City of Chicago: Thank you for taking emergency steps to halt the demolition of the historic La Luce restaurant building / Lake Street Schlitz Tied House, after a clerical error resulted in the demolition permit being released prematurely.
While the immediate demolition threat might be averted, postponing the demolition for a mere 90 days is not enough for this beloved and iconic 130-year old building.
The Lake Street Schlitz Tied House is one of the most extraordinary Schlitz Tied Houses in all of Chicago. It would have been included as part of the Schlitz Tied-House Chicago Landmark District designated in 2011, if the former owners had not objected.
City of Chicago: Protect and Landmark the Lake Street Schlitz Tied House!
The Queen Anne limestone and brick four-story building at 1393-1399 W. Lake Street includes a beautifully detailed corner entry, copper-clad three-story turret, and an ornate copper-clad projecting bay window. This building is orange-rated by the Chicago Historic Resources Survey indicating its high degree of significance.
It was built by Edward J. Uihlein in 1892 as a Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company branded saloon and Tied-House. But, unlike most Schlitz Tied-Houses, it included several floors of apartments above, perhaps in anticipation of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. A painted Schlitz ghost sign is still faintly visible high on the east facing brick wall.