28 December 2005
The Chicago Tribune reported that the historic Berghoff Restaurant on Adams Street in the Loop will close at the end of February. The original Berghoff bar was founded by Herman Joseph Berghoff in 1898 to showcase his Dortmunder-style beer. During Prohibition, the Berghoff expanded into a full-service restaurant. The restaurant was the first establishment in Chicago to receive a liquor license when Prohibition ended in 1933. Owner Herman Berghoff, the 70-year-old grandson of the founder, will lease the restaurant to his daughter Carlyn Berghoff's catering company for use as a private banquet hall.
15 November 2005
Mayor Richard M. Daley joined other dignitaries in the official groundbreaking ceremony for the large residential, retail, and commercial complex on Block 37, the mostly vacant Loop property bounded by State, Randolph, Dearborn, and Washington Streets. Plans call for the construction of a new subway station, television studio, office tower, residential tower, hotel, and retail stores on the site. Two historic movie palaces, the Roosevelt Theater and the United Artists Theater, Hillman's department store, the legendary Bensinger's billiards and bowling center, and several other structures once occupied Block 37. Despite the objections of preservationists, the movie palaces, along with the other structures, were demolished in 1989 to make way for redevelopment.
20 September 2005
Federated Department Stores Inc., the new owner of Marshall Field and Company, announced that the department store's name, first used in 1881, will be changed to Macy's in the
fall of 2006. "We have great respect for the legacy and
traditions of Marshall Field's, and we carefully researched
customer preferences and studied alternatives before making
this decision to incorporate Marshall Field's into the
nationwide Macy's brand," said Federated president and
chief executive Terry J. Lundgren. "While the store's name
will change, much of what customers love will stay the
same, including Marshall Field's traditions and its
outstanding record of community and charitable giving. As
part of this name change process, we will do everything we
can to honor the Marshall Field's heritage, particularly in
its Chicago birthplace." (Read the Federated Department Stores press release.)
30 June 2005
The Chicago Tribune reported that a New York developer, Joseph Sitt, has entered into a contract with the Hilton Hotel Corporation to purchase the Palmer House at 17 East Monroe Street for approximately $250 million. According to the report, Sitt may convert some of the upper floors of the 1,639-room hotel into condominiums. Founded in 1870 by the wealthy department store merchant and real estate developer Potter Palmer, the Palmer House quickly gained the reputation as Chicago's premier hotel. The current Palmer House opened in 1925.
24 June 2005
Demolition of the former Keystone Theater at 3912 North Sheridan Road is largely completed. A condominium project is planned for the site. Built in 1913, the Keystone was later known as the Mode Theater and the Puerto Rico Theater. In recent years, the building housed an ethnic grocery store and a business selling salvaged Wrigley Field seats.
14 June 2005
The Chicago Community Development Commission approved an $18-million tax-increment-financing grant to help finance the planned $112 million redevelopment of the historic Blackstone Hotel at 636 South Michigan Avenue. According to the plans, the property would be purchased by Sage Hospitality Resources LLC for $22.3 million, rehabilitated, and reopened by 2007 as part of the Marriott Renaissance chain. The hotel closed in 1999 due to building code violations and a subsequent high-end condominium conversion project failed.
2 June 2005
The Lombard Village Board voted to end village funding for the rehabilitation of the historic DuPage Theater and authorized its demolition. The plans to demolish the building are subject to review by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, since the theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The agency, however, cannot prevent demolition if the village proves that all options for the theater's preservation have been exhausted. The DuPage Theater opened in 1928.
23 March 2005
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that plans are in the works for a revival of Fritzel's, one of the city's most legendary restaurants. Lincolnshire-based developer Environmental Community Development, Inc., has purchased a dilapidated, five-story structure on the northeast corner of State and Lake Streets, where the restaurant was located. The firm plans to demolish the present structure and replace it with a new building that may include a modern version of the old eatery, which was particularly popular with local actors and visiting movie stars. The original Fritzel's closed in 1972.
28 February 2005
The Chicago Tribune reported that the 84-year-old Drake Hotel, which recently underwent a $45-million renovation, has been slated for an additional $15 million in upgrades and improvements by its owner, Great Britain-based Hilton International. Plans call for the construction of an $8 million executive conference center, new exterior and interior lighting, and continuing refurbishment of the hotel's rooms.
26 February 2005
According to the Chicago Tribune, Federated Department Stores, Inc., has entered into an agreement to purchase May Department Stores Co., owners of Chicago-born Marshall Field and Company for approximately $10 billion. Some observers believe the Field's name may disappear from the Chicago retail scene as a result. Federated has converted many of its regional department store chains to its Macy's nameplate.
12 January 2005
The Chicago Tribune reported that the owners of the Calo Theater at 5404 North Clark Street have agreed to put up $200,000 toward an approximately $1-millon renovation and expansion of the theater. The project is expected to be finished in spring 2006, when it will reopen under the management of Lukaba Productions, a non-profit organization controlled by Brian Posen, a local improv director and founder of the Chicago Sketchfest. The Calo Theater opened in 1915.
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