By Andrew Adams
The former site of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, which has sat empty since 2019, might get a new life if real estate investor and hotelier Jonathan Gordon can gain approval for his vision to redevelop the building.
Gordon, whose company bought the property in October 2021, envisions a mixed-use development he said would attract businesses and people to the neighborhood. He plans a 35-room hotel with retail space on the first floor at the former museum, located at 1431 W Taylor St.
The hotel would be the third in a chain called the “Neighborhood Hotel,” with other locations in Lincoln Park and Grand Beach, MI. Gordon designs the mid-scale hotels for extended stays in apartment style suites.
“We are the community’s extra bedroom,” he said at a March 15 meeting with 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin and members of the community. “Some people will stay a few days or a few weeks.”
The project plan calls for using much of the building’s existing facade and structure while adding new windows to the facade and sides and constructing a new floor that would not increase the structure’s overall height, Gordon said.
The hotel’s business model would rely on existing nearby businesses and direct guests to local restaurants and amenities as well as rent out its retail space (which Gordon’s plans envision being large enough to accommodate two or three businesses) to local shops.
Part of the community
Each unit would have “a cooler on top of the refrigerator…with a prompt for the hotel guest to grab the cooler, go have the restaurant pack you sandwiches, go to Peanut [Arrigo] Park, or go be a part of the neighborhood,” said Gordon.
He and the development team intend to keep several parts of the Hall of Fame to highlight its and the neighborhood’s history, such as the wall with hall of fame inductees’ names. Preserving the building’s history would be a “guiding principle” in designing the building, Gordon noted.
“People know they’re in Little Italy, and it has a long history in Chicago,” he said.
The facility would add to the area’s hotel space, which includes a Marriott and Hyatt in the Medical District.
Rates for Gordon’s Lincoln Park hotel fluctuate based on supply and demand but float between $150 and $300 per night, he said.
Although the previous owner also owned the empty lot adjacent to the building, Gordon’s company does not. Ervin said he is aware of at least one potential buyer for that property.
“We will continue to see more items in the area,” said Ervin.
Zoning approval needed
Gordon and his company still need approval for a special use permit from the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which meets next on April 22.
Ervin hosted the virtual community meeting on Zoom as part of the process required for obtaining the special use permit. Ervin intended the meeting as a means to gather information from community members to help him decide whether he would recommend approval to the zoning board.
Mary Beth Howard of the Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association toured the Lincoln Park Hotel before the meeting.
“What was very impressive was the charm of the hotel,” said Howard. “It kept the look of the building and the whole feel.”
Howard supports the Taylor Street development, based on its potential impact for the neighborhood. “It will enhance our community and be more attractive to businesses in our community,” she said.
Other community members also voiced support at the meeting.
“I haven’t been this excited about a project on Taylor Street in quite a while,” said Lisa Kulisek, an architect who lives in the neighborhood.
“I don’t know what else is going to happen in that building,” said Bob O’Neill. “If we miss this opportunity, we might not have one in the near future.”
“We are excited to have you here,” said Ronan Rebolledo in a chat message.
If the City approves the project, Gordon estimated construction would take just less than a year, starting late this summer and wrapping up in late summer 2023; in that case, the project would go through an open bid process to select a contractor.
Von Weise Associates, a Chicago-based architecture firm, is working with Gordon to design and plan the project.
The site housed the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame from 2000 until 2019. After the building’s owner decided to sell it, the hall relocated to the North Side at 3417 N. Harlem Avenue.
Before the hall came to Taylor Street, that location held the Rosen & Shane liquor store. The City took the liquor store through an eminent domain “quick take” process that was very controversial at that time. Gazette Chicago covered that issue extensively.
For the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals, call (312) 744-4190. For Ervin, log on to aldermanervin.com/Jason or call (773) 533-0900. The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame’s website is www.niashf.org, and its phone number is (312) 226-5566. The Neighborhood Hotel’s website is www.theneighborhoodhotel.com, and the phone number for the Lincoln Park location is (773)-231-7300. The Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association’s website is www.licna.org; reach the organization via email at [email protected].