“A shuttered Catholic church in Noble Square, built in 1960 with so much stained glass that worshippers appeared to be all but surrounded by it, is almost certain to be replaced by six single-family homes.
“The former Santa Maria Addolorata Church, built in 1960 and closed in 2021, is in ‘a dense neighborhood where you’d expect more multifamily to go,’ said Rich Anselmo, who along with fellow @properties Christie’s International Real Estate agent Pasquale Recchia is representing the property for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
“By the April 4 deadline for offers, all bidders had opted to go with the 0.4-acre site’s underlying zoning and propose six new single-family homes. ‘They all wanted to build by right,’ Anselmo said, ‘and not go through all the detail’ of requesting a zoning change that would make a multi-unit building or buildings possible.”
“Anselmo said the $3 million asking price was prohibitive for not-for-profit buyers, such as members of another religious denomination. Because of that, demolition was a near certainty when the property went up for sale March 10.
“‘The stained glass is the walls,’ Anselmo said. ‘You can’t repurpose the building without the stained glass,’ making demolition the most viable option.
“Santa Maria Addolorata Church was designed by architect Joseph Bagnuolo, according to Andrew Elders, an architectural historian and the director of historic tax credits for Ryan LLC. Completed in 1960, it replaced an 1860s church four blocks away at Erie and May streets that was torn down for construction of the Kennedy Expressway.
“Santa Maria Addolorata’s school building, across Ada Street from the church, since 2006 has operated as Rauner College Prep, named for former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, within the Noble charter schools network. (Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 4/7/25)
There is strong community opposition to the demolition of Santa Maria Addolorata Church. It is a beautiful and artful midcentury religious building that should be sold to another religious congregation or community organization. There are many other sites that should be used for new residential units, and preferably higher density residential units than single family homes.
Many letters of opposition to demolition and support for Chicago Landmark Designation have been sent to 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata’s office. Letters of support for Chicago Landmark Designation were submitted by Eckhart Park Neighbors, East Village Association, and Preservation Chicago, along with many letters from individual Noble Square community members.
The former Santa Maria Addolorata Catholic Church at 1315 W. Ohio—Ohio and Ada Streets (the front entry to the church actually fronts on Ada Street) is a strong candidate for Chicago Landmark Designation.
There is urgency in the rapid response advocacy action, as the church has no protections against demolition. Despite its extraordinary architecture, it was built in 1996 too young to be listed in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey (CHRS) that was released in the 1990s. Santa Maria Addolorata is not orange-rated and therefore is not subject to the 90 Day Demolition Delay Hold which places the former church building in immediate danger.
Read the full story at Crain’s Chicago Business
- New houses to replace modernist Catholic church in Noble Square, Dennis Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 4/7/25
- 1315 W Ohio Street Santa Maria Addolorata Church Listing @properties Christie’s International Real Estate