Chicago magazine • 21st October 2019

Look Inside the New Old Main Post Office

Last weekend during Open House Chicago, the public got an early look at the totally overhauled and fully refreshed Old Main Post Office — now known simply as the Old Post Office. And in just a few more weeks, the broad-shouldered, 2.5 million-square-foot building will open its doors to the thousands of new office workers expected to commute there each day.

Since being closed by the city in 1996, the Old Post Office has sat vacant between Van Buren and Harrison, just west of the Chicago River. S

Chicago magazine • 14th August 2019

Weed’s About to Be Legal. Can I Smoke in My Apartment?

Starting January 1, 2020, Illinois residents over the age of 21 will be able to legally purchase and possess up to 30 grams of weed for recreational use. The change is expected to help bring in much-needed tax revenue while freeing up police from arresting and prosecuting small-time pot offenses. But how will the new law affect the relationship between renters and landlords, or condo owners and their associations?

Property owners who pore through Section 10-30 of the 610-page legislation will n

Chicago magazine • 10th July 2019

This Batavia House Predates the Civil War

In recent years, the farmhouse aesthetic has dominated everything from HGTV home renovation shows to new construction in hip Chicago neighborhoods. You’ve likely seen the look: white plank siding, a steep roof gable, and posh-yet-rustic interiors that prioritize comfort and coziness over sleek, contemporary styling.

Meanwhile, out in suburban Batavia, a rare example of a pre-Civil War era Italianate farmhouse is up for grabs for $630,000 after a decade-long restoration, marrying architectural a

Chicago magazine • 5th June 2019

Where to Buy Now: The Architecture Buff’s Edition

The legendary newspaper columnist Mike Royko coined the term Bungalow Man to describe a particular urban species, one that lived in the general vicinity of Milwaukee Avenue and shopped at Sears — a man with a more authentic connection to Chicago than the cosmopolitan High-Rise Man, with his membership to the East Bank Club and subscription to Chicago magazine (ahem).

Defined by sturdy construction and elegant touches like low-pitched roofs and ornamental brick façades, bungalows — most of which

Chicago magazine • 17th May 2019

Home of Suspected St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Mastermind Hits the Market

There’s no shortage of historic homes in suburban Oak Park. After all, it’s the city where Frank Lloyd Wright launched his career, inspiring a generation of architects to develop what’s widely considered to be the first true brand of American architecture, the Prairie school.

But Oak Park also has a seedier history, one tracing back to the bootlegging days of Al Capone’s Chicago Outfit.

At 1224 Kenilworth Avenue, a double-wide bungalow stands among historic homes built at the advent of the Pra

Chicago magazine • 19th April 2019

One Idea for Old Corporate Headquarters: The “Metroburb”

McDonald’s. Mondelez. Conagra. Motorola. As suburban corporations continue to seek out young, city-dwelling talent for the changing workplace, a swathe of major headquarters have moved to downtown Chicago.

But what happens to the sprawling campuses those companies leave behind? While the return of big business to the Loop is touted as a success of the outgoing Emanuel administration, it’s also left a number of suburbs stuck with empty HQs — and the challenge of figuring out how to repurpose the

Chicago magazine • 11th January 2019

Restoring the 1933 World’s Fair “House of Tomorrow”

In 1933, architect George Fred Keck built a glass house to showcase the future of residential architecture at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair — and soon, that same home will undergo a massive overhaul to prepare it for new residents.

Known as the “House of Tomorrow,” the polygonal structure was designed for the fair’s "Century of Progress” theme, which highlighted new industrial advancements and technologies.

Keck, along with his brother William, would later become prolific residential designers

Chicago magazine • 20th December 2018

Assessing the Effort to Legalize New Coach Houses

Could coach houses be the answer to Chicago’s shortage of affordable housing? Some advocates think so, even betting that the small accessory dwellings, which have been illegal in Chicago for decades, could spark a building boom in the city’s most dense, in-demand neighborhoods. And with an election around the corner, there’s hope that aspiring aldermen will catch onto the idea.

Steven Vance, an urban planner with MAP Strategies and founder of the zoning and construction database Chicago Citysca

Chicago magazine • 26th October 2018

Pullman’s Renaissance

New industrial development and investment from the National Park Service are helping to rejuvenate the iconic South Side neighborhood.

An aerial rendering depicting the Pullman National Monument and new industrial development surrounding it.

