Preservation
Alert:
Building 521
Gunner's Mate Training School
at Great
Lakes Naval Station
Building 521 - Gunner's Mate School at Great
Lakes Naval Station in North Chicago, Illinois is threatened
with demolition. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and
completed in 1954, this impressive Bruce Graham-designed building
has been unused for years.
The Navy is moving forward with plans to demolish this building.
However, the Navy is open to an outside entity/contractor using
the building or to disassembling and moving the building off
the base. Please
click
here for information on the Navy's Enhanced Use Lease Program.
The
Navy is accepting proposals for re-use of the building through
Wednesday, February 13, 2008.
Please pass this information along to
colleagues, friends, and relatives or anyone
who may have an interest in utilizing this notable structure.
Proposals and inquiries may be submitted to:
Ms. Maria Sus
Cultural Resources Program Manager
201 Decatur Avenue, Building
1A
Great Lakes, IL 60088-2801
847-688-2600 *1364
The Navy's presentation for the public meeting
of January 29, can be downloaded here.
The minutes of the public meeting: Alternative Re-Use, Building
521 Great Lakes, on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, are available
here.
SOM has recently prepared a variety of reuse proposals for this
building. Any entity interested in using this amazing building
to its full advantage is encouraged to submit a proposal.
Below are excerpts of SOM's proposals, which include dimensions
of the building.
To read Blair Kamin's article in the Chicago Tribune, "Why the
Navy Should Act to Save This 'Box': Building 521 Priceless Relic
of Naval, Chicago History" (February 3, 2008) and view building
photographs, please click
here.
To learn more, click
here for "Code Red: Military Bases
Are Rushing to Reduce their Buildings by 2013, and a Mid-Century
Modern is on the List," an article by Margaret Foster in Preservation
Online of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
(January 25, 2008).
To voice your support for preservation of
this building, please contact:
Rep. Mark Kirk
10th Congressional District Office
707 Skokie Blvd., Suite 350
Northbrook, IL 60062
Tel 847-940-0202
Fax 847-940-7143
Congressman Mark Kirk
Images courtesy of SOM.
The Great Lakes Naval Museum Association earned a $55,000 grant
from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American
Express Partners in Preservation competitive grant Program. The
association will kick-off its renovation
fundraising campaign to re-use Gordon Bunshaft’s (SOM)
1942 Hostess House at Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago,
Illinois as its new museum. The Great Lakes Naval Museum Association
was one of 25 finalists in the Chicago region for this one time
grant fund.
Thank you for supporting restoration of the Hostess
House into the new Naval Museum! docomomo (along
with the National
Trust for Historic Preservation, Landmarks Illinois, the Mies
Society, and the City of Highland Park, Illinois) is a consulting
party to the discussions between the Great Lakes Naval Station,
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency regarding the future of Gordon Bunshaft’s
(SOM) Hostess House and Bruce Graham's (SOM) Gunner's Mate Training
School Building.
The Partners in Preservation Program, including the Hostess
House, was featured in a recent Travel and
Leisure Magazine multi-page
insert.
Excerpt from letter by Scott Allen, LCDR, USN (RET),
Vice President, Great Lakes Naval Museum Association:
"The Hostess House, designed by Gordon Bunshaft as the reception
center for WWII Sailors, was opened in 1942 to provide a setting
for thousands of Sailors to be reunited with their families and
friends after completion of boot camp. Over the years it
has seen many uses, but is now scheduled to be restored to its
original form and house the Great Lakes Naval Museum.
Once transferred, the Museum Association will embark on a $15-20
million multi-phase plan to restore the Hostess House to its
WWII grandeur. When restored, it will be the only museum in the
United States dedicated to presenting the story of Naval training.
Visitors will journey through over 10,000 square feet of the
historic World War II building filled with hundreds of Navy artifacts,
life-size photos, interactive displays and exhibits."
