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| A Bright Future for
Century and Consumers Buildings
Photo Credit GoogleMaps
Century and Consumers Buildings, Credit Chuckman Collection
Roberto's Art Moderne Storefront, 214 S. State Street, Photo Credit GoogleMaps
UPDATE: After many years of uncertainly and vacancy, the historically-sensitive adaptive reuse of the Century and Consumers Buildings on South State Street is moving forward. CA Ventures' proposal with
Chicago architecture firm Antunovich Associates
was selected by the City of Chicago after an RFP was issued in March. A $141 million renovation is planned for the four building cluster, including two historic towers and two adjacent low-rise buildings. The plan will restore and adaptively reuse the tall terra cotta office buildings as 429 residential apartments and retail along the State Street frontage.
The Marshall & Fox designed building at 212 S. State, which has been drastically altered over time, will be replaced by a 16-story building.
Another, smaller building dating from 1886 and located at 214 S. State Street will have its historic façade restored. The streamlined, high-style Art-Moderne storefront at 214 S. State with its black vitrolite, colored terrazzo, silver banding, and exuberant circular glass window display is highly intact and a rare survivor from State Street's rich history. Preservation Chicago hopes that particular care and sensitivity will be taken to protect and restore this highly significant element.
Additionally, Preservation Chicago hopes that the State Street and Quincy elevations of the Consumers Building will be restored including original rooflines, frieze band, fascia, and cornice, along with the store fronts and lobby.
Preservation Chicago has been concerned about the deferred maintenance and deteriorating condition of these buildings and they twice made the Chicago 7 Most Endangered list, in 2011 and then again in 2013. So Preservation Chicago was delighted by the selection of the CA Ventures. Years before, Ward Miller had toured the site with the selected developer and encouraged him to consider the possibility of an adaptive reuse project, as that same team had recently completed the restoration of the Steiger Building complex by architects Marshall and Fox a half block to the east.
Originally, these proud and elegant buildings were part of a thriving and vibrant State Street Retail District. The 16-story Century Building at 202 S. State Street was designed by Holabird and Roche in 1915. Its strong verticality represented a shift from the Chicago School to a more streamlined composition. Its façade ornament is a rare example of Neo-Manueline, inspired by the historic Portuguese late-gothic style, an exuberant artistic style developed during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521) and included shields with elaborate dragons, botanical motifs, and pinnacles.
The 22-story Consumers Building at 220 S. State Street/1 W. Quincy Court was designed by Jenny, Mundie & Jensen in 1913. Part of the late Chicago School style, also referred to as the Chicago Commercial Style, its clad in white terra cotta with minimal ornamentation. The interiors, however, are highly ornamented including a lobby with terrazzo floors and Italian marble walls and ceiling. Windows on all four sides of the building allow natural light to reach all parts of the floor plates, eliminating the need for an interior light well. There are also elaborate restaurant and retail spaces throughout the first floor and basement concourse level.
In the post 9-11 period, the determination was made by the Federal Government that an enhanced security perimeter was required for Mies van der Rohe's Dirksen Federal Building. In 2005, the General Services Administration (GSA) acquired nearly all of the buildings located on the short block along State, between Adams and Jackson. Per the Crain's Chicago Business reporting at the time, when the GSA couldn't come to terms with the Century Building ownership, they exercised their power of eminent domain.
While the GSA had initially planned a massive office building complex possibly conjoining the taller terra cotta buildings, funding never materialized. The buildings sat vacant and fell into disrepair and the temporary protective canopies became semi-permanent.
On behalf of the GSA, the City of Chicago issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) released for the four adjacent buildings at 202, 212, 214, and 220 S. State Street in March 2017, with hopes that a well-qualified private developer steps forward to adaptively reuse the buildings.
While Mayor Emanuel and Commissioner Ravid Reifman focused upon the positive impact the redevelopment would have on State Street and job creation, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly was clear and direct in his demands for a preservation-oriented redevelopment.
As reported in the Sun-Times, "Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said whenever "landmark-worthy buildings are at risk," his preference is to encourage preservation and adaptive re-use."
