Dinkel’s Lofts, the residential development that will repurpose the front façade and neon blade sign adorning the Dinkel’s Bakery building in the West Lakeview neighborhood, has permission to begin construction. The permit, issued on May 18 to the address of 3329 North Lincoln Avenue, calls for a seven-story structure with 42 dwelling units, and mentions specifically that the historic façade is to remain. There is also a contingency plan for saving the façade on the building to the south of the bakery, at 3327 North Lincoln.
Previous (top) and current (bottom, reusing the 3327 Lincoln facade south of bakery) renderings of Dinkel’s Lofts by Jonathan Splitt Architects
The construction permit hit the Chicago Data Portal on August 19, 2024, was removed some time around August 2025, then reappeared in November of last year. Also in November, Ryan Ori at Costar reported that the site had been put up for sale by Senco/PCR Group, but the fresh permit still bears their business address in citing 3327 Lincoln Comet LLC as the developer. It is not yet clear if the building was sold to another developer who will use the same plan for the site, or if PCR Group is moving forward with the development as planned. If the building has sold, we can expect to see an Express Permit come through noting the change of ownership.
East façade (Marshfield Avenue) rendering by Jonathan Splitt Architects
Ground floor (left) and residential floor (right) plans by Jonathan Splitt Architects
Jonathan Splitt Architects designed the building, with Sovereign Construction Company LLC named as the general contractor. There will be one commercial space on the ground floor, as well as a 20-space parking garage, a lobby and mail room, and a shared amenity space. Apartments will range in size from 628 square feet to 1,318 square feet, and will include studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom floors plans. Renderings show inset and corner balconies on all levels, and there will be a shared deck atop the roof.
This overhead rendering by Jonathan Splitt Architects shows the partial seventh story
The blade sign will remain with the facade. Photo by Daniel Schell
The new development replaces four existing buildings: the two-story Dinkel’s building at the center of the site, a three-story masonry building to its south, a second three-story building to the north (3333 North Lincoln) and a single-story structure just north of that (3335 North Lincoln.) As of May 20, there are no demolition permits pending for any of those structures. PCR Group uses 3333 North Lincoln Avenue as the address for the new Dinkel’s Lofts.
Dinkel’s Bakery. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
3327 North Lincoln. Photo by Daniel Schell
3333 North Lincoln. Photo by Daniel Schell
Dinkel’s Lofters will reside one block south of the Paulina Brown Line elevated platform. Route 9 and X9 Ashland buses and Route 77 Belmont buses are located within a two-block walk. There are Divvy bike racks one block to the north and one block to the south along Lincoln Avenue.
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That’s the design that they’re going to put behind and around the preserved facade? *sigh* Just terrible.
This could be so so so much worse. At least it is being preserved
Love that they’re reusing the facade of both Dinkels and the building next door! Also like the color scheme of the latest rendering much more. It’ll help this development fit into the neighborhood so much more.
I like this a lot! Lots of housing but for people walking down the street, the streetscape is preserved and is “people sized”. Wondering about the one commercial space, do we know if its small or large?
Chicago Bay windows historic and ignored. Another suburban anywhere building plopped down in the cityscape. It’s a meaningless structure. Too bad. Chicago loosing it’s soul.
Even the just bay windows like the ones on the north building being torn down would both animate the facade and afford a kinetic look down Lincoln for the tenants. Assuming the entire facade is done in entirely in brick will help somewhat. Cheesiest renderings I’ve seen in quite a while,
I’d call this fairly hideous when seen from above or at a distance per some of the renderings. Jarringly icky and disjointed. Hopefully the experience from street level is better.
I like the density but that stretch of Lincoln deserves something classy and stately. This looks more like downtown Arlington Heights or something.
100%
This will be so much better if the south facade is indeed saved as well. Until then, the symmetry and massing are all off.
Happy about the density but good lord that design is awful. Looks like a sunbelt 5-over-1. At some point we have to have a conversation about how “breaking up massing” isn’t a self-evident good.
It’s a weird site because of the irregular V shape and that’s why one of the historic facades on Lincoln is being replaced. JSA is designing lots of multifamily buildings in this part of Chicago and this is one of the few that preserves old facades. Wish they could have created a few moderne/streamlining details in the new buildings to make them more distinctive and echo the Dinkels original, but 100 year old fragments seem to be the only way to get new buildings with a singular personality.