Having twice escaped the wrecking ball, Yondorf Hall has been given new life.
After years of neglect, the one-time eyesore has become what it was early in the century, a bank, thanks to the Affiliated Banc Group, which recently opened a Chicago branch in the renovated building on the northeast corner of North Avenue and Halsted Street.
Designed by architect Frederick Ahlschlager and built in 1887 by clothing merchants August and Charles Yondorf, the 103-year-old Gothic-Victorian building is known to most locals as the old Sam`s Liquor Store.
But the 285,000-square-foot, four-story building housed a bank in the early part of the century. And it is that history that rehabbers have attempted to re-create in restoring the national landmark structure.
”We put in a new tin ceiling, marble floors and the old-style brass teller cages,” said Jeffrey S. Furman, of Robert G. Lyon Associates Inc., the architect for the renovation. ”Basically, we tried to create a modern, turn- of-the-century bank.”
Renovators had to demolish part of the old two-story vault, with its 24-inch-thick concrete walls, to make way for Affiliated.
The bank`s customer center is open on the first floor, and its commercial lending department will occupy additional ground floor space, now being renovated. The bank`s trust department will be housed on the fourth floor. The second and third floors house an old theater, with a proscenium stage and circular mezzanine.
”That`s the biggest historical aspect of the building, and the state is seeking to preserve it as much as possible,” Furman said.
The roof was so badly damaged that it had to be replaced. But rehabbers are restoring as many historical elements as possible: doors, windows, ceilings and detailing.
The stage and two winding staircases are being repaired, and some mechanical work is under way on the two floors while the bank decides whether it will use the space or lease it to a tenant.
A small addition has been constructed to the east of the building to house mechanical systems and an elevator, required to conform to modern building codes and handicapped-access rules. A new driveup facility and parking also will be added.
The original structure was slated for demolition in the late 1920s to make way for a new bank, but the Depression halted the project.
Eventually, Sam`s Liquors occupied the space, operating out of the building until 1984.
It had been vacant since and was threatened again with demolition until Affiliated came in to finance the renovation.
”The first time I ever walked into the building, I wondered how we could ever salvage it,” Furman said. ”But it has been fun.”
– Mark IV Realty Group Inc. has decided that it will renovate the former Soo Line Railroad Terminal on Roosevelt Road just east of the Dan Ryan Expressway and make the property available as a multitenant, mixed-use center. To be called the South Loop Marketplace & Distribution Center, the 600,000-square-foot property will be rehabbed to allow for a flexible mix of warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, retail and office uses.
”The South Loop Marketplace has possibilities for a wide variety of tenants, such as assembly, printing, distribution, storage and light manufacturing needing expansive space,” said Jerry Dauphinee, a broker with Grubb & Ellis, the leasing agent for the property.
The site, bounded by Roosevelt Road, Canal Street, 15th Place and Clinton Street, contains four buildings on 16.2 acres. The buildings range from 114,00 to 330,000 square feet and can be divided to accommodate tenants as small as 15,000 square feet.
”A site of this size offering a combination of advantages like proximity to Chicago`s central business district and access to transportation and parking is not available elsewhere in the city,” said John Marks, president of Mark IV.
Current tenants include the International Bazaar, a collection of local artists and craftsmen managed by the Thvma Corp. The bazaar occupies 150,000 square feet of the property and is expected to expand eventually to 1,000 vendors.
The $20 million modernization of the facility will include new mechanical systems, facades, lighting and overhead doors.
The project is expected to be concluded by fall.
– Mel Markon is returning to the Chicago restaurant scene with the Dixie Que, a 4,000-square-foot eatery at Fullerton and Daman Avenues that is scheduled to open in late June.
The Memphis-style barbecue restaurant will seat 125 indoors and another 75 outside.
Designed by architects Aumiller Younquist P.C., the style is meant to be reminiscent of Southern road side gasoline service stations of the 1940s.
The design includes a re-creation of a gas station out front, tin roof, dining room lighted with construction beams, leather bus seats as banquettes and decor made up of 1950s`-era Memphis memorabilia and artwork.
The project, on a 12,500-square-foot site, includes renovation of an existing 2,000-square-foot structure and the construction of an additional 2,000 square feet.
Markon, who once owned Mel Markon`s at 2150 N. Lincoln Ave., Zanadu at 6259 Broadway and Mel Markon`s in Homewood, has not had a restaurant in Chicago in more than six years. In 1979 Markon filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the federal Bankruptcy Act, citing financial problems caused by the blizzard that year.
– Rothbart Construction, an Addison-based developer, has purchased 15 lots totaling 8.7 acres in the Northpoint Business Center in north suburban Waukegan and will construct two industrial buildings on the property, according to Grubb & Ellis, the leasing and sales agent for the project.
Steve Trapp, who represented the seller, Dearborn Associates, said Rothbart plans to construct speculative warehouse/distribution buildings totaling 94,000 square feet.
Dearborn Associates plans to construct two buildings totaling 160,000 square feet at Northpoint and plans to have those projects under way by July, Trapp said.
All four buildings are expected to be completed next spring.
Northpoint Business Center is a 100-acre development on U.S. Highway 41 south of Illinois Highway 120.
Space of more than 1.5 million square feet is planned for the site.
– Amli Realty Co. has broken ground for a 9,400-square-foot day care center at its Amhurst Lake Business Park in Waukegan. The ServiceMaster Co. will administer the day care program at the facility, to be called Greentree at Amhurst Lake.
While other developers have announced plans for day care centers within their projects, Amli is believed to be the first to start a freestanding facility within an existing project.
The facility, which will have a 130-child capacity, will be located on 1.2 acres.
Amhurst Lake is a 432-acre business park between U.S. Highway 41 and Illinois Highway 43 and Pulaski Drive and 22nd Street.
Already under construction in the park are a 100,000-square-foot office building, scheduled for completion in October, and a 58,000-square-foot service center building, expected to be completed in May.
The project is planned for more than 5 million square feet of space.
– Other leases and sales:
Frito-Lay Inc. has leased a 120,000-square-foot building under construction in the Narco-Batavia Center for Industry at Kirk and Douglas Roads and will use the space for offices and Chicago-area distribution, according to the Nardi Group, developers of the center. … Conway/Milliken Associates, a marketing research firm, has expanded its space in the John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Ave., to 24,000 square feet. Dean Topping & Co., which represented the tenant, said the company will change floors in the building with its new 10-year lease. … The law firm of Grippo & Elden has leased 24,200 square feet at the AT&T Corporate Center at Monroe and Franklin Streets. Stein & Co., developers of the 60-story office tower, said the lease brings the building to 86 percent occupancy. Amli Realty represented Grippo & Elden, which will move from Two First National Plaza in September. … PRC Environmental Management has leased 23,000 square feet at Metropolitan Structure`s Two Illinois Center, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Rose & Associates, which represented the tenant, said the space will be the firm`s headquarters. … Blackstone Arts & Crafts has taken 15,000 square feet, and Linens & Wares has leased 11,000 square feet at March Development Co.`s Prospect Crossing shopping center, at Rand and Old Willow Roads, in Prospect Heights, according to Mid-America Real Estate Corp., which represented the retailers.
