LOGAN SQUARE — The Commission on Chicago Landmarks on Thursday moved to protect the Episcopal Church of the Advent, one of the neighborhood's oldest churches, before it's converted into an apartment project.
The commission unanimously voted to recommend including the church at 2900 W. Logan Blvd. in the Logan Square Boulevards District, which would legally restrict the developer from razing the structure or doing an "incompatible" renovation.
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The developer behind the project, JAB Real Estate, was always planning to preserve and reuse the church, so the measure likely won't effect the project. But if the landmark proposal goes on to win final approval from the full City Council, the developer will be legally required to preserve the church.
“We plan to restore the exterior of the church and keep as much of the interior as possible,” James Jann of JAB Real Estate said at the hearing.
Plans call for nine apartments. It's unclear how much the apartments will cost. That information wasn't provided at the hearing, and the developer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The church was founded in 1901 at Temple Hall, 430 W. Fullerton Ave. In 1906, church leaders bought the Logan Boulevard lot, and the choirmaster at the time, architect Elmer C. Jensen, designed the building that stands today.
Jensen worked for the architectural firm Jensen and Halsted, which was founded by William Le Baron Jenney, who is known for designing and engineering the first skyscraper in 1884.
Ward Miller, executive director for Preservation Chicago, described the building as "a very important structure that is tied to the early history of Logan Square."
According to Miller, some of the church's art glass windows will be restored in the redevelopment project.
“This is a wonderful reuse of a religious building,” Miller said at the hearing.
The project was not well-received by Todd Van Alstyne, the former warden of the church, however.
"You can keep the neighborhood architecture while at the same time pushing the actual neighbors out. That's why we're concerned. If there's nine luxury [units], that's going to raise everybody's taxes and push out longstanding neighbors," Van Alystyne said in May when the project broke cover.
