On Leong Merchants Association, 2212 S. Wentworth Avenue: A $250,000 grant will support the restoration of the cast iron storefronts, window replacements, and plaster repair, among other work. The building, designed in the Oriental style and completed in 1927, was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1993. Photo Credit: City of Chicago
Four Neighborhood Landmarks, including a Chinatown community center and three historic neighborhood churches will be awarded rehabilitation grants from the Citywide Adopt-a-Landmark Fund through the Department of Planning and Development (DPD). Grantees include On Leong Merchants Association, Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory, Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, and Beverly Unitarian Church.
“Each of these buildings have played a historic role in the development of their respective neighborhoods, and their thoughtful rehabilitation will ensure they remain community anchors for future generations,” said DPD Commissioner Maurice L. Cox, a member of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.
“The Adopt-a-Landmark Fund receives 10 percent of the money paid by downtown developers through the Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus system. Previous projects approved for Adopt-a-Landmark grants include the Uptown Theatre, the First Church of Deliverance in Grand Boulevard, and an artist loft development in Pullman.”
Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral and Rectory, 1121 S. Leavitt Street: A $250,000 grant will support the replacement of the front porch, exterior metal work and stucco repair. Designed to resemble Russian provincial churches, the building is one of only two churches from master architect Louis Sullivan, and its construction was partially paid for by Czar Nicholas II. It was completed in 1903 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1979. Photo Credit: Eric Allix RogersNorwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2610 N. Kedzie Avenue: A $250,000 grant will support the restoration of the main façade facing Kedzie and the masonry above the roofline. Designed in the Gothic Revival style and completed in 1912, it is one of only two churches in America that uses Norwegian as a primary language. Also known by its Norwegian name Minnekirken, the church is a contributing building to the Logan Square Boulevards District, designated a Chicago Landmark in 2005. Photo Credit: Erin BrownBeverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Drive: A $240,000 grant will support the rebuilding of its turrets and associated roof and masonry work. The castle-like structure was built with Joliet limestone in 1886 by real estate dealer Robert C. Givins and modeled after a home he saw on the River Dee in eastern Ireland. The building, which has operated as a church since the early 1940s, is a contributing structure to the Longwood Drive District, designated a Chicago Landmark in 1981. The four projects were selected from a pool of applicants that requested grants this summer. Among other considerations, staff prioritized projects that are shovel ready, projects that leverage additional investments, and projects that will have a positive, catalytic impact on their community. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
