The David Alder-designed rowhouses in Lakeview received preliminary landmark status earlier this year and will be having a public hearing in August at the Chicago Landmarks Commission as the next step in the landmarks process.

The neighborhood has also started discussions about a larger landmark district on several of the nearby streets in response to a possible demolition threat.

We’re very excited to see these unique, first class rowhouses by a noteworthy architect move towards protection and recognition by the city and hope the neighbors are successful in mobilizing support for additional designations.

Preservation Chicago led a successful tour highlighting our Chicago 7 Most Endangered Buildings for 2016 earlier this month.

We were able to bring participants to sites all over the city and even secured tours of Lakeside Center at McCormick Place where we were able to walk inside the building and visit the outdoor high plinth overlooking Lake Michigan. We also visited St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church in Pilsen where we toured the sanctuary in addition to a special stop at the fire-damaged Shrine of Christ the King in Woodlawn (now undergoing a reconstruction).

We were also pleased to be joined by students from the University of Chicago who were filming a documentary on several churches in Chicago including St. Boniface, St. Adalbert and Shrine of Christ the King.

This was our second annual tour – if you missed out, hopefully you can join us next year.

On the heels of a redevelopment proposal which would demolish 325 W. Fullerton Parkway (pictured above) and perhaps endanger an early building by Architect Ben Marshall just to the west, Preservation Chicago believes it is time for the city of Chicago, the residents of the area, and Ald. Michelle Smith to consider a new landmark district for the area.

Such a district would protect buildings along Lincoln Park West, Commonwealth Avenue, Belden Avenue and perhaps extending as far west as Clark Street, where it would join the Mid-North Landmark District.

We urge the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and its staff to take up this proposal swiftly because we don’t anticipate the danger to historic buildings to subside any time in the near future, as there was a 70-unit courtyard building on Lincoln Park West that was under threat just last year which mobilized residents to hire a historic researcher that prepared and submitted a length and thorough preliminary report to Alderman Smith.

While a demolition permit was issued last Friday for the unique and beautiful St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, hope remains for a re-use of the West Town building.

There is still an active proposal to re-use the West Town orange-rated church by the Chicago Academy of Music and an accompanying residential development on the former site of the school to the west along with a portion of the church.

The debt on the church was purchased by another developer with the intention of demolishing the church. This has been undermining efforts to preserve this historic structure. Conversations continue with the city, Chicago Academy of Music and Stas Development to re-use the building, offering music lessons to children at the neighboring Eckhart Park as well as residents in the broader community.

Read more on this process at the Chicago Tribune here, DNAinfo here and Our Urban Times here.

Good news for the redevelopment plans of Chicago’s historic Julia C. Lathrop Homes; with an up-coming round of hearings, lead developer Related Midwest has revealed that at least two prominent buildings that had been targeted for demolition will now be saved.

The two buildings in question anchor the corner of Diversey, Clybourn and Damen and were originally slated to be replaced with new construction that would include a substantial amount of retail with apartments above. Following a letter from the National Park Service indicating that such a move would imperil historic tax credits, the development team revised their plans.

This a positive development, though with the pending hearings next month we intend to argue that more preservation is required, especially of the historic rowhouses that parallel Damen south of Diversey, which is a unique housing type for this development.

You can read more at DNAinfo Chicago here.