page_title: Pui Tak Center
section_title: Renovation and restoration
hierarchical_section_title: Pui Tak Center / Renovation and restoration
caption_attribution_description: English: The west-side of the building with scaffolding
context_page_description: The Pui Tak Center, formerly known as the On Leong Merchants Association Building, is a building located in Chicago's Chinatown. Designed by architects Christian S. Michaelsen and Sigurd A. Rognstad, the building was built for the On Leong Merchants Association and opened in 1928. The Association used it as an immigrant assistance center, and the building was informally referred to as Chinatown's "city hall". In 1988, the FBI and Chicago Police raided the building as part of a racketeering investigation. The US federal government seized the building that same year.
  The building was purchased by the Chinese Christian Union Church for $1.4 million and renamed the Pui Tak Center in 1993. That same year, the On Leong Merchants Association Building was designated a Chicago landmark by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. The CCUC spent $1 million raised from community donations to renovate and update the building's neglected interior. The newly named Pai Tak Center now hosts various religious, community, and educational programs, such as English-as-a-Second-Language courses.
context_section_description: After purchasing the building in 1993, the Chinese Christian Union Church spent $1 million raised from community donations to make extensive alterations to the building's interior, which suffered from peeling paint, falling plaster, and poor lighting. The On Leong Merchants Association's former vault was converted into a closet, and the building's heating and water systems underwent major renovations and replacement. Renovations were completed in 1995, and the CCUC opened the building in November.
  In November 2007, the Pui Tak Center won a $100,000 grant from the Partners in Preservation, a program sponsored by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Spreading the word via e-mail, Facebook, and church sermons, the building led the five-week-long online contest from the start and ultimately received 14% of the vote. It received more votes than any of the other 24 historic Chicago sites participating in the contest, including the Robie House, the Chicago Cultural Center, and Unity Temple.
  In preparation for the restoration work, the structural and architectural engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates completed an evaluation of the building's eastern and southern facades, focusing on its terra cotta portions. By using ultrasonic testing, engineers were able to evaluate the state of the terra cotta without further damaging the pieces. Severely cracked or damaged pieces were partially removed and a report was written from these findings. This report provided recommendations for the masonry facade and terra cotta repair work. Restoration work began in spring 2009 and is scheduled for completion in early 2010. All of the damaged terra cotta elements have been replaced on the south tower and parapet, and scaffolding has been erected on building's eastern facade in preparation for further restoration work. Fully restoring the building's exterior terra cotta pieces and clay roof tiles is the first step in a long-range $2 million repair plan.
caption: Scaffolding was erected along the building's eastern facade during restoration work in 2009.
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