Union Park Hotel
Also known as: Viceroy Hotel
Why it's listed
Facing Union Park on Chicago's Near West Side, this six-story hotel at 1519-1521 West Warren Boulevard was built in 1929-1930 to designs by architect Benjamin Albert Comm. Its main facade is clad in glazed terra cotta in creamy beige, brown, gold and pastel tones, with sunbursts, zigzags, chevrons, fluted piers and stylized palm fronds. The sides and rear are plain common brick. Inside, the hotel offered a modest lobby with Art Deco plaster and tile details and compact guest rooms for workers of modest means who needed to live near the Loop. The building was listed for its architecture, as a locally significant example of French-influenced Art Deco design and of colorful terra cotta work in Chicago. Later changes include replacement windows and doors and an entrance canopy added after it became the Viceroy Hotel in 1963. The building is now vacant, with plans for rehabilitation as affordable housing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel is locally significant under Criterion C for Architecture as a distinctive example of French-influenced Art Deco design. Its colorful glazed terra cotta facade and abundant Art Deco motifs are described as innovative and unusual in Chicago. The facade also reflects the importance of Chicago's terra cotta industry. The building keeps its original form, massing and ornament.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000309, listed June 7, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1519-1521 W Warren Blvd, Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | June 7, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000309 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929 |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin Albert Comm, architect; Arthur A. Klein & Co., general contractor |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently vacant and slated for rehabilitation and reuse as affordable housing; renamed the Viceroy Hotel in 1963. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.88403, -87.66617 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000309.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60750645
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.