Corners of major streets were vital to commerce

Photo caption: THE INTERSECTION of Milwaukee and Montrose avenues still features several historic buildings. Shown is a streetcar on Montrose likely in the late 1940s or early 1950s operated by the Chicago Surface Lines, which would later become the Chicago Transit Authority.Montrose at Milwaukee was the end of the line for that streetcar. The building in the background is current home of A List Startenders Bartending School. 
(photo courtesy of the Northwest Chicago Historical Society)

by FRANK SUERTH

In the early decades of Chicago’s commercial development, the corners of major street intersections were vital centers of shopping and neighborhood life. 

Retail buildings were constructed flush with the sidewalk, without front setbacks, reinforcing a pedestrian-oriented streetscape. 

Corner structures were typically larger and more architecturally elaborate than mid-block buildings.

ecause they faced and were accessible from two streets, they were prime commercial locations—highly visible, highly desirable, and central to community interaction.

By the mid-twentieth century, however, oil companies began targeting these same intersections for a different purpose. 

Corner lots offered ideal access for automobiles, allowing for driveways on two streets. Gas stations increasingly replaced traditional corner buildings. With them went many of Chicago’s majestic, pedestrian-friendly business corners.

In the late twentieth century, another shift occurred. 

Newer commercial developments — often indifferent to the historic character of urban neighborhoods — purchased corner properties, demolished existing structures, and replaced them with parking lots placed prominently in front of single-story retail buildings. Expansion and automobile access frequently took precedence over architectural continuity and neighborhood identity.

Although many historic intersections were lost, we are fortunate that the character of Milwaukee and Montrose was preserved. 

Just over a decade ago, the handsome structure on the southeast corner faced demolition. 
Plans called for replacing it with a nondescript drugstore and surface parking lot. 

Thanks to sustained community activism and protest, the building remains — standing today as an architectural anchor and a reminder of the importance of neighborhood stewardship.

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