Sunday, April 13, 2008

Uptown Broadway Building Is Ready For Its Close-Up

A reader wrote in on Friday: "This building was unveiled today and its restoration is gorgeous!"

We went by this morning to take a look, and we agree. The details on this building are stunning. Even with the downstairs still being gutted, it took our breath away.

Thank you, Thaddeus Wong, for giving this amazing building back to Uptown.

(Click on the pictures for a larger view to fully appreciate the details.)








13 comments:

  1. Amazing job. So glad someone decided to take the time, money and effort to restoring a building. It's way too easy these days to just tear something down and build another boring building.

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  2. Slowly but surely. Building by building. Block by block. Uptown is becoming the jewel it once was.

    Just imagine the Uptown Entertainment District growing, glowing, bustling. Time for a major branding plan with a defined name, logo, live music festivals, dazzling streetscaping plan.

    Uptown is on the Upswing!

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  3. yay!

    it is so lovely.

    i can feel it...uptown is getting stronger everyday!

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  4. Dat is beau te full building.

    What is happening in Uptown can be described "best" by this classic sketch. "Slowly I turned".
    The Three Stooges "Slowly I turned". I was once a tramp like you...........

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  5. A wonderful start, indeed!

    That's gorgeous and all due praise to those responsible.

    Hopefully this is a harbinger of things to come, not an anomaly.

    Now, we just need to start working south.

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  6. Oh my god, it looks beautiful! looks like I have to take a walk.

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  7. Altheperson says

    They are not doing any work on the building...they simply took down the netting...they haven't done harldly anything in months....

    There are problems...no work is being done on the interior that has any substance....

    I spoke to the guys taking down the netting...one said it's a "rat trap, it should be condemned" there are problems apparently in paying the contractors....

    It isn't being unveiled at all...while the netting was on nothing had been done...

    Sorry....

    Maybe someone should ask why the work has been stopped for almost a year...the interior hasn't changed in 9 moths...I walk by it almost everyday...

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  8. You've come a long way baby...

    Then: when I moved to Uptown 8 years ago, this is what I remember-

    The Goldblatt's building was empty and subject to picketing from COURAJ and ONE demanding more low-income, oh, affordable housing.

    The Wooden Nickel on Wilson and Racine had just closed. When you walked by, you could still smell the stench of stale booze.

    The lot on the south east corner of Magnolia and Wilson was empty, having just survived the fate of another Shiller vision to be yet another one-stop social service building. Guess 80+ social service agencies isn't enough.

    The Wilson El station won the dubious Chicago magazine honor of being one of the stinkiest places in Chicago.

    Every day, every week, Uptown is reviving and renewing.

    People realize that what once made Uptown a mecca with the most beautiful beachfront in Chicago, the most amazing live entertainment hub, stunning architecture, easily accessible public transportation is gradually coming back to life.

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  9. Maybe someone should ask why the work has been stopped for almost a year...the interior hasn't changed in 9 moths...I walk by it almost everyday...

    Not exactly true. The sidewalk was completed in that time period, and scaffolding has been erected around the entire building while brick work is being redone.

    I think the 'delay' is from the discovery of some major structural issues that were completely unanticipated. I would assume that it probably took some time to develop a game plan and raise more funds to tackle the issues... not to mention the zoning limbo.

    I don't think I've seen the building go more than 30 days or so without some minimal progress. Patience...

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  10. Gorgeous, wow. I'm proud to have such a beautiful building in the 'hood!

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  11. The building is nearing completion. We have been hard at work on it for the last few years. Its a labor of love by the owner and all involved.
    The interior is all clean and ready for tenants to occupy.
    The facade has been completely restored and a bew storefront installed.

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