Kimbark Plaza Plaque

In 1963, amid much fanfare, the Kimbark Shopping Center opened as the centerpiece of Urban Renewal in Hyde Park.  Many of the retail stores that had been displaced from other locations in Hyde Park found a home here.  Such iconic stores as Anderson Hardware, Mr. G Certified Supermarket and Breslauer’s Department Store were among the first occupants.  At the opening, a plaque memorializing the event was mounted.
 

In 2021 it was brought to the attention of HPHS that the plaque was badly deteriorated and in need of restoration.  Preservationist Jack Spicer undertook a campaign to raise the funds to accomplish this.  Donors included The University of Chicago, the Kimbark Plaza board, and Bill Gerstein, former owner of Mr. G’s.  In September 2021 Peter Troost Monument Company completed the restoration.