Thad Wong pushed through objections from preservationists to demolish an old Lincoln Park home next to his own, and disappointed the seller who was its longtime resident with its razing.
The co-CEO of @properties tore down the 152-year-old Victorian home at 2240 North Burling Street after preservationists and local residents fought to maintain it, Block Club reported.
Built in 1871 just after the Great Chicago Fire, the house was owned by the same family for 60 years before Wong purchased it for $2 million late last year. The seller, Judy Blatherwick, had no knowledge of Wong’s plans for the site, the outlet reported.
“A living, breathing piece of Chicago history is now gone,” Blatherwick said. “It destroys the character of the streetscape. It’s just a shame. It’s just rotten, and it’s a tragedy.”
The city issued a 90-day demolition delay, as advocates pleaded for officials to reject Wong’s teardown application. Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, started a petition that collected nearly 3,000 signatures in an effort to save the Burling Street home, but it wasn’t enough.
“We should have a longer demolition delay period, and often these permits strategically come in around the holidays, which makes it even harder,” Miller told the outlet. “If we had six months, that would be more effective and fair in making final bids for these incredible structures.”
Miller has also fought to preserve the historic State Street buildings, which the federal government is wanting to raze for security reasons. Akin to these sites, attaining a landmark designation — a shield to such demolitions — is a difficult and prolonged process.
Miller said the “bar for landmarking is very high” and that it requires consistent support from residents, along with heavy political influence. In Lincoln Park, about a third of homes built before the 1930s have been torn down, while the rest remain at risk, he told the outlet.
Wong previously mentioned to FOX32 that the North Burling home was “not a viable candidate for preservation.” His future plans for the property are unknown.
— Quinn Donoghue
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