“The demolition of a century-old greystone in Lakeview has prompted city officials and neighbors to explore whether a larger stretch of the neighborhood should be protected as a historic landmark district.

“The conversation was sparked after a greystone at 1300 W. Newport Ave. was torn down, alarming neighbors who said the loss threatened the architectural continuity of one of the area’s most intact stretches of early 20th century two- and three-flats.

“In response, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) and the city’s Department of Planning and Development hosted a community meeting this week to present early research on a possible landmark district and gather feedback from the roughly 50 neighbors who attended.

“Kandalyn Hahn, a preservation planner with the Chicago Department of Planning and Development whose work informs the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, presented preliminary findings showing the area contains about 200 buildings constructed mainly between 1901 and 1915.

“This area presents an unusually high degree of architectural uniformity,’ Hahn said, pointing to the concentration of brick and limestone two- and three-flats. ‘Together, they tell a cohesive story of working-class housing in Lakeview.’

“Hahn said many of the buildings were developed as rental properties for German immigrant families working in nearby factories, with early deed restrictions requiring masonry construction, consistent setbacks and minimum building costs.

“Hahn sought to clarify what landmark status would — and would not — regulate. ‘Landmark review only applies to exterior features visible from the public right of way,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t regulate interiors, landscaping or routine maintenance, and owners can still make changes as long as they maintain the historic character.’

“Several residents asked why the city couldn’t pursue landmark status for just the 1300 block of Newport Avenue rather than a larger district. Preservation staff said broader boundaries are often necessary to ensure the designation reflects a cohesive historical story and is legally defensible.

“I don’t see myself moving forward without a lot of support from property owners,’ Lawson said. ‘It doesn’t have to be unanimous, but there has to be real buy-in.’” (Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 1/16/26)

“An effort to landmark a six-block area in West Lakeview to protect a cohesive streetscape of historical greystones is getting pushback, largely from residents in the target area whose own blocks aren’t so cohesive.

“‘On my block many of the buildings have been torn down and rebuilt, so there’s not that uniformity that the landmarks people seem to think there is,’ said Mike Hennessy, a 30-year resident of a red brick two-flat on the 1200 block of Cornelia Avenue.

“Aesthetics aren’t Hennessy’s main concern about the landmarking effort. He believes landmarking the neighborhood would put a lid on the value of his home, because any future buyer would be barred from tearing down the facade. In this high-demand section of Lakeview, his two-story house would likely be targeted for a three-story replacement, he said.

“Without the possibility of tearing down the facade with the rest of the building, Hennessy said, “that’s an expensive rebuild that a builder won’t want to deal with, and they won’t want to have to deal with the landmarks bureaucracy. They’ll just go find another property that’s not landmarked and do what they want.”

“The buildings that line Hennessy’s block are a mix of greystones and brick, old buildings and new. But around the corner are the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Newport Avenue, where historical greystones dominate, their parapets and pillars variously ornamented and their window bays creating a rhythm that rolls down the block.

“‘When you walk down this street, there’s character, something that makes you feel like home,’ said Bret Rietow, who lives in a greystone on the 1300 block of Newport. It’s not historical, but built to echo the vintage homes when an older one collapsed.” (Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 3/24/26)

Preservation Chicago now is working more closely with neighbors with this Landmark District initiative to help move it forward. There is strong support for the Landmark District on the 1300 block of Newport Avenue where the greystone at 1300 West Newport Avenue was recently demolished for new construction. We encourage the City of Chicago to narrow their focus to this block. While we would like to see a wider district at some time in the future, the City of Chicago does not have the resources to adequately lead this effort to a successful outcome. Due to how the Landmark District process is structures, a few outspoken opponents can easily derail an effort.

Read the full story at Crain’s Chicago Business and Block Club Chicago

• Landmarking effort sparked by demolished greystone divides West Lakeview homeowners, Dennis Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 3/24/26
• Lakeview Neighbors Consider Landmark District After Greystone Demolition; The conversation was sparked after a greystone on Newport Avenue was torn down, alarming neighbors who said the loss threatened one of the area’s most intact stretches of early 20th century two- and three-flats, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 1/16/26
• Brick Exterior The Current Focus At 1300 West Newport Avenue In The Southport Corridor, Daniel Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 4/13/26
• Century-Old Greystone In Lakeview To Be Demolished, But Neighbors Are Fighting To Save It; Neighbors hope to convince the developer to save the building’s facade and preserve the architectural unity of one of the last intact blocks of its kind. “Something significant in Chicago’s history is being lost,” one neighbor said, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 7/31/25
• Demolition Permitted For 1910 Home At 1300 West Newport Avenue In The Southport Corridor, Daniel Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 7/23/25
• No Reprieve For 1300 West Newport, As Demolition Claims Vintage Greystone Façade, Daniel Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 8/5/25