In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin meticulously restoring the roof and upper floor windows of the landmark Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building, the former headquarters of the company that developed the neighborhood and forever c

Chicago magazine • 21st September 2018

Rents May Be Stabilizing in Hot Chicago Neighborhoods

Like most major metros across the country, Chicago has witnessed a construction boom that’s both reshaped its skyline and delivered thousands of new apartments to its neighborhoods. The trend points to a healthy economy and job market, but it’s also meant increasing demand for apartments in popular neighborhoods, leading to runaway rent prices, an uptick in demolitions, and other indicators of gentrification.

But new data from the Chicago-based apartment site Domu suggests that the hot rental m

Chicago magazine • 27th July 2018

The Old Main Post Office: Before and After

The Old Main Post Office: Before and After For 20 years, the 2.5 million square–foot facility has sat empty. Soon, it will take shape as a sleek new office building.

The Old Main Post Office lobby, pictured here before renovation, has been restored to its original elegance.

After sitting idle for twenty years, Chicago’s Old Main Post Office, a hulking Art Deco-era structure along the Chicago River’s South Branch, is preparing for its next life as a sleek, state of the art office building. The

Chicago magazine • 4th June 2018

The Best Places to Buy in Chicago Right Now

• View more photos: Houses up to $250,000 Historic row houses on a national monument site, a small-town feel in the burbs, a hip enclave just outside the city During much of the 20th century, this Near South Side neighborhood, which straddles the Douglas and Grand Boulevard community areas, was the epicenter of African American civic and cultural life in Chicago, a heritage honored by the creation in the 1990s of the Black Metropolis–Bronzeville historic district. The district encompasses nine

Chicago magazine • 16th May 2018

Is Chicago Experiencing a Historic Preservation Crisis?

In the West Loop, excavators can still be seen at the site of what was just a few weeks ago a rare industrial building designed by D. H. Burnham & Company, the storied firm led by Daniel Burnham, the legendary Chicago city planner and lead architect for the 1893 World’s Fair. Built over 100 years ago, the three-story masonry building at 1217-1227 W. Washington Boulevard was unceremoniously demolished in April, with its elaborate ornamentation and glazed brick reduced to a pile of rubble.

Develo

Chicago magazine • 30th March 2018

Have Oak Park and Evanston Topped Out?

Chicago’s downtown core and trendy neighborhoods along the Blue Line aren’t the only areas seeing big bumps in dense new development. In recent years, the edge suburbs of Oak Park and Evanston have witnessed the construction of several new high-rises that have delivered hundreds of new rental units near busy transit hubs, helping to fill a void by offering newer upscale housing with amenities more typically found in downtown tower construction.

In late 2016, Oak Park’s modest city center welcom

Chicago magazine • 20th March 2018

St. Boniface Church Is Resurrected as a New Condo Development

Nearly three decades and several demolition scares after St. Boniface Church, at 1358 West Chestnut Street, was shuttered, the historic building is finally ready for its second life. Its cavernous interior will soon be carved into 17 condos, expected to be completed by 2020, with an additional 24 units slated for a new building next door on Chestnut Street, according to Michael Skoulsky of Stas Development, the project’s Wicker Park–based developer.

Chicago magazine • 19th December 2017

These Were Chicago’s Best New Buildings/Developments of 2017

In a city known for its contributions to architecture and design, 2017 was no exception. And, if the dozens of tower cranes still seen throughout the city’s skyline this winter are a sign of anything, there’s plenty more to come—including a number of high-rise projects from star architects.

But which of this year’s new buildings were the very best?

We enlisted local experts to make their picks. Panelists include AIA Chicago Communications Director and editor of Chicago Architect magazine (and

Chicago magazine • 14th December 2017

Best of 2017: Building Preservation and Restoration Projects Worth Cheering

New is not always better. A recent wave of successful adaptive reuse efforts—think of new hotels such as the Chicago Athletic Association, LondonHouse, and the Robey, just to name a few—has not only shown that preservation can be profitable, but it’s also an indicator that tastes are changing, says Bonnie McDonald, president of the preservation group Landmarks Illinois.

“Developers and customers are showing preferences for places with authenticity and character,” McDonald says. “Preservation is

Chicago Magazine • 21st November 2017

Is the Downtown Apartment Bubble Bursting?

This month, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the installation of the 60th operating tower crane in 2017, as well as another post-recession record of building permits issued in a single calendar year.

The numbers may seem wonky to those outside of the construction industry, but Chicago’s ongoing construction boom translates to thousands of available units for downtown renters and increasing competition among developers to ink new leases.