A pair of demolition permits issued by the City of Chicago on March 17 will raze two 1888-built homes from Polk Street in Little Italy, ultimately to be replaced by three-unit developments. An LLC registered in Orland Park is named as the owner of the two buildings, at 1065 and 1073 West Polk Street. Real estate records show both properties were purchased in 2023 for $350,000 apiece.
1065 West Polk Street in Little Italy. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
1065 from the alley. Photo by Daniel Schell
Two pending permits in the Chicago Data Portal for the two addresses are identical. They call for three-story with basement, three-unit buildings with two on-slab parking spaces per building. The two upper floors will have balconies overlooking Polk Street, while rear stairways connect decks leading up to a rooftop space.
1073 West Polk Street. Photo by Daniel Schell
There appears to be no one living inside 1073, but those two cats on the back stairs look like they won’t be moved
Site context of 1065 and 1073 West Polk Street, via Google Maps
Hanna Architects is named as the architect of record. No general contractor is named in the permits yet. A.G. Coyle Development is listed as the demolition contractor, with the permits showing a reported demo cost of $25,000 per building. As of March 18, both structures appeared to be empty, but no demo fencing had yet been set up.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
What are the chances these won’t be generically ugly af…?
I don’t like hindering developments at the expense of affordability because aesthetics, but that first pic and its neighbor are night and day. The blandness is a destruction of identity. I feel like the disease of mediocre is starting to spread aggressively. Our neighbors at least deserve a proper cornice.
With Hanna? Their whole thing is generic, fast, and cheap.
It’s Hanna. 110%.
What’s with Little Italy destroying its heritage lately? Didn’t Daley do enough damage, they trying to finish the job??
I’d be okay mandating cornices. They protect and save buildings more than many other features as water is such a destroyer of facades, windows, and the structural members.
I almost bought these buildings but the price of ~500k(?) was too much to warrant a rehab on these footprints. I often see sellers conceding on other properties at prices I would have paid for a rehab.