"All but one of these buildings are considered to be potentially landmark-worthy and all four of these buildings are definitely at-risk. They have not been well maintained and will require structural work and significant facade restoration," Reilly wrote in an email.
"We have confirmed three of the four buildings included in the South State Street sale . . . are historically significant and I feel strongly that those buildings should be preserved and re-positioned for adaptive re-use," he wrote.
Reilly noted that the fourth building, 212 S. State St., is "considered less significant" than the other three.
"While I would prefer to see that building retained as well, I believe the future owner should be given some flexibility to determine the future viability of that structure," he wrote.
Given the significance of the buildings and their "prominence" on State Street, Reilly urged Reifman to "carefully review" respondents to the RFP and choose the competitor with "extensive experience preserving and re-using historic landmark buildings in downtown Chicago."
(Speilman, 3/21/17)
After many years of advocacy, Preservation Chicago is thrilled that these important historic State Street buildings, located on an important historic commercial/retail thoroughfare, are finally going to be renovated, activated and reused.
Preservation Chicago also wishes to applaud Alderman Reilly for his strong commitment to preservation and for his leadership in helping to bring about preservation sensitive outcomes. The 42nd Ward covers the central business district and includes a high number of important historic buildings. Additionally, development pressure in the Loop is intense. Alderman Reilly is a strong and eloquent champion of both historic preservation and economic development, who recognizes that they are indeed complementary.
Additional Reading
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| Historic Berwyn Ave Greystone
Remains Endangered
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| 1436 W. Berwyn Avenue, Photo Credit by Redfin |
UPDATE: After the revised plans for the redevelopment of 1436 W. Berwyn were released the Andersonville/Edgewater community responded with fierce opposition. 150 residents packed a neighborhood meeting held by 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman. The developer Aidan Dunican of Aidan Development, did not attend the meeting, and was represented by his architect and zoning attorney.
While the outright demolition of the historic Greystone has been possibly prevented, the revised renderings reveal a plan which demolishes nearly everything except the historic façade, and includes the loss of the original staircase entry, the wonderful double-bay windows on the side elevation, and includes a large addition both above and adjacent to the existing building. The revised plan would require aldermanic support for a zoning upgrade to accommodate the 6-unit, condo building with units up to 2,300 square feet and a six car garage and deck.
After a show of hands which clearly indicated the strength of opposition to the development proposal, Alderman Osterman stated his intention to oppose the upzoning...and received a standing ovation.
"I want to save the building," said Alderman Osterman. "I will do everything possible to make sure neither proposal goes through." (Zagotta, 6/27/17)
Preservation Chicago wishes to commend Alderman Osterman and his staff for their support and leadership.
The building falls beyond the boundaries of three proximate National Register Districts. Even if it were in a National Register Districts, only a Chicago Landmark District provides any protections against demolition. Few, if any of the buildings in this wonderful historic neighborhood have any significant protections against demolition. In these situations, there is little that can be done except "beg" the developers to spare historic buildings that have been a cherished part of the neighborhood for over 100 years.
In this case, the best outcome would be a preservation-oriented buyer to purchase the building from the developer. While multiple interested buyers have emerged, there is no indication if the developer would consider selling the property.
Until more Chicago Landmark Districts are established, these rapid-response efforts will continue as neighbors and alderman fight to protect their neighborhoods from tear-downs and inappropriate new construction. National Register Districts are often the most desirable and therefore the most vulnerable to demotion and redevelopment.
Preservation Chicago is highly concerned about the increasing number of historic building demolitions happening throughout the city. For every building save, many, many more historic homes are being lost. Developers are consistently willing to out-spend prospective home-owners and in the absence of more aggressive historic landmark protection, down zoning, or demolition fees. This structural imbalance is cause for concern and will cause many more demolition alarms in the near term.
