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WIN: Lakeside Press Building to be Adaptively Reused

Lakeside Press Building, 731 S. Plymouth Court, by Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1897, Historic Photo Credit: Library of Congress
Lakeside Press Building, 731 S. Plymouth Court, circa 1901, Historic Photo Credit: Rudolph Michaelis Glass Plate Negatives of Chicago from the Midwest collection at the Newberry Library

The Lakeside Press Building will be converted to 96 market-rate apartments by developer 3L Real Estate. Originally, the building served as a showroom, office and printing press for the Lakeside Press. The middle floors housed the printing presses. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is a contributing building in the Printing House Row Chicago Landmark District designated in 1996. The seven-story building had operated for almost 80 years as a printing plant before being converted to residential use in 1985. Columbia College has used this historic Printer’s Row office building as a student dormitory since 1993.

731 S. Plymouth Court was designed by the notable architect Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1897 with the northern half completed in 1901. This massive loft building is a wonderful example of a late 19th century commercial/industrial buildings. It features a solid limestone base with limestone quoins, piers, and window headers and a massive limestone entryway with ornate carving. The building is primarily of red brick, with heavy vertical piers, and a wide variety of window types including arched windows at the first and top floors, and rows of massive windows separated by riveted cast iron spandrels.Originally, the building served as a showroom, office, and printing press for the Lakeside Press. The middle floors housed the printing presses.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is a contributing building in the Printing House Row Chicago Landmark District designated in 1996.

Preservation Chicago applauds 3L Real Estate for their continued interest in adaptive reuse of Chicago’s historic buildings. They recently completed the adaptive reuse of the former Yellow Cab Warehouse on 21st Street into residential apartments and recently purchased the Chicago Landmark Johnson Publishing Ebony/Jet building 820 S. Michigan Avenue which will be converted to a residential use.

Additional Reading
3L Real Estate Will Convert South Loop Student Housing Into Market Rate Apartments, Chuch Sudo, Bisnow, 7/18/18

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