CITY HALL — The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday approved plans to develop the shuttered Graeme Stewart School in Uptown into an apartment building with room for retail and restaurants.
The former school building at 4525 N. Kenmore Ave., which was built in 1906 and has been nominated for city landmark status, was bought by Morningside Stewart LLC and owner Mary Ellen Martin for $5.1 million earlier this year from the city's Public Building Commission.
“The area’s going through a lot of revitalization” and this project should contribute to that, said Ald. James Cappleman (46th).
Last year, Cappleman announced Morningside was the top bid out of four vying for the building.
He has described the building as a “community hub" and said its redevelopment will "expand access to quality housing and commercial space in our community."
The project “protects the historical integrity” of the building and “it’s going to be a proud moment for us to see this happen," he said Thursday.
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development deemed the proposal, which includes 64 residential units, retail and restaurant space, a community plaza and playground, was "appropriate" for the site, with no adverse effect on the public. It also determined that the project should still allow the building to qualify for landmark status.
Patti Scudiero, managing deputy commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, called it “a phenomenal project.”
“You’re really going to bring this building back to the state that it was. It’s a beautiful building,” she said, and echoed Cappleman in saying, “It’s just what this area needs.”
The proposal now needs City Council approval and should be on the agenda this fall.
According to the landmark proposal, the building was designed by architect Dwight H. Perkins, who created some 40 schools in the city between 1905 and 1910.
The landmark application says its design "represents an early interpretation of the Arts and Crafts style" and that its "pitched roof and wide, bracketed, and copper-clad eaves make it a visual landmark for the neighborhood."
It was built for about $175,000 as Uptown was "just beginning to experience a burst of construction activity following the extension and opening of the Northwestern Elevated train line in 1900," the application says. It was closed in 2013.
According to Cappleman, "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movie star Harrison Ford attended the school when his family was living in Clarendon Park.
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