The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois listed Barat College's Old Main chapel as one of the state's most endangered historic places last month. (James Morris)

A developer who bought an Illinois college that closed in 2004 intends to tear down an Italianate chapel for a condominium-conversion project.

Last month the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and the National Trust filed suit against the city of Lake Forest, Ill., seeking administrative review of its decision to allow a local developer to demolish part of the former Barat College's Old Main building as part of a 23-acre redevelopment project.

The 50,000-square-foot Thabor wing, a 1924 addition to Old Main, contains one of the state's most significant chapels, noted for its stained-glass windows and perfect acoustics.

"It's like a little Sistine Chapel. It's a jewel," says local resident Sherry McDonald.

The city's April 16 decision overturned two previous decisions by the historic preservation commission to deny demolition permits for the project.

"This is a fairly important lawsuit in that it is about the validity of a historic commission," says Christine Morris of the National Trust's Midwest Office says. "It really erodes the power and effectiveness of a historic commission in general and makes it harder for them to protect historic resources."

Cathy Czerniak, city planner for Lake Forest, says the city has a good record on historic preservation and has never before overturned the commission's decisions.

But with what she calls a "significant development for the city" on the line, the council was forced to consider a broader range of criteria in approving the project. "The historic preservation commission looks at specific criteria" she says, "The council was trying to balance several issues," which included not only preservation of the campus, but economic factors as well.

Developer Robert Shaw says that he looked extensively into saving the chapel but found it to be an unviable option. The wing, he says, is in poor condition, and would not yield quality residential spaces. "The cost of restoration was huge, but even if there was some source of $10 million, there was a question of who would use [the chapel]."

The council concluded that the developer had satisfied the city's historic preservation ordinances by preserving the facade of the building, as well as the lawn and trees in front of it. Czerniak says that the city ordinances do not cover interiors, and, in the absence of a private easement, the chapel is not protected.

Preservationists disagree, citing the fact that the chapel is referenced in Old Main's listing on the National Register of Historic Places. "The interior is as architecturally significant as the exterior," Morris says. "A gut rehab would not be appropriate for this space."

Want Today's News headlines delivered to your e-mail box? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter >>