Clearing in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Green Space at 63rd Street and Central Avenue

October 2015

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 1, 2025

1. The Green Space at 63rd Street and Central Avenue Marker

Inscription. The Crane and Moreland Building was originally constructed on this site in 1927 by Martin Moreland and George Crane. The three-story building housed offices and small businesses on the first floor with apartments on the upper two floors. Designed by architect Edward G. McClellan, the Spanish Baroque Revival structure featured exquisite ornamentation, including vividly-colored terra cotta tiles and friezes that adorned the facade. In adherence to a Federal Aviation Administration safety mandate for Midway International Airport, the structure was razed in 2014. Through the cooperative efforts of the Chicago Department of Aviation and neighborhood residents, many of the building's structural details were preserved and repurposed on this site.

This green space is dedicated to the partnerships that created the unique structure.

Erected 2015.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.

Location. 41° 46.693′ N, 87° 45.715′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois,

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in Cook County. It is in Clearing. It is at the intersection of West 63rd Street and Central Avenue, on the right when traveling west on West 63rd Street. The small park is across the street from the southwest corner of Chicago Midway International Airport. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5600 West 63rd Street, Chicago IL 60638, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chicago Fire Department Engine Company 127 (approx. half a mile away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.2 miles away); Clearing-Park Shops Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); Solidarity Monument (approx. 1.4 miles away); 9/11 Memorial

The Green Space at 63rd Street and Central Avenue image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 1, 2025

2. The Green Space at 63rd Street and Central Avenue

(approx. 1.7 miles away); a different marker also named 9/11 Memorial (approx. 2 miles away); Argo-Summit American Legion Post 735 (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Regarding The Green Space at 63rd Street and Central Avenue. Midway Airport is situated on Chicago's southwest side, on 840 acres that are almost completely surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Regulations from the FAA and the City of Chicago limit the height of buildings immediately surrounding the airport. The 1927 building that was located at this corner was a three-story structure whose eastern wall was just a few feet from Central Avenue, and thus no more than 25 yards from the fence near the airport's southwest corner. Based on Google Street View archived photos, the building was open until at least the end of 2012, at which time it was home to several small businesses, including a drug store and an insurance broker.

Architect Edward George McClellan (1890-1941) was responsible for several landmark buildings in Chicago, perhaps most notably the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ on S. State St., where the funeral

Building elements incorporated into the green space image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 1, 2025

3. Building elements incorporated into the green space

Midway Airport is in the background on the right.

of Emmett Till was held.

Also see . . .
1. Memorandum about the Crane & Moreland Building. This PDF is a copy of a memorandum signed in 2014 by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office and the City of Chicago related to the demolition of the Crane & Moreland Building at the corner of 63rd and Central. (Submitted on October 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Height Restrictions Approved For Buildings Around Midway Airport. A 2011 news release from the City of Chicago outlines provisions about what building heights are permitted in the area around Midway Airport. (Submitted on October 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

3. Edward G. McClellan on Find a Grave. McClellan (1890-1941) is buried at Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago's south side. (Submitted on October 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Plane landing over the park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 1, 2025

4. Plane landing over the park

A Southwest Airlines plane descends over the intersection and 63rd and Central. The historical marker is obscured by the bush and flowers.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 100 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.