WIN: Greater Tabernacle Cathedral in Roseland Receives Preliminary Chicago Landmark Recommendation
Preservation Chicago Letter of Support on May 4, 2023 to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks regarding Greater Tabernacle Cathedral/Former Holy Rosary Church Complex, 11300-11312 S. King Drive, Chicago
Dear Chairman Wong and Members of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks,
We are writing to express our strong support for the “Preliminary Landmark...
WIN: After Seven Year Effort, Greater Union Baptist Church Receives Final Chicago Landmark Designation
"A 137-year-old Near West Side church was granted landmark status Wednesday following a City Council vote.
"Greater Union Baptist Church, 1956 W. Warren Blvd., was named a city landmark at the same meeting in which alderpeople also landmarked Promontory Point on the South Side.
"The church has stood since 1886 after...
WIN: After 23 Year Advocacy Effort, Promontory Point Receives Chicago Landmark Designation (Chicago 7 2022)
"Promontory Point, Hyde Park’s beloved lakefront park and home to the last stretch of limestone shoreline barriers in the city, is officially a Chicago landmark.
"Promontory Point, which runs from 54th to 56th streets on the lakefront, features limestone revetments which protect the shoreline from erosion, 'council rings' of native...
WIN: Epworth Church Receives Final Landmark Designation Approval
If not for the preservation advocacy effort, Epworth Church would have been demolished.
Preservation Chicago has been working to find good preservation outcome for Epworth United Methodist Church for over two years with congregants, neighbors, the Edgewater Historical Society, and Ald. Harry Osterman (48th). Concern grew as the congregation shrank...
WIN: Werner Brothers Storage Building to be Incorporated Into New Development, Not Demolished (Chicago 7 2023)
"An affordable housing developer wants to bring more than 100 units of 'workforce housing' to Howard Street, a project it says will help transform an area that has struggled with issues of public safety and disinvestment.
"Housing For All unveiled its proposed development for the northeast corner of Howard and...
WIN: After Viral Petition, the Warehouse Granted Preliminary Landmark Designation! (Chicago 7 2023)
"Barely a month after being named to Preservation Chicago’s annual list of the city’s 'most endangered' buildings, the Warehouse — aka, the 'birthplace' of House music — is on its way to becoming an official Chicago landmark.
"A monumental show of support from 'Househeads' around the world brought the building...
WIN: National Trust for Historic Preservation and Landmarks Illinois Add the Century and Consumer Buildings to their 2023 Most Endangered Lists (Chicago 7 2011, 2013, 2022 & 2023)
"The battle to save downtown’s vacant Century and Consumer Buildings from the federal wrecking ball received some welcomed national attention Tuesday, when the influential nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation named the century-old skyscrapers to its yearly America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.
"It couldn’t have come at a...
WIN: Century and Consumers Buildings Receive Preliminary Landmark Designation! (Chicago 7 2011, 2013, 2022 & 2023)
"A campaign to save two historic buildings on State Street from the wrecking ball took a step forward today when a city panel unanimously approved proposals to assign landmark status to the properties.
"The federal government, which owns the two early 20th-century towers — the Century Building at 202 S....
WIN: Chicago Legacy Business Margie’s Candies to Continue Into Fourth-Generation After Death of Owner
"The third-generation owner of Margie’s Candies died last month, ushering in a new chapter for the beloved neighborhood institution.
"Peter George Poulos died of cancer April 26, his family said. He was 86.
"Poulos had run the old-fashioned ice cream and confectionary shop for decades, hand-dipping candy and joyfully helping customers...
WIN: New Construction Incorporates Historic Façade at 3731 N. Sheffield Avenue
"The Chicago City Council has approved the residential development at 3731 N Sheffield Avenue in Wrigleyville. Located just north of the intersection with W Waveland Avenue and Wrigley Field itself, the proposal will replace an empty lot and incorporate the adjacent existing three-flat. Originally revealed in February, developer Mangan...
WIN: Restoration of 1954 W. North Avenue Includes the Reconstruction of the Corner Turret Lost in the 1960s
"Construction continues on the mixed-use development at 1954-1956 W North Avenue in the heart of Wicker Park. Located at the heart of the neighborhood on the six-corner intersection with N Damen Avenue, the historical preservation and redevelopment will revitalize the corner structure which has sat vacant for many years...
WIN: Edgar Miller ‘Animal Court’ Sculptures to Finally Be Restored and Reinstalled at National Public Housing Museum
"The prevailing image of Chicago public housing is that of blocks of big, grim brick-and-concrete towers. It didn’t start out that way, though.
"The first public housing developments, built under CHA Executive Director Elizabeth Wood, were humane, nicely designed, low- and mid-rise dwellings and townhomes with gardens and open space.
