ORDINANCE Uptown Square District
WHEREAS, pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Municipal Code of Chicago (the "Municipal Code"), Sections 2-120-630 through -690, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (the "Commission") has determined that Uptown Square District (the "District"), Primarily the 4500- 4800-blocks of N. Broadway, the 1200 block of W. Gunnison St., the 4700- to 4800-blocks of N. Kenmore Ave., the 900- to 1200-blocks of W. Lawrence Ave., the 1100- to 1200-blocks of W. Leland Ave., the 4800 block of N. Magnolia Ave., the 4300- to 4700-blocks of N. Racine Ave., the 4700 block of N. Sheridan Rd., the 1000- to 1100-blocks of W. Wilson Ave., and the 4700- to 4800-blocks of N. Winthrop Ave., Chicago, Illinois, legally described in Exhibit A and Exhibit B, both attached hereto and incorporated herein, satisfies four (4) criteria for landmark designation as set forth in Section 2-120-620 (1),(4),(5) and (6) of the Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the District is one of the best-surviving examples of the type of large neighborhood commercial and entertainment districts that developed in Chicago in the early part of the twentieth century. By the 1920s there were about two dozen major business centers outside the Loop, including Madison-Pulaski on the West Side, 79th-Halsted and 47th-Ashland on the South Side, and Lincoln-Belmont-Ashland on the North Side. These outlying districts, usually located at major transportation transfer points, were appealing to businesses not only for their heavy pedestrian flow, but also because their commercial frontage was much cheaper than in downtown; and
WHEREAS, buoyed by its many theaters, cabarets, and other entertainment facilities, the District was a particularly popular area. Attractions like the Riveria and Uptown Theaters, the Aragon Ballroom, and the Green Mill Gardens drew people from all over the city; and
WHEREAS, the strong retail character of the District dates to the establishment of Loren Miller & Co., a departm...
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