The Oak Park Arms is an

independent living Independent living (IL), as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at society and disability, and a worldwide movement of disabled people working for equal opportunities, self-determination, and self-respect. In the context o ...

and

assisted living An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is s ...

retirement community A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves; however, assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socializ ...

located at 408 S. Oak Park Avenue,

Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...

. The Oak Park Township Senior Services and The Lifelong Learning Center of Oak Park - River Forest are both located inside the Oak Park Arms. More than ten other providers of senior-centered care maintain offices at the Oak Park Arms. Kindness Creators, an intergenerational

daycare Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...

located inside of Oak Park Arms, opened on August 29, 2019.

History

The Oak Park Arms was built in 1921 by George Cook and Arthur Lorenz at a cost of $750,000, and opened on April 20, 1922.The Hotel News
, ''The Hotel World''. Vol. 92, No. 21. May 21, 1921. p. 24. Retrieved October 2, 2019.Great West Side's First Hotel Opens
, ''The Hotel World''. Vol. 93, No. 25. December 17, 1921. pp. 20-21. Retrieved October 1, 2019. The building was designed by Roy F. France. It was a

luxury hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

and residence that hosted gala

weddings A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

and was host to notable guests, such as

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

.History
, Oak Park Arms. Retrieved October 2, 2019. An addition was built on the south side of the building, which was completed in 1949.

Joseph Glimco Joseph Paul Glimco (born Giuseppe Glielmi; January 14, 1909 – April 28, 1991) was an Italian-American labor leader and well-known organized crime figure based in Chicago. He was considered "Chicago's top labor racketeer" in the 1950s. One high ...

kept an apartment at the Oak Park Arms from 1955 to 1958. In 1978, the Oak Park Arms was purchased and converted into a

for seniors.

Radio stations

The Oak Park Arms has been home to several radio stations throughout its history. On February 15, 1924, WTAY, owned by the '' Oak Leaves'' newspaper, began broadcasting from the Oak Park Arms.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. pp. 351-352. In 1925, the station was sold to Coyne Electrical School and its call sign was changed to WGES. In 1926, the station was moved out of the Oak Park Arms.

Ray Kroc Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman. He purchased the fast food company McDonald's in 1961 and was its CEO from 1967 to 1973. Kroc is credited with the global expansion of McDonald's, turnin ...

played piano live on the air at WGES's studios in the Oak Park Arms. On October 7, 1950, AM 1490 WOPA began broadcasting, with its studios and transmitter located at the Oak Park Arms.
1971 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

, 1971. p. B-66. Retrieved October 2, 2019. The station continues to broadcast from the Oak Park Arms and is owned by Daniela Wojcik's CSWWII, LLC, holding the call sign

WEUR WEUR (1490 AM) is a time-brokered radio station licensed to Oak Park, Illinois, United States, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Daniela Wojcik, through licensee CSWWII, LLC. Programming The maj ...

.AM Query Results: WEUR
fcc.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2019. Ten days after WOPA signed on, its sister station WOPA-FM (current-day

urban AC Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

-owned station

WVAZ WVAZ (102.7 FM, "V103") is an urban adult contemporary radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area and Northwest Indiana. Licensed to Oak Park, Illinois, WVAZ is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., alongside sister stations WCHI-FM, WGCI-FM, W ...

102.7) began broadcasting, with its studios and transmitter also located at the Oak Park Arms.History Cards for WVAZ
fcc.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2019. In 1971, 102.7's transmitter was moved to the

John Hancock Center The John Hancock Center is a 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018. The skyscraper was designed ...

References

External links

Official WebsiteRetirement Villages
{{Oak Park, Illinois , state=expanded Hotels established in 1922 Hotel buildings completed in 1922 Buildings and structures in Cook County, Illinois Retirement in the United States Oak Park, Illinois Retirement communities