The beautifully ornamented limestone building at 1436 W. Berwyn is nestled between the Andersonville Historic District, the Lakewood-Balmoral Historic District and the Bryn Mawr Historic District. Its double-bay windows overlook a double-wide 50' lot. The well-maintained two-flat, and a similar but more elaborate twin building, were both built in 1908 by two local Swedish immigrant brothers, Christ and John Christiansen.
The property was recently sold to a developer. When news broke of the planned demolition and replacement with a 6-flat, the community quickly mobilized to oppose it. Community members, neighbors, the East Andersonville Residents Council, the Edgewater Historical Society, Concerned Citizens of East Andersonville, Landmarks Illinois, Preservation Chicago, and other stakeholders contacted 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman, organized public meetings, and created an online petition that quickly received nearly 600 signatures of support.
In this case, the extra-large 50' x 125' lot and generous R4 zoning which allows for multi-family buildings made the historic building at 1436 Berwyn a perfect candidate for a tear-down. The building is not orange-rated, so demolition permit application would not have triggered the 90-Day Demolition Delay. In this case, the developer could have proceeded "as-of-right".
Preservation Chicago would like to encourage conversations to begin again for a possible greater Lakewood-Balmoral Chicago Landmark District which would provide protection against demolition for the buildings, and provide oversight to the alderman, and a voice to the community.
Additional Reading
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| Obama Presidential Center Update
 Eastern Veranda of the Woman's Building, Photo Credit by The Dream City, A Portfolio of Photographic Views of the World's Columbian Exposition
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| Woman's Building at the World's Columbian Building, Photo Credit The White City, Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition of 1983, Chicago Historical Society/Chicago History Museum |
UPDATE: Additional community concerns are emerging after the release of new information regarding the Obama Presidential Center during three hastily convened public meetings. At the third and final meeting at La Rabida, 160 people were turned away due to capacity issues.
It was reported by DNAinfo that the Midway Plaisance has been identified as by the Obama Presidential Center as a possible location for an extensive underground parking garage. Recently, crews were seen conducting soil samples on the Midway. Costs for construction of this underground parking garage are not included in the Obama Presidential Center budget.
In related news, the plan for the new golf course proposed at South Shore Cultural Center includes the elimination of the dog park, 10 tennis courts and the existing South Shore Nature Sanctuary.
On May 3rd before a packed meeting held at the South Shore Cultural Center, President Obama unveiled plans for the Obama Presidential Center. To be located on nine acres on Jackson Park, Obama intends the library initiative to be a "transformational project for this community." He hopes the Presidential Center creates a dynamic hub on the South Side that will serve as a training institute for young people and the next generation of leadership.
The planned three building campus surrounding a plaza space includes two low-slung buildings with landscaped rooftop gardens and a monumental 180-foot tall stone-clad building. To provide some additional context, the 11-story Reva and David Logan Center for Arts at the University of Chicago is 168 feet tall, and the 11-story historic landmark Hyde Park Bank Building at 53rd and Harper is 135 feet tall. The proposed Obama Presidential Library would be taller the both of these structures.
While much of the plan received positive review, the tower element received more critique. Blair Kamin wrote, "
In its current form, the tower suggests an expanded version of a truncated obelisk. It's too heavy, too funereal, too Pharaonic, too pyramid-like."
The design team includes architects
Tod Williams
and Billie Tsien, and Brooklyn-based landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. The Foundation and design team has indicated that they are aware that they are designing within the context of a one of the most important landscapes, designed by one the worlds' greatest landscape designers. Jackson Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed New York's Central Park.
If the library is built in Jackson Park, Preservation Chicago would like to see the Obama Library and Foundation formally adopt all of Jackson Park's upkeep and to restore a number of historic buildings within the park that have fallen into significant disrepair such as the Comfort Station located at 6600 S. South Shore Drive, the Iowa Building and others.
The current plan calls for the closure of Cornell Dri
ve as it winds through Jackson Park. The original Frederick Law Olmsted plans called for this parkway drive. Preservation Chicago supports the narrowing of Cornell Drive to more closely follow the original design intent which would create a slower, more pastoral boulevard along the western shore of the Lagoon. This would reverse much of the impact caused by widening Cornell Drive in the 1960's.
