Demolition permit issued for Our Lady of Fatima Church in Avondale

Posted on October 30, 2024 by danieldschell

A demolition permit was issued October 28 by the City of Chicago to tear down Our Lady of Fatima Church at 3051 North Christiana Avenue in Avondale. Built in 1956, the church was part of St. Hyacinth Basilica about half a mile away on Wolfram Street. “SAINT HYACINTH MISSION CHURCH” remains a prominent fixture on the façade of the doomed church building.

A visit to the church Tuesday, the day after the demo permit was issued, showed no signs of demolition prep. It’s hard to tell when the building was last in regular use, but it doesn’t look abandoned or neglected. It appears to have been most recently used by the non-profit organization Blue Army North.

Three pending permits show three single-family homes coming to the lot, addressed as 3051, 3055, and 3057 North Christiana. Permits name Pro-Plan Architects as the architect of record, and The Christina Collection as the developer. Wawel P.A Inc is listed as the general contractor, with Conrad Roofing of Illinois shown as the demo contractor.

One of the pending new construction permits.

Lake View Lutheran Church demolition begins, signaling the start of Lakeview Landing

Posted on June 12, 2024 by danieldschell

Demolition begins at Lake View Lutheran Church to make way for 37 affordable apartments.

A demolition permit was issued by the City of Chicago on May 31 for Lake View Lutheran Church at 835 West Addison Street in Lake View. And now demo work has begun. Demolition contractor Quality Excavation is on site as we speak, tearing the church down from the south end forward. Once the rubble has cleared, destruction will turn to creation as Lakeview Landing construction begins.

Rendering of Lakeview Landing from Weese Langley Weese Architects

New building permit, via Chicago Data Portal

Lakeview Landing will be a six-story, 37-unit affordable apartment building designed by Weese Langley Weese Architects. The ground floor will include a meeting room for the church, as well as 12 indoor sparking spaces. All 37 apartments will be one-bedroom, 575-square-foot rental units.

Powers and Sons Construction of Gary, Indiana, is already on site overseeing the demo work, itching to get started on the new build. A New Construction permit was issued back on December 12 of last year, so they’ve been waiting a bit.

Enjoying the photos? Metra and CTA rides (and Amtrak trains to Milwaukee), Zipcars, Divvy Bikes, camera lenses, domain fees, snacks & energy drinks, and comfortable walking shoes add up. You can help offset expenses by making a greatly-appreciated donation to Building Up Chicago.

Sans tower crane, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints keeps building

Posted on April 5, 2017 by danieldschell

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, under construction at 822 North Clark Street.

Rendering from Dixon + Associates.

At 822 North Clark Street in the Near North, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seems to be getting along splendidly without the tower crane it shed back in February. Architect David Dixon of Dixon + Associates in Salt Lake City shared some of the features of his design. There will be a partial floor below grade for parking, then six stories above grade. A two-story chapel is included, with the possibility of adding a second, smaller chapel on the top floor in the future. There will also be an outdoor, landscaped courtyard on the fourth floor.

McHugh Construction is on the build.

: Rendering from Dixon + Associates.

The Near North loses a tower crane

Posted on February 20, 2017 by danieldschell

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meetinghouse

A street crane prepares to pluck the tower crane from atop 822 North Clark Street on Saturday morning.

It was Crexit (Tower Crane Exit, obvs) Weekend in the Near North, as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 822 North Clark Street dropped its tower crane. Remember, that’s only a seven-story building, so the crane got things done and got out of there in a hurry. Where could it be headed next? One Grant Park? The Hilton hotels at 123 East Cermak? Those are the two most recently-permitted tower cranes for Chicago.

Construction Update: Soul City Church builds in the West Loop

Posted on February 2, 2017 by danieldschell

Soul City Church in the West Loop is building a three-story addition.

Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street in the West Loop, filed a building permit with the City of Chicago back in October to complete a three-story addition next to the existing church. Now, Focus has erected the steel work for the 45,000-square-foot addition. When finished this summer, it will include a new auditorium, office space for church staff, and covered parking.

: Rendering from iamforthelove.com, Soul City Church’s website.

: Rendering from iamforthelove.com, Soul City Church’s website.

: Rendering from iamforthelove.com, Soul City Church’s website.

Construction Progress: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Posted on January 18, 2017 by danieldschell

There are bricks in the wall at the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Near North. The 7-story design by Dixon + Associates of Salt Lake City, Utah has already climbed to the sixth floor. McHugh Construction has been on the job since May of last year.

