After two years of delays, Svigos Development finally closed on its purchase of the shuttered

Lyman Trumbull School building at 5200 N. Ashland Ave. in Andersonville. The company won its bid to buy the property in August 2015 but has struggled to secure a solid plan and partnership for the building’s ground-floor retail space. 

The former school shuttered in 2013 and Svigos agreed to purchase the property for $5.25 million. Designed by Prairie School architect Dwight H. Perkins in 1909, the school recently received landmark status that makes the building eligible for historic preservation tax credits. However, the landmarking process hindered initial plans to convert the building into 49 residential units and a theater space.

Lyman Trumbull Elementary / CC0

Following the bid, Svigos worked with TimeLine Theatre Company to take over the first floor but after a year the two groups were unable to strike a deal.

As announced in May by the Chicago Board of Education, the recently purchased building could become once again a school. The Board of Education approved a measure that would allow “a privately funded, non-public school” to occupy a portion of the space. The Waldorf School, which put in a bid against Svigos, has shown interest in still being a part of the plans.

According to a more recent article from DNA Info, Svigos Development is still looking for a theater company for the partnership. Alderman Pat O’Connor (40th) wrote in a newsletter that residents will continue to be updated on the progress and plans.