Additionally, the newly released plans call for many street closures and a rethinking of many of the historic roadways along with an expansion of South Lake Shore Drive, all due to the Library Complex, which will impact every corner of Jackson Park.
Preservation Chicago supports the Obama Library coming to Chicago's South Side and the economic stimulus it will generate. Additionally, we believe that some adjustments to the location could significantly mitigate many of the negative impacts without compromising the projects benefits and goals.
During an interview with WTTW's Chicago Tonight, Ward Miller suggested, if the library is built in Jackson Park, that a more appropriate location for the presidential library within the Park would be a few blocks further south within Jackson Park on 64th and Stony Island where a rundown storage facility, a 1950's era field house, and an overgrown tennis court could be cleared for the Obama Presidential Library with less impact to the Frederick Law Olmsted design and the loss of fewer old-growth trees. Also, this would bring it into closer proximity to Theaster Gate's highly dynamic Stony Island Arts Bank adaptive reuse development.
"This could be a middle ground here. This is a part of the park that could welcome the building without impacting it in a huge way," said Miller.
The currently selected location by the Obama Presidential Library in Jackson Park was the site of several extraordinary buildings from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition including, the Woman's Building, the Children's Building, the Horticulture Building
,
and the Transportation Building. The foundations of these structures remain hidden just below the soil line.
The Women's Building [from the World's Columbian Exposition] was so important on so many levels and designed by architect, Sophia Hayden, her first and only commission. This was the beginning of the recognition of many achievements of women and a platform, which still impacts us today. It should be a celebrated site, to this remarkable history, and the achievement of a magnificent Beaux-Arts building." (Ward Miller, Letter to Editor, Hyde Park Herald)
Jackson Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places .The environmental impact of building on the currently proposed site would significant. This site is highly wooded with many old-growth trees. "We're looking at the [loss of] hundreds and hundreds of trees in Jackson Park either diminished or lost or cut - in addition to numerous baseball diamonds and a really first-class football field with a running track that's relatively new and well used," said Ward Miller. These features would be lost or need to be relocated elsewhere in the Park.
Preservation Chicago remains concerned over the precedent being set by converting public park land to other uses. One alternate location outside of Jackson Park that could be considered is the South Shore Cultural Center.
President Obama envisions the library is a cultural hub and a training institute for the next generation of leadership. The South Shore Cultural Center already provides many of these services, but programming and maintenance of this large historic building is a challenge for the budget constrained Chicago Park District.
While the South Shore Cultural Center enjoys 60 spectacular acres of lakefront property, the grounds are dominated by a golf course and the former country club buildings, now a cultural center with limited events and corporate functions. The South Shore Nature Sanctuary in the southeast corner of the grounds should be protected.
The South Shore Cultural Center building itself is a remarkable Mediterranean Revival Designated Chicago Landmark designed by Marshall & Fox in 1916. The formal ballrooms and meeting spaces already feel "presidential" with their formal classical revival detailing and ornament. Not surprisingly, the unveiling of the Library plan was held at the South Shore Cultural Center which easily accommodated the 300 attendees and created an elegant backdrop to the press conference. The site is a surrounded by a fence which would better control access and security for presidential and diplomatic functions.
Additionally, the Obama's have a strong personal connection with the SSCC, as this was where they held their wedding reception in 1992.
The Metra Electric Line/Illinois Central Station is steps from the South Shore Cultural Center's Gatehouse. The Metra Electric is already a cultural transit connection, originating at Millennium Park/Chicago Cultural Center, with stops at the Art Institute, the Museum Campus, Prairie Avenue, McCormick Place, Museum of Science and Industry, University of Chicago, and South Shore Cultural Center.
The commercial corridor on 71st Street would profoundly benefit from the proximity to the Library. Unlike the current location in Jackson Park which borders a residential district, the existing 71st Street commercial corridor would more easily allow the beneficial economic impacts to be transferred into the surrounding communities in the form of new restaurants, shops, and jobs.
