From Bank to Drugstore To Bookstore: This Classic Chicago Building Once Again Has New Occupant

Barnes & Noble is the latest occupant of the former Noel State Bank building in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood

The former Noel State Bank Building in the Chicago neighborhood of Wicker Park was built in 1919.

Although the original occupant — Noel State Bank — failed during the Great Depression, the building was home to many other banks for over 80 years.

After Midwest State Bank moved out in 2005, though, the building sat vacant until it was repurposed as a Walgreens drugstore in 2012 after more than two years of extensive renovation.

But Walgreens closed the drugstore in early 2023.

This time, however, the space was not vacant for long — and a new tenant opened for business last week:

Barnes & Noble.

Barnes & Noble completed an adaptive reuse of the multi-story Classical Revival-style building (and former bank-turned-drugstore).

Of course much of the hard work had been completed during the previous renovation by Walgreens.

Such as the restoration of the building’s coffered plaster ceiling and large stained glass window skylight.

Unlike most Barnes & Noble stores, the new Wicker Park location does not include a cafe.

But perhaps Barnes & Noble is not yet finished with the repurpose as it initially plans to use just ~16,000 square feet of the ~23,000 square foot, three story building.

For instance, the former basement bank vault will remain off limits to customers.

Walgreens had turned into this space into a "Vitamin Vault" with rows of vitamins for sale behind the large door and locking gears of the former bank vault.

And there had been great interest in how Barnes & Noble would utilize the space.

However the vault area at the Wicker Park Barnes & Noble will not be open to the public...

At least for now.