Demolition crews make room for Old Town condo project

An upcoming condo development across from the Chicago History Museum took a key step forward as demolition crews were given the all-clear to remove a pair of buildings at the southwest corner of Clark Street and North Avenue.

City of Chicago Commission on Landmarks

The Old Town site includes the former Elly’s Pancake House building and the century-old Village Theater. Demo permits were issued for both structures but the ornate brick and terra-cotta facade of the landmarked theater will by saved and carefully reincorporated into the new residential development.

Dubbed 1550 on the Park, the proposed ten-story building recently ramped up marketing efforts for its 32 for-sale condominium units. In addition to launching a dedicated website, the project also listed a handful of residences for sale in the past month.

1550 on the Park comes from Golub & Co. and CIM Group and features a design by architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz and interiors from Gary Lee Partners. The developers took over the parcel in mid-2017 after Howard Weiner’s 101 North condo project failed to materialize.

According to photos posted to the construction-focused blog Building Up Chicago, crews are already setting up shop in front of the old theater building.

• Demolition permit at 1546 N. Clark Street [Chicago Cityscape]
• New design revealed for North & Clark development? [Curbed Chicago]
• Previous Old Town coverage [Curbed Chicago]