UPTOWN — Property owners in Uptown are invited to learn more about a proposed Landmark District in the neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
The meeting, which will be hosted by Uptown United Development Partners and Ald. James Cappleman (46th), will be in the City Room, on the fifth floor, of the Institute of Cultural Affairs, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, according to the news release for the meeting.
During the meeting, staff from the City of Chicago's Planning and Development will present a proposal to designate a portion of Uptown as a Chicago Landmark district. The designation has not been initiated by the Commission of Chicago Landmarks. Property owners are invited to learn and ask questions Wednesday, and, once the designation is applied for, a public review process will take place.
Here are five things to know before the meeting:
1. What is the proposed district?
The final district boundary and description would be defined in a Chicago Landmark designation ordinance passed by City Council. But the proposed map shows the boundary would stretch north on Broadway from the McJunkin Building, at 4520 N. Broadway, to the U.S. Post Office, at 4850 N. Broadway. It would stretch east on Lawrence Avenue from the Peoples Church of Chicago, at 941 W. Lawrence Ave., to the Green Mill, at 4800 N. Broadway. It will also include a small stretch of Racine Avenue stretching south of Broadway to the Wilson Avenue Theater, at 1050 W. Wilson Ave. An image of the map is included here.
2. What notable neighborhood spots could be included in the district?
Indications from the map, which are meant for illustrative purposes, the district would include: the Wilson Station, Uptown Bikes, the Riviera Theater, the Green Mill, Shake, Rattle & Read, the Uptown Theatre, the U.S. Post Office, Peoples Church of Christ, the Aragon Ballroom, the Buddhist Temple of Chicago, the Lakeside Theater and Wilson Avenue Theater. A full draft of the buildings is included here.
3. What are the restrictions on designated landmarks?
Once a property is proposed for Chicago Landmark status and after it is designated, all building permit applications must be evaluated to determine they don't affect "significant historical and architectural features," which are defined at the beginning of the designation process. Work on those designated features must be approved by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, according to the City of Chicago.
4. What are the advantages of landmark designation?
According to the City of Chicago, benefits of Landmark status include: enhancing a building's prestige, increasing the value of the property and helping to stabilize an entire neighborhood. There are also specific benefits available under federal, state and local economic incentives, according to the City of Chicago.
5. How does the designation affect property taxes?
Studies on property values show the designation generally does not have a negative impact on property values. "Neither the valuation of property by the Cook County Assessor's Office nor the tax rate is affected directly by landmark designation," according to the City of Chicago.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
