The property where Marie’s Pizza and Liquors, a beloved Albany Park pizza joint and liquor store that opened in the 1940s, is located is for sale for $1.7 million, according to Darwin PW Realty.

It comes more than a year after the three-generation family business was “temporarily” closed while the owner helped a sick family member, Block Club Chicago reported.

The 8,700-square-foot building sits on a quarter-acre lot at the corner of West Lawrence Avenue and North Kedvale Avenue. An agent with the real estate group described it as a “redevelopment or gut rehab opportunity only.”

The agent declined to comment for this story.

Theodore Karavidas opened the shop in 1940 as a tavern and small packaged goods store, and was bought out by his then-21-year-old son George Karavidas eight years later. By 1950, they had started serving pizza and knocking down walls inside to make it the restaurant and liquor store it became known as.

The block where the restaurant is located is dedicated to George Karavidas, whose daughter Nadine Karavidas later took over the business.

Amie Zander, the executive director of the Pulaski Elston Business Association, said Marie’s is the “number one” thing she gets calls about — questions about it reopening or being redeveloped have flooded her phone lines since the business had less consistent hours after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zander, 47, a lifelong Northwest Side resident, had been going since she was a kid and had fond memories of the '40s-inspired tinsel Christmas decorations the restaurant would be adorned in during the holidays, as well as its “iconic” Chicago tavern-style thin crust pizza.

“So many of our local businesses didn’t have the staff and the capacity to operate the way they once did,” Zander said. “I’ve been going there since I was a kid. … It’s gonna be a big loss for the neighborhood. There was that glimmer of hope until we heard it was officially listed."

After closing its dining room in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant opened intermittently for takeout before closing again in 2023. In October, the property was used to film upcoming episodes of “Chicago PD.”

Zander said the neighborhood could use another place to get pizza, as the area has lost many of its sit-down restaurants and pizza joints. However, she said retail would also be welcome.

“Our part of Lawrence doesn’t have a walkable retail district,” Zander said. “It’s a really busy drive-thru neighborhood, so making more options for people to stop is kind of what we strive for. ... Hopefully this just means new beginnings for the neighborhood in 2025.”

The draft is three weeks away now. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have pieced together an off-season that is earning widespread praise across the league. The question is whether they can stick the landing with their 1st round pick in the draft. Current projections have the top three picks likely being a mix of Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. After that, it gets tricky. People in Chicago want to know where running back Ashton Jeanty will end once the dust settles.

Widespread belief has been that the Las Vegas Raiders are the heavy favorites to take him at 6th overall, with New Orleans at #9 also being a possibility. It makes sense. Las Vegas’ best option right now is a 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. New Orleans knows Alvin Kamara turns 30 in July. Both teams need to think about the future at that position. Both have head coaches who like to run the ball. One thing is clear. A source told SM that those around the league believe one thing is certain.

“He likely won’t get passed Chicago if he falls that far.”

Ashton Jeanty is a strong probability for the Bears.

Whispers from Halas Hall indicate they love the Boise State star. It isn’t hard to see why. He nearly broke Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record in 2024, nearly winning the Heisman in the process. The guy carried his team to the college football playoffs. He’s built like a brick house with power, speed, contact balance, and vision. There aren’t any truly glaring weaknesses in his game. He’s earned comparisons to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch. The Bears haven’t had a back of that caliber since Matt Forte.

Try to imagine what this offense could look like with Ashton Jeanty, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Cole Kmet all as options for quarterback Caleb Williams. Throw all of it into Johnson’s offense, and you can understand why some people around the league aren’t wild about the idea. They are quietly hoping Jeanty goes somewhere else. One thing is certain. If he gets past the Raiders, the noise will get loud in a hurry. It would mark the first time in 20 years the Bears have taken a running back in the 1st round.