The two-story mixed-use building located at near Humboldt Boulevard and North Avenue overlooking Humboldt Park received a demolition permit on December 22, 2107. This elegant red-brick building with limestone ornament, arched window elements and clay tile roof across from Humboldt Park was formerly the Carbit Paints Building.
As part of a National Register District and originally intended to be part of the Logan Square Boulevards Chicago Landmark District, Preservation Chicago has been in communication with 1st Ward Alderman Joe Proco Moreno and the architect to request that this building’s historic façade be saved and incorporated into the new brick building planned for the site.
Without planning controls from zoning ordinance or landmark protection, historic two and three story industrial and commercial buildings on big lots are prime targets for demolition and redevelopment from developers looking to build new, taller buildings. There is no reason that historic building façades couldn’t be saved and incorporated into new construction. If zoning would allow an FAR bonus for reusing historic facades with a setback, there would be many more low-rise historic buildings adaptively reused across the city. Additionally, this would protect light and air and prevent new tall buildings from looming over narrow neighborhood sidewalks.