Seven vacant building eyesores in Chicago
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The famed greasy spoon in Lincoln Park has sat dormant for years but will become a marijuana dispensary soon. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
Last year, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law intended to stop building owners from abandoning properties for long stretches of time.
The big picture: Chicago has a longstanding problem with abandoned buildings. With the help of Axios Chicago readers, we identified 10 offenders last spring.
- Though you can still spot eyesores citywide, the neglected buildings on the second round of our list are nestled in otherwise bustling areas.
Here are seven more we've collected since then:
Rock Records
175 W. Washington St., Loop
The old Rock Records location on Washington Street has sat dormant for almost two decades, collecting graffiti and serving as a makeshift shelter from the elements.
- This is not in a remote neighborhood — this building is right in the middle of the Loop, with thousands of people walking by it each day.
- There are other occupied spaces in the three-story building, but the first-floor retail storefront is empty.
Inn at Lincoln Park
601 W. Diversey Parkway
The Inn of Lincoln Park has sat dormant since the early 2000s, and several plans to demolish or renovate it have fizzled. It's mainly used as a parking lot.
The intrigue: This building was built in 1916, then called the Bentmere Hotel.
Barnes & Noble
1139 N. State St.
This concrete-colored former Barnes & Noble store was slated to be demolished right before the pandemic to make way for new high-rise developments.
Yes but: Those projects never happened, so the 20,000-square-foot, two-story building sits dormant in the bustling Rush Street shopping district.
Market
1113 W. Randolph St.
Market was one of the first high-end bars to hit the western edge of the West Loop in 2009. It was the creation of former White Sox general manager Kenny Williams.
- It didn't last long, and the building was never redeveloped.
Bella's Pizza
1952 W. Chicago Ave.
The fire-gutted remnants of Bella's Pizza are smack in the middle of continuous development on this West Town block, sitting between Pierre's Bakery and clothing store Tarnish.
The intrigue: In a Facebook comment last Friday, Ald. Gilbert Villegas said he'd talked to the property owner, and a new project is getting underway there. Stay tuned.
Dunlay's on Clark and Wine D.O.C. Bar
2600 N. Clark St.
The family-friendly, upscale-casual spot in Lincoln Park closed in 2018, but its owners have stayed in the business on the North Side — 4 Star Hospitality runs Smoke Daddy, Crosby's Kitchen, and Tuco and Blondie's.