“A plan to replace the deteriorating Marcello’s Father & Son restaurant building could bring condos and a new retail spot to Milwaukee Avenue.
“Halcyon Development Company and Design Group is proposing to redevelop the former restaurant building and an adjacent lot at 2479 N. Milwaukee Ave. into a four-story building with nine condos. The development site sits next to Federales, which took over the former Father & Son’s parking lot last year.
“The proposal does not require a zoning change, but the developer is asking for a small zoning variance to add nine parking spaces for condo owners, said Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st).
“The building has sat vacant since 2019, when Father & Son, best known for its thin-crust pizza, closed in 2019 after 72 years. It has since suffered roof and wall damage, and the back of the building can be seen seen in a state of disrepair, its interior exposed.
“Local preservationists want to see the historical facade of the building, which was built in the 1920s, preserved and integrated into the development design.
“The terracotta building and facade used to be an automobile showroom before the Father & Son restaurant. It’s a remnant of that history that’s largely left Milwaukee Avenue and the Northwest Side, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.
“‘I think there is value in keeping the best of the best of the building,’ Miller said. ‘In a funny way, it’s what the public sees walking by. It’s fireproof, whereas the one behind it was not so it collapsed, so maybe bringing in a new development could also provide a way of preserving the facade for another 50-100 years.’
“The preservation group added terracotta buildings throughout Chicago to its 2023 list of most endangered buildings, giving more urgency for the historical facade to be saved, Miller said.
“Preservation Chicago officials recently met with the development team and La Spata to discuss ways to preserve the facade and incorporate it into the project, the alderman and Preservation Chicago members said.
“Andy Schneider, president of Logan Square Preservation, said he’s also hopeful the developers will reuse and integrate the terracotta into the project. Initial plans were disappointing, but he is “cautiously optimistic” about a redesign moving forward, he said.
“‘This is one of the last roaring ’20s buildings, so keeping what is left of the district is important,’ Schneider said. ‘We want to see it reactivated but with a [design] that makes a nod to the history and speaks to the area’s strengths.’
“Since initial plans were seen, the developers have gone back to the drawing board to try and incorporate the facade into new designs, La Spata said.
“‘Any changes to the design really are the developer endeavoring to be a good neighbor in our community and I really appreciate that,’ La Spata said.” (Parrella-Aureli, Block Club Chicago, 5/10/24)