Jackson Park made the Preservation Chicago 2017 Most Endangered list.
Additional Reading
Obama Library's Wish List Is Long, But Who Will Pay For It All?, DNAinfo, Sam Cholke, June 21, 2017
Jackson Bark, South Side's Only Dog Park, Scrapped In Golf Course Expansion DNAinfo, Sam Cholke, June 28, 2017
Obama Library Eyes Expansion To Midway Plaisance, DNAinfo, Sam Cholke, June 9, 2017
Plans To Revamp South Side Including New Golf Course Discussed In Obama Library Meeting, CBSChicago, June 21, 2017
Jackson Park redevelopment would require more road closures, Curbed Chicago, AJ LaTrace, 6/22/17
Group led by Emanuel's ex-campaign chief has 10-year golf course deal, Chicago Sun Times, Fran Spielman, June 15, 2017
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Lathrop Homes Redevelopment to Begin
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| Lathrop Homes, Photo Credit by John Morris/ChicagoPatterns.com |
After years of advocacy, the Julia C. Lathrop Homes redevelopment will begin this summer with a combination of historic preservation and some limited new construction. The final plan has a much higher percentage of preservation than was initially proposed due to a multi-year advocacy campaign by Preservation Chicago, our preservation partners including Landmarks Illinois, the National Trust, and neighborhood groups such as Logan Square Neighborhood Association. Additionally, the development risked losing millions of dollars of federal historic tax credits if more historic fabric was lost.
The final redevelopment will deliver 1,116 mixed income residential units, 11 acres of green space and a new riverwalk. The proposed new construction mid-rise gateway buildings at Diversey, Damen and Elston were dropped from the plan which allows the historic corner buildings to be retained and restored.
Lathrop Homes has twice been a Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2007 and then again in 2013. The Lathrop Homes are one of the first and best public housing developments built in Chicago and was home to a racially mixed and remarkably stable community for generations. The 32-acre park-like site is located along the Chicago River with mature landscaping. The low-rise and gently ornamented buildings create an intimate and human-scale atmosphere.
Among the "all-star" architects who worked on the original design included Robert S. De Golyer, a designer of upscale Lake Shore Drive high-rises, who is credited for the inclusion of classical elegance that included fine brickwork, stone rooftop finials and the arched arcades linking many of the historic buildings. Hugh M.G. Garden was a highly respected practitioner of the old "Chicago School," and imparted a blending of modernism and traditionalism.
The legendary landscape designer Jens Jensen was responsible for the landscape design and was known for his ideals of native landscapes and prairies. Many of Jensen's original trees still remain, and have now aged into the sheltering maturity he envisioned. The townhouses of varying designs and configurations, also originally included small "kitchen gardens" in which residents raised fresh herbs and vegetables right outside their doors.
This has been a very lengthy process and Preservation Chicago wishes to thank Alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno and Alderman Scott Waguepack, along with the Lathrop development partners for their commitment to historic preservation.
Additional Reading
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Chicago's Early Skyscrapers Nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site
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| Carson, Pirie, Scott and Co. Building, Photo Credit Richard Nickel Archive |
The Home Insurance Building designed by William LeBaron Jenney and built in 1885 at the corner of LaSalle and Adams was the world's first skyscraper.
Chicago's developers, architects, and engineers pressed on and the revolutionary steel-framed skyscrapers they innovated became known as The Chicago School. It is hard to overstate the impact of the innovation of "the skyscraper" on architecture and cities around the world.
Despite the extraordinary importance of the Home Insurance Building, it was demolished in 1931. However, many of the early skyscrapers that survive are now hopefully going to be recognized for their achievements and appreciated on the world stage. A list of early skyscrapers has been formally submitted to the UNESCO United States' World Heritage Tentative List.
Preservation Chicago is honored to have served on the nomination committee alongside many of Chicago's leading preservation and architecture organizations. While Preservation Chicago would have preferred to see more of Chicago's Early Skyscrapers included, we are very pleased that Louis Sullivan's Carson, Pirie, Scott and Auditorium Building were included on the list.