"For...
WIN: Ongoing Efforts to Survey and Save Chicago’s Workers Cottages
Chicago’s vernacular architecture faces a threat that collectively has an impact at least as significant as losing a grand ballroom or downtown building.
Workers cottages are being lost at an alarming rate across the City of Chicago as some buyers prefer large homes that fill a city lot instead of...
WIN: Former Goldblatt Brothers Building Invest South/West Adaptive Reuse to Anchor Back-of-the-Yards Revitalization at 47th and Ashland
"A project with affordable housing, space for local businesses and a federally qualified health care center got a funding boost from the City Council on Wednesday.
"Alderpeople approved $5 million in tax-increment financing funds for United Yards, which will transform the lot at 1515 W. 47th St.
"Part of Mayor Lori...
WIN: Six-Corner Sears Adaptive Reuse Nearing Completion (Chicago 7 2016)
"The Sears department store at 4712 W Irving Park Road in Portage Park continues to undergo a significant transformation, as the $90 million, six-story mixed-use redevelopment project takes shape. Led by Novak Construction as both developer and general contractor, the project will offer 50,000 square feet of retail space...
WIN: Our Lady of Victory Church Parishioners Challenge Closure in Vatican Court and Win! (Chicago 7 2021)
"Our Lady of Victory, located at 5212 W. Agatite Ave, is the oldest Catholic parish on the Northwest Side, said Susanna Ernst, the president of the Northwest Chicago Historical Society. She is also the president of Save OLV, the organization that fought to overturn the archdiocese’s decree.
"Ernst, who has...
WIN: Redevelopment underway for MHUB / Cameron Building
"A preliminary permit for interior demolition has been granted in preparation for the revitalization of the Cameron Building at 240 N Ashland Avenue in the Near West Side. Situated on the southwest corner at the intersection with W Fulton Street, the historic clocktower building has been vacant for several...
WIN: Lakeside Theater to Become Performing Arts Center After Extensive Renovation
"The renovation of CircEsteem’s Uptown headquarters is moving forward after the City Council approved $5 million for the project Wednesday.
"The circus arts nonprofit is planning a massive overhaul of its complex at 4730 N. Sheridan Road, the Lakeside Theater building that opened in 1914 as a movie house.
"Plans call...
WIN: Lillian Marcie Center for the Performing Art Adaptive Reuse of Bronzeville Marshall Field Warehouse Receives TIF Funding
"The Lillian Marcie Center is being built on the site of an old Marshall Field warehouse built in 1915.
"The council approved $6 million in tax-increment financing to support the construction of the Lillian Marcie Center for the Performing Arts, 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
"The 22,500-square-foot, two-story space is the...
POTENTIAL WIN: Stalled Congress Theater Redevelopment Plan Moving Forward Again
"Long-discussed plans to rehab the deteriorating Congress Theater are back on track, with a key city panel expected to vote on the proposal as early as next month.
"Developer Baum Revision is asking for $27 million in tax-increment financing to support the $88 million renovation.
"The funding request was introduced to...
POTENTIAL WIN: Five Historic LaSalle Street Skyscrapers Selected for Adaptive Reuse
"Two more proposals to create affordable housing on LaSalle Street could get city funding.
"The proposals are part of an initiative to revitalize LaSalle Street in the Financial District by turning office buildings into residential units. Developers pitched ideas, and the city initially chose three in March — but two...
WIN: After Years of Delays, Obsidian Collection Finally Receives Zoning Approval (Chicago 7 2019)
"The Obsidian Collection received zoning approval to convert the historical Palmer mansion at 3654 S. King Drive into a digital archive center and members-only coworking hub for Black journalists and creators.
"Obsidian Collection founder Angela Ford is behind the $3.8 million plan for the famed Lu and Jorja Palmer mansion,...
POTENTIAL WIN: Three Adaptive Reuse Development Proposals Presented for 1769 W. Pershing in the Central Manufacturing District (Chicago 7 2020)
"Further details and renderings have been revealed for the finalist of the Central Manufacturing District RFP. Located at 1769 W Pershing Road in McKinley Park just west of the intersection with S Ashland Avenue, we last covered the project in January as the city narrowed it down to three...
WIN: After 37 Year Closure, the Ramova Theater Restoration Makes Significant Progress (Chicago 7 2012)
"The future of the long vacant Ramova Theatre is coming into clearer focus as work progresses to turn the 1920s movie house in Bridgeport into an entertainment complex.
"Work is slated to wrap up this year on the massive redevelopment project, which will turn the Ramova Theatre, 3518 S. Halsted...
