A 1905-built greystone at 1325 West Cornelia Avenue just off the Southport Corridor in Lake View has been demolished, to be replaced by a two-unit building. After pending in the Chicago Data Portal for 78 days, a permit for demolition came through on July; a week later, it had been razed. Carlos Group was the demo contractor, at a reported cost of $20,000.
07/30/2026. Little more than the front columns remain. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
According to real estate records, Coen Developers LLC purchased the property in June for $1.575 million. Also in June, they filed an application to erect a three-story plus basement, two-unit frame construction building on the site. Details in the pending permit include a private rooftop deck with a pergola and rear covered decks. A detached three-car garage would have its own roof deck and pergola accessed by a stairway. Six-foot wood privacy fencing and a five-foot wrought iron fence will enclose the lot. Michael Cox & Associates is the architect of record; Coen Developers will handle their own general contracting duties.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
We did a site visit on Thursday, July 30, and found little more than the first-floor front facade still intact. A follow-up visit on the first of August revealed nothing but a hole in the ground. It is anticipated that new construction will begin immediately.
08/01/2026. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Site context of 1325 West Cornelia Avenue, via Google Maps
Though the reported cost is not yet available in the pending permit, given the property’s purchase price, plus the 1.5-to-1 parking space to dwelling unit ratio, it is expected that the two new residences will be delivered as for-sale condos.
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This makes me ill. The craftsmanship in a 1905 home is exceptional & will never be matched. To tear it down for a cookie cutter condo bldg is just more stripping away of the quality of architecture that shapes our neighborhoods & our city. Shame on that developer. Shame on that alderman.
If you look at blogs from 1905, you’ll read a lot of comments like “oh good, someone’s building another entire block of cookie cutter greystones 🤦🏻♂️” and “at least they put the front door on the left side instead of the right side like every other greystone on the block”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I know you’re trying to be funny, but this type of graystone is easy modified, converted and expanded into high demand, high priced real estate. There are multiple examples on this very block, including my former apartment at 1339 W Cornelia which was renovated into a four story single family home. Tearing down the entire structure literally makes no sense, except maybe for the pocket books of the demolition and construction companies
Replacing brick with a frame – guess that makes it cheaper to tear down next time.
Sad 🙁
Write your alderman!
This could been renovated into a home and sold for 7 figures, I’m sure somebody would have jumped on it.
Too bad….
Disgusting. This is why Europeans mock Americans, we have zero appreciation for our built heritage.
Luckily, this graystone wasn’t an extraordinary beauty, was just ok.
Some Alderman should put on the books that all greystones in the city are protected historic landmarks and should be treated as such. They should not be allowed for tear downs unless extreme circumstances.
Hard to believe that lot value in Lakeview/Southport is $1.6M. I’m not so sure it’s going to be replaced with a duplex. More likely a SFD.
It’s probably faster for these developers to tear down and build new, but is it cheaper? I know a gut rehab would require rear and top floor additions, and the basement needs to be dug out. But don’t they save on building materials? Would a finished gut rehabbed greystone demand a higher price than a new construction frame build?
I second the suggestion of Calloused. Chicago is losing its history. This is becoming a real issue worth fighting for.
As someone who appreciates the greystone charm but lived in vintage buildings for decades, it’s often true that the floors squeak and sag, the floor plans are problematic for contemporary renters/buyers, the electrical and plumbing infrastructure and the kitchens and bathrooms are usually very outdated, the basements are unusable as living spaces, and the streetfront charm is often the lipstick on cramped, less-than-enchanting interiors. I’m guessing the floorspace will be doubled in the new building, and with 2026 features and finishes in a pricey neighborhood the future occupants will live happily with a non-greystone exterior. It’s happening all over Lake View, where a new $2M+ building does not have to include brick or stone exteriors. I like these old blocks as much as anyone, but replacing them in hot/desirable neighborhoods with more expansive, contemporary interiors is not hard to understand.
A truly disgusting act. I wonder what kind of crap will replace this.
Globalism step by step. Erase history.
I just got back from a trip to Scotland. Edinburgh and Glasgow are absolutely gorgeous. The neighborhood streets outside of the central areas are lined with brown sand-stone and grey limestone buildings, often with bay windows and subtle variations. It makes walking through their neighborhoods a genuinely pleasant experience. Also, there are almost no privately owned cars traveling the city at any time, day or night (esp in Glasgow), since this type of construction didn’t accomodate private car ownership. Here, on the other hand, walking the streets is usually a frustrating, disappointing experience as so many of these beautiful old buildings bite the dust for cheap new construction with ample parking, or sometimes we loose a greystone so the neighboring mcmansion can have a yard. Returning to Chicago is genuinely depressing.