DePaul University to demolish five historical buildings for new practice facility

DePaul University has announced plans to construct a new basketball practice facility in its Lincoln Park area, which requires the demolition of five historical buildings. The practice facility, part of a $60 million athletics project, will replace the buildings on the northwest corner of Sheffield and Belden Avenue.

The historical buildings scheduled for demolition include two greystones, two red brick multi-flat buildings on Sheffield Avenue, and a red brick courtyard apartment building on Belden Avenue. Demolitions will begin in mid-2025, resulting in a loss of 80 student beds, Peter Coffey, DePaul University's associate vice president for community and government relations, told Crain’s Chicago Business. 

Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, said to Crain’s Chicago Business that the demolitions will result in the loss of the community's character and historical street wall. Miller suggests the university build the new facility a block north, at Fullerton and Sheffield avenues, where it currently has a surface parking lot. The new practice facility, designed by HNTB and Antunovich Associates, will feature a brick façade to match the aesthetic of the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

According to Urbanize Chicago, the $60 million project will be funded through donor gifts and a fundraising campaign approved by the Philanthropy Committee of DePaul's Board of Trustees. Construction of the practice facility is expected to be completed by Fall 2026, following the Summer 2025 demolitions. The project also includes renovations to the Sullivan Athletic Center and McGrath-Phillips Arena, set to begin this winter and be completed by late Summer 2024. 

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