Church of Scientology's Proposed Location at 650 S. Clark Making its Way Through the Legal System

It's been awhile (back in 2010) since we've heard about the Church of Scientology's plans to open up a new facility at 650 S. Clark (via Timeout Chicago):

The new HBO documentary Going Clear has put Scientology at the center of the national conversation. The church is huge in Los Angeles, and the notion of the religion being active in Chicago seems alien (pun intended) to most locals.  

There is already a Scientology church here, a rundown location in Lakeview with the sign "Hubbard Dianetics Foundation." The church is also in the process of opening another, grander location in Printers Row at 650 S Clark St. The city filed a $2,000 housing complaint against the owners of the location in 2013, which is still making its way through the system. The church is being represented in the matter by local law firm Pedersen & Houpt.

We just finished the Going Clear documentary on HBO and definitely makes you question the origins and acts of the Church.  However, we live in a city and in a relatively diverse neighborhood so will respect their rights and their beliefs.

South Clark has seen a lot of development lately ranging from rental buildings, condos, bars and restaurants.  Looks like you can add a controversial religion to the changing face of South Clark.

(Hat tip:  PO!)

Church of Scientology Build-out Underway at 650 S. Clark

A reader sent us an article from the Columbia Chronicle:

Junior filmmaking major Aaron Biggers, who lived in the Dwight Lofts for the 2018–2019 academic year, was curious to find out what was happening next door after passing by the construction.

Biggers eventually learned the construction site neighboring the Dwight Lofts, 642 S. Clark St., will be home to the relocated Church of Scientology of Chicago, as reported by the Chronicle April 13, 2015. The church currently has a Chicago location at 3011 N. Lincoln Ave.

“I saw the construction outside last year … and we were all wondering what it was,” Biggers said. “As I passed by after class one day, there was some paperwork on some wood paneling that said something like, ‘If you have a problem with the construction, notify the Church of Scientology Illinois.’”

Amazingly, we first heard about the Church of Scientology coming to this location way back in 2009!  What has taken them so long to build this out - who knows?!?!?!

The article above goes on to get some neighbors perspective on the church opening up shop in the Sloop.  Not the hardest hitting article, but still worth a read.

(Hat tip:  DS!)

Printers Row Church of Scientology Plans to Open This Year?

An article about the Church of Scientology's building boom with many references to the Printers Row location that is supposed to be opening by the end of the year:

The windows are boarded-up and there's a "Keep Out" sign in the windowsill. Many in the Printer's Row neighborhood are unaware that the vacant brick building is slated to become Illinois' new welcome center for the Church of Scientology at the end of the year. The $4-million purchase of the seven-story structure is part of a nationwide push by Scientologists to open a host of new church buildings and draw new members into the faith.

So what will be at the Printers Row location?

Scientologists say the Chicago building will focus on community outreach. Plans include a lobby open to the public that will host educational materials and displays on Hubbard, his religious philosophies and prolific writings; a large chapel will be able to convert into a space for community gatherings.

For more background on the Church of Scientology and our coverage of the building click here.

Church of Scientology Coming to Printer's Row?

Anytime we hear anything about the Church of Scientology there is usually some form of controversy surrounding the story. With that said, the controversy that is the Church of Scientology seems to be creeping into the Sloop as the church continues to lobby for a zoning change in Printer's Row. The plan would allow the church to build a structure at 650 S. Clark.

Although we're not going to offer our official opinion on the religion, we highly encourage you to check out the Wikipedia entry for more info. If that doesn't entice you, maybe Tom will:

Printer's Row Church of Scientology To Open Next Year

In February we had a post about the Church of Sceintology coming to Printer's Row and today the Chicago Tribune has more on this topic. It sounds like the new Illinois Headquarters of the Church of Scientology (at 650 S. Clark) could open next year.

More interesting pieces from the article:

The restoration of the $4 million red brick edifice at 650 S. Clark St. built in 1914 follows the church's plan of acquiring and restoring historic structures that embody a city's aesthetic.

