Hyde Park Bank: Façade Restoration

Originally billed as the “largest bank building outside of Chicago’s Loop” when it was completed in 1929, Hyde Park Bank served as the headquarters of the former Hyde Park-Kenwood National Bank. Constructed for $2 million and designed by architects K.M. Vitzhum & Co., the bank opened only six months before the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

The 10-story structure is clad in Bedford stone. In its modern state, the interior serves as a mixed-use retail space; its 53rd Street frontage is rented out to retail stores, while the bank occupies the interior of the first floor and all of the second floor.

As part of a comprehensive façade repair project, Bulley & Andrews Masonry Restoration (BAMR) accessed and repaired all façades to repair damage from water infiltration and weather exposure. Using a variety of access techniques, BAMR’s self-perform work included rebuilding brick and limestone parapets, removing corroded mild steel shelf angles, replacing damaged limestone and brick units, repointing limestone and brick masonry, installing supplemental anchors, cleaning biological growth from the limestone, and installing new window perimeter sealant.

Designated a Chicago Landmark in October 2008, Hyde Park Bank remains a prominent landmark in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood.