The Warehouse (l), the Werner Brothers Storage Building, and the Continental Can Company Building are all on the 2023 list of Chicago’s Most Endangered Buildings in Preservation. (Credit: Serhii Chrucky, Ward Miller, Serhii Chrucky / Preservation Chicago)
You can’t tell from the law firms advertising in the windows of 206 S. Jefferson St., but this modest three-story building on the West Loop was once the hottest dance club in town, It was a warehouse.
This is where DJ Frankie Knuckles spun a mix of disco, electronic, soul and gospel and popularized a new style of music (house), named after the building.
“When I first moved to Chicago [in 1977]Knuckles recalled at the Red Bull Music Academy in 2011: It was in the back of an abandoned city because so many industries and businesses had relocated…you had to travel far from your neighborhood just to get groceries and stuff like that.
Today, in the revitalized West Loop, buildings are so ripe for demolition and redevelopment that the Chicago Conservation Department has included the warehouse on its 2023 “most endangered” list, Wednesday. announced to
“Despite being a site of great importance to Chicago’s musical and cultural history, the warehouse is not protected against tampering or demolition. We urge you to take urgent steps to get started,” the organization said. “Warehouse is a tribute to the rich history of his LBGTQ+ African-American community in Chicago, the incredible story of house music, and the groundbreaking influence Frankie Knuckles has had on the sound of today’s contemporary music. It should be protected as a symbol.”
Launched in 2003 and now in its 20th year, the Most Endangered List was created to raise awareness and advocate for buildings at risk of demolition. Other buildings highlighted for 2023 include:
Century and Consumers Building
Century Building, 1915, Holabird and Roche, 202 S. State St.
Consumers Building, 1913, Jenney, Mundie & Jensen, 220 S. State St.
Buildings at 220 S. State St. and 202 S. State St. are recommended for demolition as part of the Dirksen Federal Building Security Plan. (WTTW News)
These early skyscrapers have long been vacant, and post-9/11 security concerns related to their proximity to the Chicago Federal Center have led to federal funding for their demolition.
Preservation Chicago continues to fight for adaptive reuse of buildings, pushing the National Archives Center as an option.
Terracotta buildings, all over Chicago
c. 1890s to 1940s, various architects
Terracotta buildings like this one in Albany Park are often overlooked for their historic status and preservation. (Patti Wetley/WTTW News)
The “golden age” of terracotta use left an important imprint on Chicago’s buildings, with many fine examples in the Loop and downtown becoming landmarks. is unrecognized and unprotected, the Chicago Department of Rescue said.
“Terracotta commercial buildings in Chicago’s neighborhoods continue to be threatened by declining investment and new development pressures. As a result, these buildings are often slowly but surely lost,” said the organization. said. “Individual building losses seem isolated, but from a broader perspective, the trends are clear and alarming.”
Jeffrey Theater Building and Spencer Arms Hotel
1924, William P. Doerr, 7054 S. Jeffery Boulevard/952 E. 71st St.
Jeffrey Theater and Spencer Arms Hotel. (Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago)
The theater and hotel were built as anchors to the South Shore’s once-bustling commercial district. The theater closed in his 1976, but the ornate terracotta façade and lobby survive, along with Spencer’s residential apartment in his Arms Hotel.
A demolition plan was announced in 2017 and a new recreational facility was built on the site. Preservation Chicago is pushing to incorporate the historic his Jeffery Theater façade and lobby, along with the hotel, into this new planned development.
University of Illinois at Chicago Taft Hall
1965 Walter Netsch, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), 826 S. Halsted St.
Taft Hall, University of Illinois at Chicago. (Max Chavez / Preservation Chicago)
The UIC campus is considered one of the crowning achievements of the long career of acclaimed architect Walter Netsch.
Taft Hall is one of three nearly identical halls in a second-floor enclosed bridge-connected group of buildings. In October 2022, the university announced plans to renovate the hall. This includes the complete demolition of the historic façade. “A decision that accelerates the erosion of Netch’s iconic campus design,” said the Chicago Conservation Department.
Werner Brothers Warehouse
1921, George S. Kingsley, 7613 N. Paulina Street
Warehouse of the Werner brothers. (Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago)
This Rogers Park gem is an example of a bygone era when preservation firms hired renowned architects to build majestic, sturdy, and stunning buildings, Preservation Chicago said.
Plans have been announced for 2022 to demolish the Werner Bros. Storage Warehouse to create an affordable, transportation-oriented residential development similar in size and height to the existing building. Preservation Chicago supports the plan, but urges developers to incorporate historic buildings, especially terracotta cladding, into new structures.
Southwest Side Industrial Building
— Continental Can Company Building, 1920, Samuel Scott Joy, 3815 S. Ashland Avenue
— Damen Silos, 1906, John Metcalf (civil engineer), 2860 S. Damen Avenue
— Fisk Power Station, 1903, Shepley, Rutan, Coolidge, 1111 W. Cermac Road
Darmen Cyros. (WTTW News)
Located in the Bridgeport and McKinley Park neighborhoods, the Central Manufacturing District’s Original East District (CMD East) is recognized as the first planned industrial park in the United States.
In 2022, plans were announced to demolish one of its most famous buildings, the Continental Can Building, to make way for a new cold storage facility. Once one of many towers on CMD East, it is now the last remaining tower in the area.
“The demolition of this lovely Gothic terracotta building and tower would be a great loss to the CMD-Original East District and, more broadly, to the industrial heritage of the Southwest,” Preservation Chicago said.
Located along the South Fork of the Chicago River, the Damen Grain Silo has been an iconic part of Chicago’s industrial and agricultural history for over a century. The Silo closed in his 1977 and enjoyed a second life as a film location and unofficial city tourism destination.
The state of Illinois is under great threat after it decides to sell the Damen Silo and its 23.4-acre riverfront site to a buyer who plans to demolish it.
Chicago shouldn’t lose one of the last monumental landmarks in the agricultural industry’s past, says Preservation Chicago. “We encourage you to consider the historic Damen Grain Silos as part of your vision for larger public facilities and reuse, including the much-needed riverfront environment. It could include restoration and recreational opportunities for nearby communities living on the southwest side, Chicagoans in the city, and tourists.”
According to Preservation Chicago, the Fisk power plant will pave the way for steam-engine turbine-based coal-fired power plants to “produce massive amounts of power on an unprecedented scale for rapidly growing cities.” made it possible.
Set on 50 acres of riverside grounds, Fisk is ripe for a museum in London’s Tate Modern, a former power station.
“The repurposed and revised Fisk Power Station has the potential to be a huge asset as a cultural and community center for residents of Pilsen, Chinatown, the Near Southwest, and the Central Region,” said the Chicago Conservation Department. says.
Contact Patti Wetri: @pattywetli | | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
