The owners of the historic Boulevard Arcade Building on South Boulevard are proposing constructing a 10-story luxury apartment building on the parking lot at the rear of the existing building. The building’s owner, whose venture currently occupies a portion of the building, says the new construction is necessary to keep the building financially viable.
On Thursday, Jan. 9, the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will consider the proposed new development by Sachem Building LLC for a 24-unit addition behind the landmarked building at 1031-35 South Boulevard in Oak Park. The LLC is managed by J. Trent Stoner. He is also the owner of Cross Function Flexible Workspace, which operates the building.
In December, represented by architect John Schiess, the property owner went before the HPC for an advisory session in which Schiess presented plans for an addition in an Art Deco Style. At that time the proposal called for an 11-story, 133-foot-tall structure. It has since been slightly reduced to a 10-story building with four floors of parking and six floors of residential apartments for a total of 24 units.
The Boulevard Arcade Building was designed by Oak Park architect E.E. Roberts in 1906 as a one-story, one-tenant commercial building. In 1922, the building was remodeled and a second floor added by Chicago architect Arthur Jacobs who created a multi-tenant shopping area in the building. The building was designated an Oak Park Historic Landmark in 2007. In 2008, it was restored to its 1922 exterior appearance, with restoration of the original 1906 cast iron posts and replication of transom glass windows.
At the Dec. 12 HPC meeting, Schiess said the development would be a separate building from the existing, historic structure. He maintained that he did not believe the development requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the HPC and stated his view that the development would proceed as a planned development through the village’s planning commission.
Typically, the HPC must issue a certificate of appropriateness or COA for alterations, additions, new construction, relocation and demolition of properties which contribute to an historic district. A planned development may be exempt from certain aspects of the zoning ordinance if the development is deemed significant enough.
HPC members stated that whether or not the building requires a Certificate of Appropriateness was a question for the village attorney.
According to Schiess, the LLC currrently benefits from a property tax freeze that ends in 2025. Schiess said the expiration of the tax freeze will make the owners’ financial interest in the building unstable, so they are exploring the new development to add financial security to their property.
The owner will be asking for zoning relief in terms of height and density for the proposed building. The current plans call for a 124-foot-tall building; by ordinance the height is limited to 60 feet. The owner would not be asking for relief from parking requirements. The current plans call for 39 parking spaces: 24 for the apartments and 15 for commercial tenant use.
The owners are calling the building the Hope Building and they reached out to local architects for feedback on the design elements and relied on the research of AvenueOne, a Forest Park-based leasing firm, which set forth a need for two and two-plus bedroom luxury apartments in the core downtown area.
On Thursday, Jan. 9, the HPC will formally review the proposed addition at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Village Hall before the application is reviewed by the Village Plan Commission. Interested residents can attend the meeting or send comments to Craig.Failor@oak-park.us and/or Atefa.ghaznawi@oak-park.us
Complete plans for the proposed addition can be viewed at: https://www.oak-park.us/sites/default/files/commissions/1035_s_blvd-revised_proposal_12.9.2024.pdf
What Historic Preservation rules say about additions
As part of its review, the HPC will be guided by Requirements for New Construction, Additions, and Demolition Projects, which state in part:
Maintaining Historic Character
- An addition shall not change the historic character of the historic building.
- An addition shall be compatible with the historic building to which it is attached, including siting, massing, scale, materials and street rhythm.
- An addition shall not remove character-defining features, historic windows, historic siding or other historic material from the historic building that are visible from the street.
- Exterior finish materials of the addition shall be compatible with that of the historic building.
- An addition shall protect the historic character of the building by making a visual distinction between the historic building and addition.
Size and Configuration – Horizontal Additions
- The size, configuration and massing of all additions shall be such that when viewed from the street, the addition does not visually overpower the historic building.
- Additions shall be constructed only on a rear or side façade so that the historic building retains its prominence as the primary structure viewed from the street.
- The shape and slope of roofs on an addition shall be compatible with those of the historic building.