Demolition is mostly complete of the former Uncommon Ground restaurant at 1401 West Devon Avenue in Edgewater. That clears the way for a 12-unit residential development to begin construction. According to Block Club, demolition got started a few weeks ago; all that remains to be cleared from the site is a little bit of rubble, and there are some foundation remnants to be dug out.
A permit issued back on May 8, using the address of 6350 North Glenwood Avenue, calls for a four-story structure designed by Vari Architects. The ground floor will include retail space, and there will be a one-car garage plus six outdoor off-street parking spots. A rooftop stair enclosure is also mentioned, but there’s no word yet on whether the rooftop will have another organic farm like Uncommon Ground’s roof had. Variable Properties is both the developer and general contractor for the new build.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
New construction permit, via Chicago Data Portal
The demolition permit was issued April 25 of this year, and the work was carried out by All Concrete Contractors. Crews on site doing demolition work this week say they expect construction on the new building to begin as soon as they have the site ready, so stand by for more activity here.
When these 12 new units open to residents, they’ll have access to CTA Routes 36, 151, and 155 buses right outside their door, at Devon and Glenwood. The nearest elevated train is the Loyola Red Line platform about half a mile northeast at Sheridan Road and Loyola Avenue.
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I live 2 minutes from this location and almost no one is excited about this project. Variable has already built two generic brick boxes within a block of this new site and we are expecting no better for this prominent corner location.
That’s a big YEP.
The two….things….that they have built on Devon make the metal-sided buildings previously built look like the height of design.
They are absolutely awful – generic, cookie-cutter, and with zero thought whatsoever for where they are placed (parking on the street front?!).
And I know – pony up the money and build it yourself! Blah, blah, blah. I’m not a developer. But in my line of work I still try to not do the absolute bare minimum and try to consider the other stakeholders involved in my decisions. This crap is just shameful.
Thank you CM! I have an unheathly hatred of the Variable building that replaced the funeral home exactly because it was designed/allowed to be built as if the structure is a mid-block infill. It presents the most boring parts of the building to Devon Avenue (along with using what should be commerical space for residnential parking)
Horrible destruction of a solid historic brick building. I’m for density, but don’t demolish historic buildings to build dense! This should be a no-brainer. Instead, as usual, developers with connection$$ get projects approved with no consideration for the community or preservation. What a waste!
What made this building historic?
If by “historic” you mean of an architectural significance worth saving, then I would have to disagree. This is a single story building with no detailing that makes it stand out in any way. It’s just an old building. If there was some historical event that happened there or it was a one-off design by a significant architect, then maybe there is an argument for saving it. Otherwise, the neighborhood could stand to have upgraded value from having more housing and higher property taxes that go to schools and other services that the neighborhood deserves.
I am always for re-use, but having eaten at UG multiple times, I agree that any historic value of this structure was lost long ago. I also agree that is developer does not apper to care about the neigbhordhood context. Their first new building (also on a corner of Devon and Glenwood) is designed as if the large Devon-facing side of the street is an insigificant afterthought.
Agree on UG. And laying out the restaurant to close off the prominent corner entrance and force patrons to wander around and enter through a parking lot always struck me as bizarre.
Nevertheless, they started out strong but really, really faded even prior to COVID. Seemed like they basically lost interest.