WIN: Art Deco Lawson House YMCA Renovation Nearing Completion
"The overhaul of the former Lawson House YMCA is taking shape after more than a year of construction.
"Developers hosted a walkthrough of the property, 30 W. Chicago Ave., last week, giving a first glimpse into the renovation, which started in December 2021.
"The 24-story art deco building is being transformed...
POTENTIAL WIN: Three Historic LaSalle Street Skyscrapers Selected For Adaptive Reuse
"City officials have picked three projects totaling 1,000 apartments to kick off their push to revive the beleaguered LaSalle Street business district by providing subsidies to developers that convert office buildings there into mixed-income housing.
"The developers of the projects at 111 W. Monroe St., 135 S. LaSalle St. and...
WIN: After 23 Year Advocacy Effort, Promontory Point Receives Final Chicago Landmark Recommendation (Chicago 7 2022)
"The Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend that City Council designate Promontory Point as a city landmark; a decision met with jubilation from preservation advocates and city officials alike.
"For more than 22 years community members have organized around preserving the Point’s limestone stair-step revetment from...
WIN: Epworth Church Receives Final Landmark Designation Approval
If not for the preservation advocacy effort, Epworth Church would have been demolished.
Preservation Chicago has been working to find good preservation outcome for Epworth United Methodist Church for over two years with congregants, neighbors, the Edgewater Historical Society, and Ald. Harry Osterman (48th). Concern grew as the congregation shrank...
WIN: After Viral Petition, the Warehouse Granted Preliminary Landmark Designation! (Chicago 7 2023)
"Barely a month after being named to Preservation Chicago’s annual list of the city’s 'most endangered' buildings, the Warehouse — aka, the 'birthplace' of House music — is on its way to becoming an official Chicago landmark.
"A monumental show of support from 'Househeads' around the world brought the building...
POTENTIAL WIN: Century and Consumers Buildings Receive Preliminary Landmark Designation! (Chicago 7 2011, 2013, 2022 & 2023)
"A campaign to save two historic buildings on State Street from the wrecking ball took a step forward today when a city panel unanimously approved proposals to assign landmark status to the properties.
"The federal government, which owns the two early 20th-century towers — the Century Building at 202 S....
WIN: Austin’s Pink House Saved But Some Character Lost in Gut Renovation
"The iconic pink house in Austin is being renovated — and the color it became famous for is now gone.
"The Victorian at 556 N. Central Ave. was listed for sale in 2019. Previous owner Yolanda Anderson sold it for $120,000 to Debra Kelch and her family in early 2021....
WIN: The Iowa Building Restoration Underway
"The building that sits in Jackson Park at 56th Street and South Shore Drive is known as the Iowa Building, but this small shelter didn’t greet Iowans in 1893. That honor went to its predecessor, the Jackson Park Pavilion.
"The original pavilion predated the World's Columbian Exposition. It was a...
WIN: As the Premier Black Railway Workers Museum for nearly 30 years, Pullman Porter Museum Launches Capital Campaign for Museum Campus Expansion
"The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum will mark its anniversary this weekend with a gala and fundraiser to support its $30 million expansion and work to create the country’s first Black Labor tourism district.
"Leaders want to expand the museum inside three floors of a Pullman rowhouse at...
WIN: Local Group Launches Effort to Restore Chicago Harbor Lighthouse for Museum
"Architects and maritime history lovers are raising money to restore the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, which was built in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
"The red and white lighthouse was moved to its current location off of Navy Pier in 1919 and has fallen into disrepair. Now, nonprofit...
WIN: Adaptive Reuse Plan Announced for W.M. Hoyt Warehouse, Landmarked as Part of the Cermak Road Bridge District
"New details have been revealed for the mixed use redevelopment of 465 W Cermak Road in Chinatown. Located directly on the south branch of the Chicago River and on the intersection with S. Canal Street, the multi-story structure has seen its fair share of redevelopment proposals in the last...
WIN: Edgar Miller ‘Animal Court’ Sculptures To Finally Be Restored and Reinstalled at National Public Housing Museum
"The prevailing image of Chicago public housing is that of blocks of big, grim brick-and-concrete towers. It didn’t start out that way, though.
"The first public housing developments, built under CHA Executive Director Elizabeth Wood, were humane, nicely designed, low- and mid-rise dwellings and townhomes with gardens and open space.
"For...
WIN: Permits Issued for Adaptive Reuse of St. James Methodist Church at 4601-4611 S. Ellis
"Renovation permits have been issued for the adaptive reuse of the former St James United Methodist Church at 4601 S. Ellis. Located at the southeast corner of S. Ellis Ave and E 46th St, the church is being developed by Creative Designs Builders.
"Designed by ZED Architects, the project looks...
