Photo courtesy by dnainfo.com
It’s not exactly typical for some buildings to stay empty for years, especially when they’re in busy, bustling neighborhoods like Chicago’s Wicker Park, but that’s exactly what has happened with the storefront that was used to represent the fictional record store Championship Vinyl in the movie High Fidelity. The commercial storefront, located at 1514 N. Milwaukee Ave at the corner of Honore Street, was sold last month for $1.4 million to a venture called House Music LLC, a subsidiary of Newcastle Limited. Previously, Deborah Marie Peterson owned the building.
Why Vacant So Long?
The building was constructed in 1902 by Joseph Dercheimer and designed by architect H. Olgen. It’s a column-free space with 13-foot ceilings and a high volume of foot and vehicle traffic. In the heart of Wicker Park, just south of the busy Six Corners intersection, this corner retail lot sat vacant for several years. It’s surprising that the building stood vacant for so long, considering the development that’s taken place in the neighborhood over the past ten years. It’s categorized as a “contributing” building to the Milwaukee Avenue Landmark District. Boarded up for years is no condition for a landmark building. Still, that’s what it’s been thus far. Now that it has new owners, however, that likely won’t be the case for much longer.
What Next?
The coveted corner retail space does not yet have a tenant, according to Brennan Hitpas, the vice president of Newcastle Limited. He said, “We are believers in the neighborhood and like the fact that it is a corner location.” With no tenants secured yet, however, it’s essential for this building to remain protected until it can become occupied. Boarding up with plywood isn’t generally a desirable option, as not only are the boards flammable, but they don’t always keep crime out. A better option would be using steel door and window guards, which effectively secure doors and windows from anyone trying to break in and steal from, vandalize, or otherwise damage the storefront. It will be interesting to see what the storefront gets transformed into, but one thing is certain – Rob Gordon won’t be there to lament his relationship status.
