Preservation Chicago strongly opposes the demolition of these three, architecturally significant, orange-rated East Superior Street Rowhouses dating from the 1870’s and 1880’s. The adjacent seven-story Art Deco limestone building and historic four-story red brick Giordano’s building are also endangered. The three 1880’s-era rowhouses at 42 E. Superior Street (George A. Tripp House), 44 E. Superior Street and 46 E. Superior Street (Hennessey Houses) were added to the 90-Day Demolition Delay List on September 12, 2018.

With only days before the expiration of the 90-Demolition Delay, the Superior Street Rowhouses have been granted an additional 90 day extension until March 8, 2019. The extension of the demolition delay is difficult to achieve and requires the support of the alderman, the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development staff, and the consent of the owner/developer.

In early November 2018, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly took the important preliminary steps to formally request that the City Council downzone the Superior Street Rowhouses properties. Preservation Chicago applauds Alderman Reilly for his strong leadership and his proactive steps to protect these authentic, beautiful, and charming historic Chicago rowhouses from being bulldozed.

In addition to Alderman Reilly, Preservation Chicago wishes to recognize and applaud the Chicago Department of Planning and Development Landmarks Staff, our preservation partners, and the nearly 5,000 Chicagoans who signed the petition to support the protection of these architecturally significant Chicago rowhouses. Each component is essential for conducting an effective preservation effort that yields a positive outcome.

While the 90-Day Demolition Delay extension is a critically important and very positive step forward, the reprieve is temporary and the Superior Street Rowhouses remain very much imperiled. Preservation Chicago continues to proactively advocate for the creation of a Designated Chicago Landmark District that would protect the Superior Street Rowhouses and the few remaining original nineteenth century homes within the neighborhood that have survived until today.

Preservation Chicago is actively working with neighborhood organizations and other stakeholders to generate support for a Chicago Landmark District. Preservation Chicago researchers are hard at work discovering and assembling as much historic material as possible about these and the handful of other similar surviving buildings in the neighborhood.