A permit has been issued by the City of Chicago to construct a new daycare facility at 2824 North Elston Avenue in Avondale. Children’s Land, which operates 11 suburban locations and one in Chicago, filed to build in January of this year, with the permit coming through on September 9. It includes a reported cost of $1.9 million.
Site context of 2820-2830 North Elston Avenue, via Google Maps
October 2024. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Specifications in the permit include a three-story building with a rooftop playground and a 24-space parking lot. ALA Architects & Planners, who have designed other Children’s Land facilities, is the architect of record, with 1340 Knight Inc named as the general contractor.
Children’s Land facility in Mount Prospect, via Google Street View
The construction site spans 2820 through 2830 North Elston Avenue and is situated just north of the Diversey Avenue/Western Avenue/Elston Avenue six-point intersection. A single-story masonry building, most recently the home of Visceral Dance Chicago, received a demolition permit in April of last year. A two-story frame residence at 2830 was permitted for demolition in February 2020. Both buildings have since been razed, leaving the site vacant and ready for redevelopment.
The former home of Visceral Dance Chicago, via Google Street View
From the alley, via Google Street View, with the frame residence at 2830 North Elston on the left
Real estate records show a sale of the entire site in December 2023, with 2820 N Elston Ave LLC, registered in Glencoe, as the purchaser of the property at a price just over $2 million. That LLC is cited in the construction permit as the property owner.
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Looks like a Pizzahut crashed into a CrackerBarrel. May as well get the kiddies used to a life of strip mall franchise outlets.
ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I have so many questions
It would be great if that Riverfront Plaza to the southeast is converted into housing. I wonder how much housing would need to be built on that site to increase the property tax receipts for the county. The riverfront shopping centers (also 1800 W Fullerton) seem like such a waste of valuable land.
BFFR this place this creepy
Wow that’s an eye sore.
Oh dear god LMAO
Suburban dystopia meets Michael Jackson’s Neverland .
To be clear that first photo is not a rendering of the proposed new Children’s Land structure….okay it’s not encouraging that the same architects are listed for this one.
But, “a three-story building with a rooftop playground” is different from their suburban locations….let’s hope somebody involved is saying “we should adjust the look for a city spot”.
Parking is parking, and I understand daycares needing a drop-off zone, especially near a major intersection, but that’s all the reason I wish they go minimal on a surface lot. The lot would be minimally used throughout the day, except during peak times.
24 surface lots are almost enough pavement area to get 5 studio units on one plan.
Holy crap, this…. thing….. is gonna look so freaking hilarious, especially being nextdoor to that golden nugget.
What. In. Gods. Name.
Hopefully it won’t have a parking lot in front?
That’s a hellish facade but in fact will fit in perfectly with the eyesore campground that is already there. Hopefully the kids will like the facility and enjoy what’s on the inside. I wish this business success.
This looks so creepy lmao. All they need now is some weird clown mascot