A campaign to landmark a slice of Bryn Mawr Avenue in Edgewater has brought demolition work at 1114 West Bryn Mawr Avenue to a halt after the Commission on Chicago Landmarks declined to sign off on a teardown permit for the structure. Demolition for two neighboring buildings is still a go, but the commission’s preliminary landmark recommendation for the block has triggered an expedited review that pauses any action on the 1909 building. That pause throws a wrench into Harlem Irving Companies' plan to fold the parcels into a roughly 95-unit mixed-use project the firm has been pushing since buying the sites.
What the commission decided
According to The Real Deal, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks issued a preliminary recommendation to landmark the Bryn Mawr corridor from Broadway to Sheridan Road and, at the same meeting, refused the demolition permit for 1114 W. Bryn Mawr while approving demolition at 5614 N. Winthrop and 1106 W. Bryn Mawr. Commissioners highlighted 1114’s Classical-style architectural details, and a final recommendation on the pending demolition permit is set for July 9.
Why 1114 matters
The 48th Ward reports that Department of Planning and Development staff advised the commission that 1114 still carries key character-defining features and clearly falls within the district’s 1897 to 1929 period of significance. By contrast, the other two buildings were labeled non-contributing because of extensive alterations. That analysis led to the commission’s preliminary disapproval of the 1114 demolition request and kicked off an expedited 90-day review period under the city’s Landmarks Ordinance.
Developer’s case
Harlem Irving told commissioners that the building’s location next to the Red Line and later changes to the facade obscure its historic cornices and undercut its value as a landmark-worthy structure. The firm said it has put about $6 million into the project since purchasing the parcels in 2020, as reported by The Real Deal. Company representatives argue that a single, consolidated development is needed to deliver new housing and ground-floor retail just steps from the Bryn Mawr Red Line station.
The project on the table
The proposal tied to the permits calls for a mid-rise building at the Bryn Mawr and Winthrop corner, roughly six stories tall with about 94 to 95 apartments over street-level retail. Zoning variances for the plan were approved in late 2024. As Urbanize Chicago reported, the Zoning Board of Appeals signed off on several variances for the site, and Chicago YIMBY later shared renderings and unit mix details for the OKW Architects design.
Local politics and preservation
Landmarks Illinois and neighborhood advocates have been pressing City Hall to landmark the Bryn Mawr commercial strip in order to safeguard what is left of Edgewater’s early 20th century business district. Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth has emerged as a prominent supporter of the effort. Backers frame the push as a way to preserve local character at a time when development pressure is growing on transit-served blocks.
How similar fights have played out
Preservation efforts in Chicago do not always get a fairy-tale ending. Earlier this year, Loyola University began demolishing a 100-year-old building in Rogers Park after preservation petitions failed to gain traction. The case underscored how institutional timelines and real estate pressure can override calls for protection. CBS Chicago covered the Rogers Park teardown as a reminder that a landmark push alone is no guarantee a building will be spared.
Process and what comes next
A city notice lists the public hearing as Docket 2026-07, formally starting the procedural clock on the demolition application, according to public-record postings. The commission’s recommendation will be sent to the City Council as part of the standard landmarks process, and the issue will move along an expedited schedule over the coming weeks, with a final recommendation expected in early July.
Legal implications
City landmark designation gives municipal regulators authority over alterations and demolitions affecting contributing buildings. In practice, that means a designation adds a layer of design review and can make full demolition of historic structures difficult or impossible. Landmarks Illinois notes that once a property is landmarked, projects shift out of the routine permitting track and into a preservation-focused review that developers are required to navigate.
For the moment, Harlem Irving can keep moving on work tied to the parcels where demolition permits have already been granted, but the future of 1114 W. Bryn Mawr will depend on the commission’s upcoming recommendation and any City Council action in July. We will be watching public filings and City Hall calendars as the process unfolds.
