NORTH CENTER — The building that once housed Chicago Joe’s is no more.
Demolition crews arrived Tuesday and began knocking down the buildings, including the closed restaurant, at 2250 W. Irving Park Road, neighbors said. Piles of bricks and other debris were all that was left by Thursday.
Developer Landrosh Development has had a permit to demolish the buildings at the property — Chicago Joe’s, six apartments and a parking lot across four city lots — since August. The company plans to put up a five-story apartment building with ground-floor space for a restaurant.
Patrick Landrosh said he had no new information about the project Thursday.
The building will have 39 apartments, with eight of the units designated affordable instead of the four required by the city. It will have 19 car parking spaces and 42 bicycle parking spaces, according to plans.
Ald. Matt Martin (47th) approved Landrosh’s plans after rejecting an earlier proposal to build an upscale condo complex without commercial space and fewer affordable units.
Chicago Joe’s founders Chuck Kowalski and Al Rompza opened the North Center fixture in 1988 to celebrate the idea of a “regular Joe.” They used vintage advertisements for the Chicago Daily News, seats from Comiskey Park and boxing gloves in the restaurant’s decor.
Many of the restaurant’s light fixtures and leaded glass installations appeared to have been recovered from older buildings and installed at the restaurant to add to its eclectic, Chicago-focused decor.
The owners permanently closed the restaurant in 2021 due to the pandemic and sold the property to Landrosh.
Last year, the iconic Chicago Joe’s marquee hanging over Irving Park Road was auctioned off alongside the restaurant’s equipment and memorabilia.
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