Chicago Landmarks Ordinance

It has been 47 years since the destruction of Louis Sullivan’s Garrick Theater, an act of civic vandalism that gave rise to Chicago’s historic preservation movement and, ultimately, led to the passage of the Chicago Landmark Ordinance in 1968. Since that time the city has landmarked 255 individual buildings and created 49 historic landmark districts. Despite this progress, several recent redevelopment projects endorsed by the city’s planning department and approved by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks call into question whether the integrity of the ordinance itself is in danger of being destroyed.

Threat
Currently at issue is a proposal for the redevelopment of the Chicago Athletic Association building, located at 12 S. Michigan Avenue. The building, built in 1893, was designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb, designer of the University of Chicago. Additions located at 71-79 E. Madison Street were added to the structure in 1906 and 1926 respectively by architects Schmidt, Garden, and Martin. The Venetian Gothic style is rare in Chicago, and the Chicago Athletic Association exemplifies it to the fullest in its use of patterned brick and intricately carved limestone.

This building is an integral part of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District which extends from Randolph Street south to 11th Street. This landmark district was created in 2002 with the intention of preserving the architecture and scale of the 1885 to 1930 era buildings. The historic district frames the western edge of Millennium Park and Grant Park and is one of the most heavily visited streets in the city. It defines the “face” of Chicago when viewed from these parks and Lake Shore Drive.

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