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Fire Sale: Vacant Firehouses on the Market Around the City

April 12, 2013 | By Benjamin Woodard, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

Rogers Park — The city is offering 11 vacant firehouses for sale, according to officials. Two of these stations are located on the Far North Side: one at 5714 N. Ridge Blvd. in Edgewater and another at 1723 W. Greenleaf Ave. in Rogers Park.

Peter Strazzabosco, a deputy commissioner with the Department of Housing and Economic Development, said that many police and fire stations no longer serve public safety needs and are now available for redevelopment. He added that proposals for any type of development — including restaurants or nonprofit offices — could be considered, depending on zoning rules.

“There’s definitely a lot of interest in these buildings,” Strazzabosco said. “They have a lot of potential.”

Alderman Joe Moore (49th) shared in an email that he has been working closely with Mayor Rahm Emanuel to find a use for the Greenleaf Avenue firehouse that would best benefit the neighborhood.

The Greenleaf station has been vacant since 2009, when firefighters moved to a new station on Clark Street. The city appraised the property at $250,000, and while it's currently zoned for residential use, Moore said he would consider supporting a zoning change if the community backed a specific project.

Earlier, the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society showed interest in moving into the building, but ultimately decided it was too costly to renovate.

The deadline for bids on the Greenleaf firehouse is 4 p.m. on May 8. Meanwhile, the firehouse on Ridge Boulevard — a Chicago Landmark built in 1928 and decorated with terra cotta — was appraised at $350,000. It is zoned for small-scale retail and includes a parking lot. Bidding on this property will begin next week.

Any sale of city-owned property must first be approved by the City Council. In Bronzeville, the council is nearing approval of a 10-year lease for a vacant firehouse to be converted into a museum honoring African-American firefighters.

Other firehouses have already been sold, such as one near the Damen Brown Line "L" stop, which is now being turned into a single-family home. Several historic buildings, including firehouses on the South Side, are listed on the city’s website.

Moore mentioned that his zoning and land use advisory committee will review all proposals for the Greenleaf Avenue firehouse. “I look forward to sharing the ideas for how we can best use this site,” he told residents.

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