The historic Mark Twain Hotel in the Gold Coast is being renovated. Located at 111 W. Division Street at the corner of Clark, this Art Deco hotel was purchased by NHP Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit. One of the first large projects under Chicago’s Single-Room Occupancy Preservation Ordinance, the development will deliver 148 SRO units.
Designed by architect Harry Glube in 1930, the building’s facade includes beige brick with exuberant white terra-cotta ornament, especially along the ground floor retail. The 58,000 square foot building includes over 9,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. The building was purchased for $21 million in 2016 and the renovation is estimated to cost $15 million.
Along with the Art Deco Lawson House YMCA Building of Chicago Avenue, also being renovated for an SRO use, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in February, 2017 by the Chicago Commission on Landmarks.
Preservation Chicago recommends that the Mark Twain Hotel and the Lawson House YMCA Building be considered for Chicago Landmark Designation to protect these outstanding Art Deco buildings well into the future.
Additional Reading
Work underway to restore Chicago’s historic Mark Twain Hotel, Jay Koziarz, Curbed Chicago, October 25, 2017