Wednesday, March 24, 2010

"Our Lady Of Perpetual Scaffolding" vs. Landmarks Illinois

A previous owner of the Sheridan Plaza at Wilson and Sheridan asked for a tax exemption and promised to keep the building historically intact in exchange. 

Now the new owners (Horizon Group Management, the same firm who sued an Uptown renter for Twittering uncomplimentary sentiments about a unit they owned) want to start ripping away, and are suing the agency who oversees preservation.

Read all about it at Crain's Chicago.

4 comments:

  1. The article says the north wall, but that faces an alley, so is it actually the south wall of the parking garage along Wilson? If so, I like how the building flows into the garage's facade, so keep it. That building owner seems like a bully to it's tenants and buildings, so Landmark, keep up the good fight.

    -Brian

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  2. "Agency" is misleading; Landmarks Illinois is a non-profit, not government affiliated. I don't know the specifics of the case but I doubt Horizon's claim has any merit. Easements are a perpetual agreement. Obviously maintenance means the wall has to continue to exist. And if they broke the easement, Horizon would probably be responsible for something like paying back the tax deductions back to 1981 and possibly a penalty - I don't know the specifics of easement law in Illinois but that is typical.

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  3. It would be a shame to add this beautiful vintage property to the list of Uptown buildings that have had their unique vintage features chopped up or off to facilitate the financial goals of a developer. This building stands on the main intersection of Uptown's main commercial street. It has a beautiful lobby (or did years ago when I last ventured in to visit tenants) that rivals the Palmer House.

    That street needs to retain all the beauty it can. The Jesus People seem unlikely to replace the ironwork awning they ripped off their 920 W Wilson building just to the east and the promised Wilson Yard terra cotta facadectomy to the west has been hatcheded by the developer to the point that in now only exists as an architectural ornament hanging on a common, cheap brick facade.

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  4. LOL. Really! There was a "church" I labeled "Our Lady of Perpetual Construction" on the corner of Ashland/Berwyn. Garbage lying all over in the walkway for literally 2 years. Somebody tried to get me to "join" this place. Please.

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