“A city of Chicago community development grant of up to $250,000 has been awarded to help turn the first floor of the former Jefferson Park firehouse into a small business incubator, featuring as many as 15 separate hair-style and other salon-related operators.
“Called ‘Parlor Station,’ the project was one of 58 neighborhood improvement projects recently awarded a total of $33 million in grants.
“Construction began last summer on the former firehouse’s second floor, where four apartments are being built out. Initial plans had called for a brewery on the first floor, but those plans fell through.
“Located at 4837 N. Lipps Ave., the two-story structure, which includes a basement, was built 120 years ago. It stopped being used as a firehouse in 1981, and then until around 2010 it housed the 45th Ward streets and sanitation services.
“Several years ago the city sold the building to developer Tim Pomaville of Ambrosia Homes in exchange for putting $200,000 in escrow to cover the estimated cost of environmental remediation for the site.
“The project is designed for hair stylists and skin and nail treatment specialists who are looking to start their own business but may not be ready to lease an entire storefront, said Lidia Pomaville, the project’s organizer.
“‘We’re going to make it beautiful,’ Pomaville said. ‘It’s going to be a stunning space,’ with glass and several amenities.” (Nadig, Nadig Newspapers, 1/15/26)
Preservation Chicago applauds Tim Pomaville and Ambrosia Homes for his dedication and commitment to this adaptive reuse over the past 6 or more years. He genuinely partnered with the community, listened to and integrated the comments, and changed the trajectory of his development accordingly. A special thanks to the dedicated and outstanding advocacy of the Northwest Chicago Historical Society, Susanna Ernst, Frank Suerth, Dan Pogorzelski, and Jacob Kaplan.
The Northwest Chicago Historical Society and Preservation Chicago encourage Ambrosia Homes to seek a Chicago Landmark Designation for the building. This could be considered as an individual landmark or as an extension of the thematic Chicago Fire House Landmark District.