This is a serial proposal of 9 primarily commercial buildings in Chicago's central business district, the "Loop." The buildings, built over a period of about 20 years starting in the 1880s, exemplify the first generation of "skyscrapers." Making use of new technologies of the time, particularly internal metal structural systems instead of load-bearing masonry walls, they were able to rise to heights of near 20 stories with large plate-glass windows, the first elevators (lifts) to reach the high floors, and electric lights to make interior spaces usable. The architects active in designing these buildings, including Louis H. Sullivan, William Le Baron Jenney, John Wellborn Root, Charles Atwood and Martin Roche, simultaneously developed a new aesthetic for the building exteriors suited to this new form, consisting of a vertical, tripartite form derived from classical columns and expressing the internal structure and functions of the buildings. A small number of additional buildings may also be considered for the series in the course of developing a nomination dossier.
(from UNESCO.org)
- Rookery Building, 209 S. LaSalle St., Burnham & Root
- Auditorium Building, 430 S. Michigan Ave., Adler & Sullivan
- Monadnock Building, 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Burnham & Root
- Ludington Building, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., Jenney and Mundie
- Marquette Building, 140 S. Dearborn St., Holabird & Roche
- Old Colony Building, 407 S. Dearborn St., Holabird & Roche
- Carson, Pirie, Scott and Co. Building, 1 S. State St., Louis H. Sullivan
- Second Leiter Building, 403 S. State St., William LeBaron Jenney
- Fisher Building, 343 S. Dearborn St., D.H. Burnham & Co.
- Reliance Building, 32 N. State St., Burnham & Root/D.H. Burnham & Co.*
- Manhattan Building, 431 S. Dearborn St., William LeBaron Jenney*
"Thanks to the leadership of Stephen Morris, Chief of the National Park Service's (NPS) Office of International Affairs and Phyllis Ellin, Historian for the World Heritage program at the National Park Service, the opportunity to make a proposal for the Tentative List was brought to the attention of several invested organizations and individuals in early 2016."
"Since the early days of the program, the pioneering early skyscrapers of Chicago, particularly the early 20th century steel frame structures, have been viewed as prime candidates for the World Heritage List," commented Morris. "The development and blossoming of the technology and aesthetics that created these buildings was clearly centered here, and had unquestioned worldwide influence."
"The process of placing buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage List is lengthy. The US Department of Interior is responsible for assembling the Tentative List and authorizing the preparation of nominations from it; those nominations are then submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (Committee) and evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a private organization that advises the Committee on cultural properties; this evaluation process takes over one year to visit and evaluate the nominated sites before making a recommendation. The World Heritage Committee makes the final decision as to whether to add sites to the list." From AIA Chicago and City of Chicago.
Additional Reading
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Let's Restore the UPTOWN THEATRE!
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| Uptown Theatre, Line Drawing Credit by Friends of the Uptown |
Preservation Chicago is supporting a new petition "Mayor Rahm Emanuel: Restore the Uptown!" PLEASE consider adding your name.
The potential of the Uptown Theatre means so much to the people who have fond memories of it and to those who are hoping that its restoration and reuse will bring jobs and make a positive economic impact on the neighborhood and region.
Your support for the restoration and reuse of the Chicago Landmark Uptown Theatre for entertainment and other special events will help create jobs for the community and help make the Uptown Square Entertainment District a vital destination.
Our goal is to reach 5,000 signatures and we need your support to make that happen. Please consider sharing this with your friends and family via email and social media.
This effort is in coordination with the longtime volunteers of Friends of the Uptown, who are collecting signatures Friday, June 30, and Saturday, July 1, on the concourse of Wrigley Field. The Friends of the Uptown will be featured on "Participation Row" courtesy of the Jerry Garcia Foundation during the two nights of Dead and Company concerts here. Participation Row is where attendees are encouraged to register to vote and to take other positive actions for social and environmental causes.