WIN: Depositor’s Bank Building at 4701 S Ashland Avenue to be Adaptively Reuse for Senior Housing
"Growing up in Back of the Yards, Jesse Iñiguez remembers the shops at 47th Street and Ashland Avenue as the place his family went for everything.
"From clothes and electronics to even the cardboard boxes he used for school diorama projects, it was all right there.
"Since then, its bustle has...
WIN: Landmarked LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse to Become Steakhouse
"One of England's most popular restaurants, rated No. 1 on a world's best steakhouse list, is coming to Chicago.
"Hawksmoor, which opened its first U.S. location in New York in 2021, has targeted Chicago for its next U.S. opening in early 2024. Co-founders Will Beckett and Huw Gott debuted Hawksmoor...
POTENTIAL WIN: Three Adaptive Reuse Development Proposals Presented for 1769 W. Pershing in the Central Manufacturing District (Chicago 7 2020)
"Further details and renderings have been revealed for the finalist of the Central Manufacturing District RFP. Located at 1769 W Pershing Road in McKinley Park just west of the intersection with S Ashland Avenue, we last covered the project in January as the city narrowed it down to three...
The Warehouse – 2023 Most Endangered
Architect: Vernon W. Behel
Address: 206 S. Jefferson Street
Date: 1906 & 1917
Style: ...
WIN: Final Landmark Recommendation Protects Both Interior and Exterior of Innovative 1970s Netsch Home
"The Old Town home that innovative 20th-century architect Walter Netsch designed with a bold, unconventional floor plan of multiple levels and bands of skylights across the ceiling is going up for a rare type of landmarking this week.
"Mark Smithe and Will Forrest, who bought the house on Hudson Avenue...
WIN: Washington Park National Bank Façade Preservation Redevelopment Plan Receives City Funding (Chicago 7 2016 & 2020)
"A long-stalled effort to build high-end offices on the site of the century-old Washington Park National Bank building in Woodlawn has received a multimillion-dollar boost from the city.
"Developer Revive 6300’s project to build more than 60,000 square feet of office space at 6300 S. Cottage Grove Ave. received a...
WIN: As the Premier Black Railway Workers Museum for nearly 30 years, Pullman Porter Museum Launches Capital Campaign for Museum Campus Expansion
"The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum will mark its anniversary this weekend with a gala and fundraiser to support its $30 million expansion and work to create the country’s first Black Labor tourism district.
"Leaders want to expand the museum inside three floors of a Pullman rowhouse at...
WIN: Second Presbyterian Church Completes Extensive Restoration of ‘Tree of Life’ Mural While Tiffany Stained-Glass Windows Restoration Continues
"The theme of the New Year’s Day service at Second Presbyterian Church was a call to parishioners about renewal in their lives. Titled 'A New Heaven and a New Earth,' it could have been about the historic church itself.
"The church at 1936 S. Michigan Ave. — both a Chicago...
WIN: Local Group Launches Effort to Restore Chicago Harbor Lighthouse for Museum
"Architects and maritime history lovers are raising money to restore the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, which was built in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
"The red and white lighthouse was moved to its current location off of Navy Pier in 1919 and has fallen into disrepair. Now, nonprofit...
WIN: Adaptive Reuse Plan Announced for W.M. Hoyt Warehouse, Landmarked as Part of the Cermak Road Bridge District
"New details have been revealed for the mixed use redevelopment of 465 W Cermak Road in Chinatown. Located directly on the south branch of the Chicago River and on the intersection with S. Canal Street, the multi-story structure has seen its fair share of redevelopment proposals in the last...
WIN: Pullman Achieves National Historical Park Status
"Everything, when it comes to Pullman National Monument, which is now known as 'Pullman National Historical Park.' More than just semantics, the shift to 'park' grants the site increased protections.
"The monument was created in 2015 by then President Barack Obama, using powers given to the country’s chief executive by...
WIN: Edgar Miller ‘Animal Court’ Sculptures To Be Restored and Reinstalled at National Public Housing Museum
"The prevailing image of Chicago public housing is that of blocks of big, grim brick-and-concrete towers. It didn’t start out that way, though.
"The first public housing developments, built under CHA Executive Director Elizabeth Wood, were humane, nicely designed, low- and mid-rise dwellings and townhomes with gardens and open space.
"For...
WIN: Developer Proposes Adaptive Reuse of Art Deco Lincoln Trust & Savings Bank Building
"A developer wants to overhaul two bank buildings at Damen and Lincoln avenues to bring apartments and stores to the busy North Center intersection.
"Developer Ravine Park Partners wants to renovate the existing bank building at 3959 N. Lincoln Ave. and construct a new eight-story building at 3950 N. Damen...