Chicago Construction News staff writer
A former Rogers Park firehouse will be redeveloped into a café, event space and office facility under a $3 million adaptive reuse proposal selected by the city, the Department of Planning and Development announced.
The winning proposal, submitted by developer Ryan Cummings in partnership with Michael Salvatore of Chicago-based Heritage Hospitality Group, calls for transforming the 111-year-old, city-owned building at 1721-23 W. Greenleaf Ave. into a 2,000-square-foot coffee house with more than 4,000 square feet of event space and second-floor offices.
The City of Chicago plans to sell the 6,323-square-foot structure at its market value of $350,050, pending approvals.
“This thoughtful proposal will preserve a beautiful building with new uses that reinforce its role as a community anchor while complementing pedestrian-oriented retail activity on nearby Clark Street,” Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright said.
The project was selected from five responses to an October 2025 request for proposals seeking adaptive reuse concepts for the historic firehouse.
The former Engine Co. #102 served Rogers Park from 1915 until 2009, when fire operations were moved to a newer facility on North Clark Street. The building has remained vacant since.
Proposals were evaluated based on design concept, financial capacity, developer experience and overall feasibility.
If approved, the project would repurpose one of Rogers Park’s long-vacant historic structures into a mixed-use neighborhood destination combining food service, events and office space.