Sign the petition here
Additional Resources
Jerry Garcia Foundation
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After 90 years, St. John Berchmans Bell To Ring Again
St. John Berchmans Bell, Photo Credit by Logan Square Preservation
Logan Square Preservation and the historic Roman Catholic Parish of Saint John Berchmans have announced a joint effort to restore the bell that was originally installed when the church was dedicated in 1906.
A single, working church bell once hung in the belfry on the corner of Logan and Maplewood but, at some point around the 1930s, the mechanism that operated the bell was cracked. The bell was disassembled and replaced with an electronic system that has since fallen into disuse.
The project, which will electrify the bell and allow for remote control is estimated to cost up to $15,000. Funds will be handled by Logan Square Preservation (a registered 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit) and put towards the restoration of the bell.
The church has invested millions of dollars in substantial roof and structural rehabilitation in recent years and has served as a highly visible landmark on Logan Boulevard for more than a century. During recent rehab work the bell was found intact but non-functioning in the belfry. Logan Square Preservation decided to help lead a community effort to raise the necessary funds to restore the bell, which is the church's historic voice - no two bells are alike.
St. John Berchmans was originally the church for the ex-patriot community of Belgians in Chicago and formed a center of that community locally, together with the defunct but still standing Belgian Hall on Fullerton, they attracted an ethnic community, remnants of which still exist today. The parish has grown and changed with the community but is still vital and includes a large and vibrant school. From Logan Square Preservation
Although St. John Berchmans historic church building is excluded from the Logan Boulevards Chicago Landmark District due to owner non-consent to Landmark Designation, it remains both a visual and vital part of the Landmark District.
Additional Reading
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Woodruff Arcade Threatened with Demolition
Woodruff Arcade Interior, Photo Credit by Jason Marck/WBEZ
The last reported remaining arcade in Chicago is threatened with demolition and replacement with a 6-story building. Located at the corner of Broadway, Devon and Sheridan in Edgewater, the 94-year old Woodruff Arcade has served dozens of small tenants since it was first opened circa 1923.
In 1922, W.J. Woodruff received a building permit from the city for his arcade, according to the Edgewater Historical Society. Architect Herbert Green designed a handsome but utilitarian red brick building that opens up inside with iron staircases, large interior windows into the internal courtyard, and that big skylight. (WBEZ, 6/22/17)
The Edgewater Historical Society is leading an effort to Save the Woodruff Arcade with a petition drive focused at convincing 48th Ward Alderman Osterman to oppose the demolition. Petitions work. PLEASE take a moment to sign the petition here.
The arcade currently houses over a dozen small business and offices. All tenants were given notice that they would need to vacate their spaces by December 31, 2017.
The former owner operated the arcade for over 30 years, but sold the building to Borekci Real Estate, a company based in Ankara, Turkey, and Algonquin Venture Real Estate LLC based in Northbrook.
As reported in DNAinfo, tenant Anvi Parikh, of SRJ Consulting, a financial services firm that leases space in the building was told the building was slated to be razed and rebuilt as a six-story development.
Additional Reading
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"Jewel Laundry" Building Redevelopment Proposed
The Jewel Laundry, 1730 Greenleaf Ave., Credit by Chuckman Collection
The Sullivanesque white terra cotta Jewel Laundry Building, formerly the Maya Ramanoff Textiles and now the Ethiopian Community Center at 1730 W. Greenleaf Avenue and the fine-quality apartment building at 1710 W. Lunt Avenue in Rogers Park are under contract by developer, Dave Gasman. Both buildings are orange-rated and the Chicago Historic Resources Survey highlights the building's "Prairie and Sullivanesque" ornamentation and detailing. The buildings' façades will be restored in both cases. New construction will be added to the rear of the sites.
Preservation Chicago supports the proposals for these two important historic buildings and spoke in support at the public meeting held in Rogers Park at the Ethiopian Community Center. 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore appears to support these developments.
