Municipal Courts Building (Chicago, Illinois) Explained

Municipal Courts Building
Location:116 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates:41.88°N -87.6244°W
Built:1906 - 07
Architect:Jenny, Mundie & Jensen
Architecture:Chicago
Added:August 29, 1985
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:85001912

The Municipal Courts Building, also known as the Lake View Building, is a skyscraper located at 116 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The building was built from 1906 to 1907 to serve as a temporary home for Chicago's Municipal Court. Jacob L. Kesner built the building, which was originally 12 stories tall, on a strip of land only wide; Kesner was one of the few property owners willing to grant the Municipal Court of Chicago a short-term lease. The building was completed later than planned, had less square footage than promised, and charged a higher rent than a competing offer from a warehouse, prompting Mayor Edward Dunne to conduct an ethics investigation into the approval of the building contract. The court only used the building until 1911; after it moved out, Kesner added another five stories to the building.[1]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1985.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Municipal Court Building, Michigan Avenue, Chicago. Designslinger. June 26, 2013.