help stimulate increased historically-sensitive investment and renovation.
In additional to strong advocacy for the Landmark District, Preservation Chicago pushed the proposal further by asking for the designation to extend beyond the façades and to include protections for the many wonderful interior lobbies and other notable spaces of the Riviera, Aragon and Uptown, the Uptown National Bank Building, and the WPA-Works Progress Administration murals in the Post Office.
Preservation Chicago wishes to commend 46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman for his strong support for Uptown's historic buildings and in his efforts to make this long-envisioned Landmark District a reality. We wish to thank City of Chicago DPD Landmarks staff for their commitment to bringing this District to fruition. We also want to recognize the Uptown organizations and community members for their ongoing support through this long process.
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"McCormickville" Landmark District Needed to Save Threatened Gold Coast Buildings
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| 42, 44 & 46 East Superior, Photo Credit by Ward Miller |
Preservation Chicago has been very concerned over the increasing frequency and recent losses of low-rise historic Near North Side buildings, in and around an area established by Cyrus McCormick's family and once known as "McCormickville". As development pressure grows and as surface parking lots are decreasing in number, developers are actively targeting clusters of intact, low-rise, historic buildings as development sites. Numerous historic buildings and historic clusters have been demolished recently, and a cluster of East Superior Street 1870's and 1880's Italianate and Victorian Row Houses is actively threatened with demolition.
Preservation Chicago is also concerned about the displacement and loss of small, locally-owned restaurants and retail Legacy Businesses that employ Chicagoans and contribute to the vibrancy of our neighborhoods. A new "McCormickville" Landmark District would be a powerful tool to protect this neighborhood's historic building fabric and strengthen the vibrancy of the community.
Preservation Chicago strongly opposes the demolition of the three orange rated row-houses at 42, 44 and 46 E Superior dating from the 1870's and 1880's. The status of the adjacent seven-story Art Deco limestone building and the historic four-story red brick Giordano's building at 730 N. Rush Street, identified as significant in the Illinois Historic Structures Survey, are unknown at this time, but are also potentially threatened by the same proposed hotel development.
Preservation Chicago discovered this remerged threat in fall 2016, broke the story to the media, and began to deploy its rapid response advocacy to prevent the demolition. A Chinese investor based in New York reportedly assembled much, if not all, of the block with the intention of clearing all the buildings and building a high-rise hotel. Some business owners have been warned of a possible redevelopment and are preparing for a 60 day notice to vacate. These orange-rated buildings would trigger the 90 Day Demolition Delay Ordinance.
"To ensure the protection of these buildings, Preservation Chicago is hoping that area residents will help push for the creation of a new landmark district. This is McCormickville. This is where the McCormick family lived before and after the Great Chicago Fire. And with the continued demolition of other shorter, older buildings in the area, that there are only a handful of the original McCormickville buildings left. We need to value every inch of space where there are historic buildings that tell the story of the neighborhood." Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation, Curbed Chicago 12/8/16
Preservation Chicago applauds the Ukrainian Consulate General's Office for recognizing the significance of their historic Victorian building on Huron near State Street, and protecting their building against an adjacent high-rise development.
Suggested Reading
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Building Court Orders Pilgrim Baptist Church to Relocate Scaffolding
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| Pilgrim Baptist Church, Photo Credit Ward Miller |
Ten years after the fire that devastated the highly-significant Adler and Sullivan-designed Pilgrim Baptist Church/KAM Synagogue at 3301 S. Indiana Ave., the limestone and brick walls still stand behind scaffolding. In December, the Building Court ordered that the scaffolding be relocated to the interior of the structure to reopen the public sidewalks and to address the appearance of blight in response to the increasing pressure from the Bronzeville community. Preservation Chicago attended court with the City and community on behalf of the historic structure.
The congregation's efforts to raise funds necessary for rebuilding have been unsuccessful and there has been growing pressure from the neighborhood for forward movement. The trustees explored options to sell the building, but decided that demolition would be a preferable option. Preservation Chicago and neighborhood preservation partners responded rapidly and the immediate threat of demolition seems to have passed. The trustees of Pilgrim Baptist Church presented new plans for a gospel music museum to the court.
Recognizing the significance of the structure by Adler and Sullivan, even in its diminished post-fire condition, Preservation Chicago has been in active communication with the congregation, the church trustees and representatives from the City to encourage a win-win solution. Last year, Preservation Chicago had proposed an adaptive reuse plan where the church would sell the property to the City, who would adapt the existing historic three-story limestone and brick walls into a small outdoor park and amphitheater geared for gospel music and managed by the Chicago Park District.
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IIT Main Building Restoration and Renovation to Begin
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| Illinois Institute of Technology Main Building, Photo Credit by Eric Rogers |
After many years of uncertainty, this spring the Illinois Institute of Technology Main Building will begin a historically-sensitive adaptive reuse. Built in 1893 for the Armour Institute of Technology and designed by Patten and Fisher, this Romanesque Revival building received landmark status in 2004.
By 2014, the building was mostly vacated due to the required significant investment to repair interior and exterior elements. In 2015, it was added to Preservation Chicago's 7 Most Endangered List. IIT issued an RFP for redevelopment proposals which included a high priority on historic preservation. Our Chicago 7 nomination helped to generate wider awareness within the development community regarding the RFP. IIT selected the development team of MCM Company and Washington Park Development Group, and Pappageorge Haymes Partners was selected as lead architect on the project.
The preservation sensitive adaptive reuse plan "will restore this historic Chicago Landmark and convert it to residential apartments."
The renovation "will renovate important architectural features such as the building façade, its roof, and stained glass windows." New amenities will include 102 loft-style apartments, a fitness center, a community room, bicycle storage, and a new rooftop deck.
Preservation Chicago wishes to recognize and applaud the efforts of Illinois Institute of Technology and Bruce Watts as the highly conscientious stewards of their many historic buildings, including early buildings such as the late nineteenth century Main Building, as well as mid-century Mies van der Rohe landmarks such as 1956 Crown Hall.
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Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago's Executive Director is the Featured Speaker at Annual Hyde Park Historical Society Dinner
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| University of Chicago, Photo Credit by Eric Rogers |
Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago's Executive Director, is the featured speaker at the annual Hyde Park Historical Society Dinner, Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 5:30. This event will be held at the Quadrangle Club at the University of Chicago, 1155 East 57th Street. Tickets are $80 prior to February 20.
Proceeds benefit the Hyde Park Historical Society. The presentation is titled "Reflections on Hyde Park: Past, Present & Future."
All are invited and welcome to attend.
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Preservation Chicago is an activist organization that advocates for the preservation of historic architecture, neighborhoods and urban spaces throughout the city of Chicago.
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