flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Chicago's 7 most endangered properties

Reconstruction & Renovation

Chicago's 7 most endangered properties

Preservation Chicago released its annual list of historic buildings that are at risk of being demolished or falling into decay.


By BD+C Staff | March 5, 2015
Chicago's 7 most endangered properties

The Illinois Institute of Technology's Main Building is among the city buildings at the highest risk of being lost to demolition or decay, according to the group Preservation Chicago. All photos provided by Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago

Each year, Preservation Chicago publishes a list of the city buildings that are at the highest risk of being lost to demolition or decay. According to DNA Info, the organization unveiled its list on the 178th anniversary of Chicago's incorporation as a city. 

"These are irreplaceable buildings that define our neighborhoods," said Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago.

The buildings named on the list are:

  • The South Side Masonic Temple: Located at 6400 S. Green Street, the Masonic temple was built in 1921. Throughout its years, it served as a popular destination for fraternal meetings and community events in Englewood. The building features Egyptian, Moorish, and Art Deco influences.
  • The Agudas Achim North Shore Synagogue: "The last great Chicago synagogue" is located at 5029 N. Kenmore Avenue and was built in 1922. It boasts Romanesque Revival, Art Deco, and Spanish influences. It's currently listed for sale and has worried Preservation Chicago that it may be demolished by developers.
  • Clarendon Park Community Center: Uptown's local community center was built in 1916 for beachgoers. It sits at 4501 N. Clarendon Street and has fallen victim to water filtration and other building code issues.
  • A. Finkl & Sons: The Lincoln Park steel plant is up for a major redevelopment, although Preservation Chicago is concerned the renovations may not include the historic buildings that are already standing on the riverfront.
  • Illinois Institute of Technology: The Main Building at 3300 S. Federal Street was built in 1893 with funds from Chicago meatpacking baron Philip Armour. While the higher education institution has restored many other buildings designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this one has not and is being offered to developers.
  • Pioneer Arcade: Once a 1920s bowling and billiards venue, the arcade at 1535 N. Pulaski Road has been empty since the mid-2000s. The building's facade is known as one of the city's best examples of 1920s Spanish colonial revival style and was designed by Jens Jensen. It's neighbor, the New Apollo Theater, also made Preservation Chicago's list. 
  • Neon signs: Located throughout the city, there are many old-school neon signs that bring back memories of how businesses approached advertising from the 1930s to the 1960s. 

 

Englewood's South Side Masonic Temple

 

The Agudas Achim North Shore Synagogue on Kenmore Avenue

 

Clarendon Park Community Center in Uptown

 

Illinois Institute of Technology

 

Pioneer Arcade at 1535 N. Pulaski Road

 

Some of Chicago's neon signs

 

Related Stories

Mixed-Use | Sep 8, 2016

Former sports stadium to become landscaped gardens, housing, and shops

According to the architects, Maison Edouard François, the project will act as a new green lung for the densely populated neighborhood.

Performing Arts Centers | Aug 31, 2016

Sydney Opera House scheduled for $200 million upgrade

Acoustical improvements will be made alongside upgrades in accessibility, efficiency, and flexibility.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 29, 2016

Home maintenance 101: How uninformed homeowners can cause developers big headaches, and what to do about it

By taking a proactive stance, the home-building industry can both educate the public about the importance of home maintenance and raise awareness within the construction community about protecting their professional rights and reputations.

Great Solutions | Aug 23, 2016

Reusable infection control barriers ease hospital renovation

Clark Construction Group pilots the Edge Guard system on the Fair Oaks (Va.) Hospital reconstruction project.

| Aug 19, 2016

RECONSTRUCTION GIANTS: Facelifts give buildings new identities, even as they keep a few wrinkles

Reconstruction is always a balancing act between the client’s pro forma and what the building needs to be vibrant again.

| Aug 19, 2016

Top 70 Reconstruction Engineering Firms

Jacobs, Robins & Morton, and The Boldt Company top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Aug 19, 2016

Top 110 Reconstruction Construction Firms

Gilbane Building Co., Turner Construction Co., and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

| Aug 19, 2016

Top 130 Reconstruction Architecture Firms

The Beck Group, Stantec, and IMC Consruction top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 16, 2016

Community organization celebrating 25 years of safer, healthier homes

Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago’s work engages 3,500 volunteers every year to work on more than 100 repair projects for local residents in need.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 9, 2016

Renascent architecture: Demolished Frank Lloyd Wright structures get new life

The Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative is set to begin its reconstruction efforts with the Banff Pavilion, which was demolished in 1939.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.



Brick and Masonry

A journey through masonry reclad litigation

This blog post by Walter P Moore's Mallory Buckley, RRO, PE, BECxP + CxA+BE, and Bob Hancock, MBA, JD, of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC, explains the importance of documentation, correspondence between parties, and supporting the claims for a Plaintiff-party, while facilitating continuous use of the facility, on construction litigation projects.


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021