“Anyone who enters the nearly block-long brick structure in West Pullman expecting to find a typical collection of apartments for seniors is in for a pleasant surprise.
“Wide corridors invite chance meetups. Generously sized windows stream light deep into the building. There’s an abundance of touches too rich looking to be new, such as built-in bookcases and old doors repurposed as decoration. And there’s the big nod to the past — chalkboards in most of the 60 units. Residents use them for notes and reminders.
“The building at 11941 S. Parnell Ave. is the old West Pullman Elementary School, with part of its structure dating from 1894. It grew to allow for a capacity of 2,000 students, but dwindling enrollment led former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to close it in 2013, making it one of dozens of suddenly empty buildings that became a challenge for their communities.
“Can an old school be reconfigured for some other use? Absolutely, in West Pullman’s case.
“Developer Scott Henry, principal of Celadon Holdings, was sensitive to the possibilities. He was born in the area and his mother attended the school. In retrospect, the building had attributes to make it a natural for senior living, even if there were many difficulties along the way. He hired Chicago-based architectural firm UrbanWorks to help figure things out.
“‘When it’s done and you have a beautiful project, it’s worth it. And you get people moving in who are so appreciative — some of them with tears in their eyes.’ Henry has partnered with A Safe Haven Foundation, which helps people at risk of homelessness.
“UrbanWorks partner Robert Natke said high ceilings lend a feeling of extra space and the large windows, reflecting a mindset that kids in class needed light and fresh air, are at least twice as large as what’s common in new construction. There was space to add elevators. The layout allowed for plenty of risers — ductwork running into the units, each of which has its own furnace, he said.
“Henry paid Chicago Public Schools $250,000 for the property in 2017 and secured tax credits for historic preservation. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and, in 2018, became an official Chicago landmark.
“A report by the city’s landmarks staff that recommended the designation cited the school as a well-preserved and detailed example of public school trends from the early 20th century. It also was cited for showing how West Pullman, which the city annexed in 1890, grew as families were drawn to nearby employers such as George Pullman’s rail car works and International Harvester.
“The architects for the school’s three sections were employed by the Chicago Board of Education, the system having decided that architects on commission were giving it cookie-cutter designs. The man credited with the 1894 section was W. August Fiedler, whose connections to high society in the late 19th century led to such work as the Germania Club on the North Side, a city landmark. (Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/20)
Preservation Chicago applauds developer Celadon Holdings, A Safe Haven Foundation and the architect UrbanWorks for an excellent project. This is an excellent example of how adaptive reuse can reinvigorate historic structures. It also demonstrates how the inherent authenticity of historic structures can result in more interesting, unique, desirable, and ultimately successful finished projects than comparable new construction. We hope that many more of the vacant former Chicago Public Schools are adaptively reused for affordable housing.
Read the full story and see all 32 photos at the Chicago Sun-Times
