The revival of the Bank Calumet building has revived hopes for the future of another grand historic bank in the city.
Hammond city officials hope the NWI Development Group's $24 million transformation of the nine-story Bank Calumet tower into The Banc, 100 market-rate apartments with ground-floor retail, shows developers something can be done with the State Bank of Hammond building. The historical Classical Revival building at 5444-5446 Calumet Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but has long sat empty.
Hammond City Councilman Dave Woerpel recently toured the building, which dates back to 1927 and was designed by Chicago architects Vitzthum & Burns, the same architects that designed the Cook County Hospital, Comisky Park, the Home Bank and Trust Company, Randolph Tower, One North LaSalle Street and St Peter’s Catholic Church in Chicago's Loop.
People are also reading…
"There's always some hope. I would love to see a developer do something with it," he said. "It's not as big as Bank Calumet. When I was in there it looked like it would be good for a restaurant or a store."
The steel, concrete and brick building at Calumet Avenue and Sibley Street sports an impressive terra cotta façade with classical Greek columns, including two fluted round columns. It housed the Calumet State Bank, which closed during the Great Depression, a life insurance company, a license bureau, a library branch, stores and professional offices. Bank Calumet even was briefly located there before building the tallest building in Hammond on Hohman Avenue downtown.
The 16,128-square foot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Previous owners restored part of it, including by replacing the stained glass skylight and adding a mezzanine level, with the aim of transforming it into a fine dining restaurant. Those plans never came to fruition and it's remained vacant since the 1990s.
The building includes the bank's original vault, a boardroom, marble stairways, terrazzo floors, decorative plasterwork, 25-foot ceilings and "a spectacular skylight," according to Indiana Landmarks.Â
In 2017, Hammond acquired the property, which includes two floors and a basement.
"Our plan is the find the highest and or best user for the development of this beautiful and historical building," said Hammond Director of Economic Development Juan J. Moreno. "We continue to have interest in the building but none of them have moved forward."
The city thinks the site, which includes vacant lots around the bank that could be built upon, potentially could be home to a mix of commercial and residential.
"There's always been interest. If it were something it was zoned for and was best for the area we would entertain it at least," he said. "We do two or three tours a year. One of them did a little bit more research than the others but I think some just want free tours. They get the tour and then you never hear from them again. One who had experience with older buildings came in and looked around and thought the cost of the repairs would be a little too high for what he was considering."
The city hopes to preserve the history building and potentially see new construction developed around it.
"We want to keep the historical value of the building," he said. "It's hard to say what it would be so long as the development fits the current zoning and the area and is complementary to downtown Hammond, since it's right nearby and we're redeveloping it."
State Bank of Hammond would be nowhere near as costly as Bank Calumet to preserve since it's a much smaller structure, he said.
"It's got vaulted ceilings, marble stairs and floors. The interior and the exterior are both grand," he said. "Pictures don't do justice to the beauty. It's a landmark with a lot of history. Hopefully someone's interested who can appreciate the historic value of it."
For more information, email morenoj@gohammond.com or call 219-853-6508.