River North landmark proposal surprises owners
(Crain’s) — City officials have proposed creating a landmark district that would cover dozens of historic buildings in River North, catching some neighborhood property owners by surprise.
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks at a Thursday meeting will consider assigning preliminary landmark designation to a roughly four-block stretch of Hubbard Street, parts of north Clark Street and a jumble of buildings just north of the Merchandise Mart, according to a brief meeting agenda.
Such proposals often draw the ire of landlords who worry that landmark status will make it harder to modify or even tear down their buildings, preventing them from maximizing the properties’ profit potential.
But property owners like Albert Friedman, the biggest landlord in River North, don’t know what to make of the proposal because many heard about it only in the last week and know little about it.
“They’re all kind of befuddled that they haven’t been given forewarning,” says Mr. Friedman, president and CEO of Friedman Properties Ltd., who has spoken to other landlords in the neighborhood about the matter. “It’s a relatively far-reaching issue to be done in such a short time frame.”
Chicago Landmarks Commissioner Brian Goeken didn’t return phone calls, nor did Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd), who represents River North. The Landmarks Commission agenda did not explain the rationale for a River North landmark district.
“It’s really a no-brainer,” says Jonathan Fine, executive director of Preservation Chicago. The area covered by the proposed landmark district “is really the last bastion of what the city looked like right after the 1871 fire.”
The district would include several properties restored and owned by Mr. Friedman, many of them on West Hubbard Street. The city has already assigned landmark status to one of his buildings in the proposed district, Courthouse Place, at 54 W. Hubbard St.
While preservationists praise Mr. Friedman for his record of bringing historic buildings back to life, they still think the area needs to be protected by law.
“Our point of view is that the people with the best of intentions don’t live forever,” Mr. Fine says.
Ironically, the proposed district would not cover a historic building at 501 N. Clark St. that Mr. Friedman wants to demolish to make way for a three-tower, 729-room hotel complex.
A preliminary designation is only the beginning of the landmarking process, which would include public input, but it would halt any projects in the works at buildings in the proposed district, Mr. Friedman says.
“It’s really very short notice for anyone to respond,” he says.
