Chicago, Thursday, August 3, 2000

Reports from The Street are not good. Demolition began this morning on 1210 South Union Street. All indications now are that the University of Illinois at Chicago will try to demolish as many buildings as it can before the Keeper of the National Register renders her decision about historic district status for the Maxwell Street neighborhood, which is expected by September 1. The Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition has made numerous appeals to University and City of Chicago officials to postpone the demolition, at least until the Keeper's final determination has been made, but those pleas have been ignored.

In addition to the demoliton of 1210 South Union, our sources on Maxwell Street have observed crews clearing asbestos from 1304 S. Halsted and 1306 S. Halsted. Asbestos removal typically has been a prelude to demolition. Workers from Midwest Wrecking told our street sources that demolition of those three buildings would begin this week. We checked with the City of Chicago Department of Buildings and determined that demolition permits have been issued for those three buildings as well as 711-713 W. Maxwell, 723-725 W. Maxwell, and 731 W. Maxwell. Curiously, 731 W. Maxwell is on the list of buildings the University claims it is going to save.

Since many buildings adjacent to the ones scheduled for demolition are still privately owned, or have not yet been vacated, delaying demolition will have little effect on the university's construction schedule, but will prevent irreversible damage to the proposed historic district. By going ahead with demolition now, UIC and the City of Chicago have made it clear that they remain determined to destroy this world-renowned Chicago landmark and are prepared to accept the ignominy that will accompany that decision.

The building demolished this morning, 1210 South Union, was a three story brick store and apartment building constructed in about 1900. It was a type of commercial architecture known as a "two-part vertical block" that was common in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was a simple building, with a flat roof, and its primary facade has an ashlar masonry veneer of Bedford limestone. The storefront facade was updated in 1938. Material evidence found within the building suggests that it once housed a butcher shop on the first level, a synagogue on the second level, and a residence on the third level.

Return to the Maxwell St. News Update page.

Return to the Maxwell St. page.

Return to Chuck Cowdery's home page.

Go to the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition home page.

Contact Us

TO REACH US VIA EMAIL:

Chuck Cowdery, President (cowdery@21stcentury.net)
Steve Balkin, Vice President (mar@openair.org)

Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition
P.O. Box 6435
Evanston, IL  60204