McCormick Place is a huge asset for the city as it draws tons of conventions to the area. As the complex has continued to grow and subsequently move west across Lake Shore Drive, the building known as McCormick Place East has been underutilized and is now becoming dated. Last week the Sun-Times had an
article about the uncertainty facing the complex:
McCormick Place East needs $100 million worth of maintenance and repairs -- casting doubt on the long-term future of a lakefront building Mayor Daley once called a "Berlin Wall" that ruined the Chicago skyline.
We would love to see this building come down and be developed into additional lake front park space. The other interesting thing is that the space has been discussed for a casino, which goes to show you that any large building or piece of land close to downtown will undoubtedly be discussed for a hypothetical casino.
5 comments:
You would like to see this building come down???? OMG!! This is a beautiul modernist building that will undoubtly not go anywhere any time soon... this is the most beautiful of the four buildings on the McCormick campus. I invite those who believe this building should be razed to pay attention to the battle over the Gropius buildings at Michael Reese.
Maybe Daley will just bulldoze it in the middle of the night?
that joke is getting really old... closing Miegs improved so much about the lake... closing McCormick East would be ridiculous!
Let's just say I share an opposing view on both of those issues.
As a downtown resident and private pilot, Miegs Field was a significant asset . . . while I feel McCormick Place East represents everything wrong/irrelevant with modern architecture.
To remove a piece of art by one of the premiere modernists would be a scar on this city both physically and figuratively. Restore the building and offer tours. Combine those tours with the Michael Reese buildings by another great architect, and maybe just maybe this city that invented the sky scraper will again be know for great buildings ~ and their preservation.
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