Public hearings and a vote by the city council will follow, but 11 stations on the North and South sides, as well as one in the West Loop, are likely to retain physical characteristics that date back to the days after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to the debut of mechanical fire equipment in the 1920s.
One firehouse, at 1401 S. Michigan Ave. near the Central Station development, already has been sold. It is being used as a restaurant at the ground-floor level, and the building is generating $54,000 a year in property tax revenue since being added to the rolls two years ago. Property assessments place the value of the building between $800,000 and $2.1 million.
Four firehouses already have been deemed landmarks because of their locations in landmark districts. Police stations also will be considered for the designation as they are de-commissioned and replaced by newer facilities.
The most visible firehouse among the 12 recommended for landmark designation is the one at 1052 W. Waveland Ave., just behind Wrigley Field.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.