Lake View State Bank Building

The Lake View State Bank Building was a bank building at 3179 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. It was designed by Ivar Viehe-Naess and was built at a cost of $125,000 in 1920.[1][2] It replaced Lake View State Bank's previous building which was a half-block south and was built five years earlier.[3] The building was demolished in August 2021.

Lake View State Bank Building
General information
Location	3179 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°56′23.26″N 87°39′0.89″W
Completed	1920
Demolished	August 2021
Technical details
Floor count	2
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Ivar Viehe-Naess

The bank became insolvent during the Great Depression, and was closed by the State Auditor on September 22, 1930.[4][5][6] On July 1, 1946, the Belmont National Bank opened in the building.[7] The building also housed medical offices in the mid-20th century.[8][9][10] In 1968, the Belmont National Bank doubled the floor space it occupied in the building, and opened a drive-thru banking service.[11] In 1987, Water Tower Trust and Savings Bank purchased Belmont National Bank, and in 1993 it was sold to River Forest Bancorp.[12][13][14] The building last housed a Fifth Third Bank branch and the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois.[15][16] The Hubbard Street Group demolished the building in favor of new construction, but did not disclose who planned to occupy the new building in advance.[15]

A demolition permit was issued August 4, 2021, and demolition began August 13. Because the bank was FDIC insured, the application for a demolition permit should have triggered a review to determine whether the bank was a historic building, according to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. However, no review took place.[17]