Monday, January 6, 2020

Two Clark Street Properties About To Meet The Wrecking Ball

image courtesy of Google Streetview, 2018


Well, that didn't take long.

Last week, permits were issued for the demolition of two buildings at 4645 and 4647 North Clark (and the garages behind them). Today the green fences were already up in preparation. They are located immediately south of Taqueria El Ranchito, for fans of late-night priced-right food.

We have no idea what -- if anything -- is planned for the site. As usual, stay tuned.

5 comments:

  1. Wow, this makes little sense--that area is crying out for new retail and preservation of the relatively well-preserved streetscape--hopefully something is built there. Otherwise, what a bad move.

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  2. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4647-N-Clark-St_Chicago_IL_60640_M93852-33283

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  3. The buildings were advertised for sale "As-Is," which would lead one to believe they were not well maintained. Probably a tear-down out of necessity.

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  4. Few things are teardowns out of necessity. In other cities, buildings are resurrected that look far, far worse. And I don't care what's inside, I've seen worse on that front as well having done disaster relief projects for years. We're lazy about this in Chicago. It's our history, unfortunately. As a result, we lose affordable housing, affordable retail spaces, quality construction, rhythmic street lines that encourage walkability and community, and ultimately, we lose our soul as a city. And for what? We displace residents, raise rents, have ugly buildings made of materials that have far shorter life spans, and contribute to our unsustainable landfill practices. For the short-term profit of a few.

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    1. It's now 3 years later and what we now know is that the new owner demolished the buildings (they were not deemed historic by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks) and 8 condo units were built there as of right because no zoning change was requested. We're a diverse city with very diverse opinions about what should have occurred, but regardless, the U.S. Constitution supports the owner's right to build what they wanted as long as they met the current zoning, pulled the appropriate permits, and built according to standards laid out by the Buildings Dept.

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