More than 70 buildings have been acquired around the globe as part of a multimillion dollar expansion program. More than two dozen churches are set to open in the U.S. before the end of next year.

In Chicago, the 50,212 square feet of space will accommodate worship, courses, spiritual counseling known as auditing, community outreach and church administration.

"That's one of the reasons we need such a large space," said the Rev. Jesse Wells, an ordained Scientology minister, "to accommodate all the activities."

And here is a picture from Google Maps of the building:

Another Pizza Joint - Paisans Pizzeria & Bar - Coming to Printer's Row Area

A reader writes:

The mystery of just what is coming to the space just north of Burnham Pointe has been answered. I was never able to figure it out from the original construction permit for the exterior work, but a new building permit for the interior build-out just went up that reveals the space is going to be a Paisans Pizza, a suburb brand that's expanding into the city.

It’s kind of wild that 2 pizza restaurants are mid-construction within a stones’s throw from each other (Roots Pizza around the corner), both outside-chicago restaurants that are expanding into the city for the first time. Are there enough pizza eaters in printers row to sustain the business? Maybe.

It's a good question.  With the Old Post Office filling in and the accompanying residential developments around the river, it seems like these restaurants are betting that demand continues to pick up.  Will it be enough to sustain so much pizza pie is a fair question and something to keep our eye on.

Regarding the building, we believe it was a car wash but has sat vacant for awhile:

It's between Burnham Pointe and the build out going on for the Church of Scientology.

(Hat tip:  AD!)

Church of Scientology Chicago Signage Goes Up on at 650 S. Clark

Looks like there is some new signage going up on S. Clark:

Last we posted about this was back in October of last year as it appeared they were doing some construction and build out work in the building.

For those of you who don't remember or weren't around over 10 years ago, this has been a long time in the making as we posted about it way back in 2009.

It feels like a strange time to be moving in...but maybe that's not surprising to some.

(Hat tip: RG and DK!)

Synogogues No, but South Loop has Jewish Food and Culture

We recently went to Eleven City Diner (at 1112 S. Wabash) and had a good, quick meal. The diner had an old fashioned feel, relatively friendly service and a nice atmosphere that helped us enjoy our Corned Beef sandwich. The restaurant seemed to take a page out of the book from the popular East Coast delis (specifically one that comes to mind is the recently moved Second Avenue Deli in NYC). We enjoyed our visit and most definitely will be going back. This experience got us thinking about how the neighborhood caters to its Jewish residents.

The South Loop interestingly doesn't have a Jewish Synagogue in the neighborhood (at least we're not familiar with one). There are a lot of other religious institutions in the neighborhood (Soka Gakkai, Old St. Mary's Church, True Rock Ministry and the planed Church of Scientology to name a few). For Jewish residents the closest synagogue we found was the Chicago Loop Synagogue which is located at 16 South Clark. Technically it's not considered in the Sloop, but still pretty close.

However, even if there isn't a place for Jewish neighbors to practice their religion at least they have some great restaurants and cultural activities that can keep them connected to their faith. As we mentioned above, Eleven City Dinner serves many Jewish staples like potato latkes, matzo ball soup and our personal favorite the traditional corned beef sandwich.

Arguably the most famous Jewish deli in the city (maybe even the region) is Manny's Deli which is located in the Sloop at 1141 S. Jefferson. If you haven't been, we highly recommend you check it out. Not to beat a dead horse, but we highly recommend the Corned Beef! The deli has had it's share of celebrities and politicians hit up the spot (most recently Barack Obama).

Finally, if you want real Jewish culture (although in our opinion the food is a big part of the culture) then you can go over to the recently renovated Spertus Museum at 610 S. Michigan. We haven't been yet, but have been intrigued by some of the lectures and plan to check some out eventually.

So the moral of the story is that you don't have to fret if you're a Jew in the Sloop, there are ways to engage with your Jewish identity. Best of all you don't have to go to services on Saturday morning...