Additional Reading
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New Hope for Long-Vacant Hyde Park Churches
5th Church of Christ Scientist/Shiloh Baptist Churc , Photo Credit by Sam Cholke/DNAinfo
In response to growing concern over the deteriorating condition of two former Hyde Park Christian Science Churches due to their long-term vacancy, Preservation Chicago redoubled its efforts to find a patron for these buildings. The effort has yielded initial positive results and a preservation-sensitive developer is potentially interested purchasing and adaptively reusing both of these two properties.
The 5th Church of Christ Scientist/Shiloh Baptist Church on Dorchester Avenue, by Solon S. Beman, is in the Kenwood Landmark District. The 10th Church of Christ Scientist/St. Stephan's on the 5600 Block of S. Blackstone is in Hyde Park, adjacent to the University of Chicago campus, but not within a Landmark District.
We are hopeful that this outreach will spur the existing owner, or a future developer, to move forward with restoration and reuse efforts.
Additional Reading
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Mulligan School Adaptive Reuse Complete
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| Mulligan School, 1855 N. Sheffield, Photo Credit Svigos Development |
The Mulligan School Building designed by Charles Rudolph and built in 1890 has been adaptively reused as an apartment building by Svigos Development. Located at 1855 N. Sheffield Ave, this stately former school was ravaged by a fire in 2014. Despite the extra alarm fire and the thousands of gallons of water which turned the building into an "ice castle" according to the fire chief, the redevelopment has taken steps to retain and enhance the original features.
"Although some flooring couldn't be salvaged, much of the original maple wood floors were taken away, dried out, treated and reinstalled. Indoor tuckpointing returned brick walls to top condition. The dark pine doorways and original wainscoting were retained.
(Cox, 4/5/17)
"We were trying to stay as true to form as we could," Nick Vittore of Svigos Development said. (Cox, 4/5/17)
"Other relics of the building's former life dot the apartments and common spaces. They include coat hooks and paneling from student cloakrooms in some units' entryways, tables made from tubes of the original radiators and old roof joists, and chalkboards in every apartment. The building's main-floor hallway still resembles an elementary school corridor. Old safety grills that covered windows are now the railings for walkways on the rooftop deck. On the main floor, the hallway and doors are intact and preserve the look of a classic old-line elementary school, complete with water fountains." (Rodkin, 6/1/17)
We saved everything we could, to keep the character of the building," Vittore said. (Rodkin, 6/1/17)
Preservation Chicago applauds Nick Vittore and Svigos Development for their preservation-sensitive adaptive reuse of this landmark building, especially in light of the devastating fire.
Additional Reading
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Landmark Motley School Permit Granted
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| John Lothrop Motley School, 739 N. Ada Street , Photo Credit by Commission of Chicago Landmarks |
The John Lothrop Motley School, formerly a Chicago Public School, at 739 N. Ada Street in West Town will be adaptively reused as 32 residential apartments. Designed by John J. Flanders in 1884 and with an 1898 addition by Norman Smith Patton, the historic building was landmarked in 2016. Preservation Chicago supported this development with testimony before the Commission of Chicago Landmarks.The developer is Svigos Development and the architect Pappageorge Haymes Partners. This was one of the closed 49 Chicago Public Schools.
Additional Reading
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Preservation Chicago 2017 Chicago 7 Coach Tour Proves Great Success!
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| Preservation Chicago "2017 Chicago 7 Most Endangered" Original Poster |
Preservation Chicago is thrilled by the high level of interest and enthusiasm for the 2017 Chicago 7 Bus Tour Most Endangered".
We visited the Madison-Pulaski Commercial District, Chicago's 20th Century Public Sculptures in the Loop, a stop at Jackson Park and the South Shore Cultural Center, the Union Station Power House, Cornell Store and Flats and Altgeld Gardens.
The tour was conducted by Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago and Jacob Kaplan of Forgotten Chicago (and Preservation Chicago Board Vice-President), two experts on the history of Chicago and its architecture.
If you would like a complimentary copy of the bound printed Chicago 2017 booklet, please email us at [email protected]. And please be sure to include your mailing address.
Keep an eye out for the original Poster Art for "2017 Chicago 7 Most Endangered" to be available soon on the Preservation Chicago website!
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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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