Before we head to the photos, here’s a reminder of what David Dixon of Dixon + Associates sent us last summer:

The new building in Chicago is unique for the Church. While they typically complete a new standard single-story meetinghouse every day somewhere in the world, this project is specifically designed for Chicago. Following the Neoclassical Romanesque Revival style of architecture, the building will incorporate the traditional red brick and limestone appearance that is prevalent in this area of Chicago. It will be six stories above grade (three meetinghouse and three parking levels) with a partial story of parking below grade. The building will open in about a year with a two-story chapel and associated classrooms. The top floor can accommodate another smaller chapel and classrooms in the future. Three or four congregations from the downtown area will utilize the building with staggered meeting schedules. A unique feature of this building is a landscaped courtyard on the fourth story. The courtyard provides semi-private outdoor space that could be used for receptions, mingling between meetings, or children’s activities. Plans were presented to the local neighborhood and were very well received.

: Render from Dixon + Associates.

Demolition underway at former Park View Lutheran Church and School (updated**)

Posted on October 21, 2016 by danieldschell

The former Park View Lutheran Church, currently being demolished in Irving Park.

There are four new single-family homes coming to the Irving Park neighborhood, as demolition crews have already begun demolishing the Park View Lutheran Church & School that stood on the site. Most of the school is already gone; the church, built in 1929, hasn’t been started yet. But it will vanish soon as well.

The parish house at 3921 North Monticello. Will it be saved?

In its place will be four new single-family homes from MK Construction & Builders of 2000 North Milwaukee Avenue. MK’s website touts 3400-3800-square-foot, 2-story masonry structures. There have been four building permits on file with the city since July and August, showing that each home will include a two-car garage. MK Construction will act as its own general contractor. The homes are designed by Pro-Plan Architects of Streamwood, IL.

At 3921 North Monticello stands a parish house connected to the church. A demolition permit issued in August included 3913 through 3921 to be demolished, but the latest demo permit names only for 3913. No response yet from MK Construction as to whether or not 3921 will be saved or destroyed.

This rendering from MK Construction & Builders shows the homes coming to 3913-3919 North Monticello.

Nothing stirs the emotions like demolition of an old church, and since I was told I couldn’t take or post any photos of this demolition, here’s a huge gallery of them, because get over yourself, dude.

** I received an email this morning from the marketing director at MK Construction, who informs me 3921 will NOT be demolished.

St. John Cantius Church again a standout of Open House Chicago 2016

Posted on October 18, 2016 by danieldschell

St. John Cantius Church, Chicago, IL.

Sometimes I forget the first word of Open House Chicago is, indeed, “open.” I walked into Saint John Cantius Church in River West for the first time, camera and tripod in hand. I looked around and so no one else with a tripod, and wondered if what I was doing was okay. So I asked. “Of course!” was the answer. I wouldn’t be intruding on a wedding. I wouldn’t be interrupting worshipers. It was an Open House.

Never participated in Open House Chicago? Leave your weekends available in October 2017. It’s a whole new window on the City of Chicago.

Here now, my favorite photos from my favorite site in 2016. (Sorry, Yale Building. You had been the front-runner until late Sunday.)

Soul City Church gets a permit to add on in the West Loop

Posted on October 7, 2016 by danieldschell

Soul City Church sits at the corner of Adams Street and Racine Avenue.

Soul City Church, at 1150 West Adams Street, is ready to undertake a major expansion of its facilities in the West Loop.

Wednesday, a permit was filed for Soul City to build a three-story addition in the empty lot next door to the east, as well as make renovations to the existing church. The construction will add a multi-level auditorium, church offices, lobbies, even a roof terrace for use by the Soul City congregation.

Neighbors of the West Loop was there when plans were presented back in June and has details of what’s to come now that the permit is filed, including Soul City’s plan to share use of its new addition with the neighboring community. Focus will serve as the general contractor.

: All renderings are from the Soul City Church website, iamforthelove.com

Construction Update: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Near North

Posted on October 3, 2016 by danieldschell

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meetinghouse in Near North.

Construction is above street level at the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meetinghouse at 822 North Clark Street in Near North. The 7-story church, designed by Dixon + Associates of Utah, began construction back in May. The full building permit was filed on the first of August. McHugh Construction is the general contractor.