Ten days after the opening of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Governor Bruce Rauner positioned himself in the spectacular atrium lobby of the Thompson Center to announce that he intends to “close and sell” the building to a private developer in an “open auction” for “cash.”
Rauner said he’s conferred with state senate president John Cullerton, house speaker Michael Madigan, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and they are all “forward leaning and positive on this.”
Preservation Chicago executive director Ward Miller responded to the news by noting that “It’s definitely an important building. That 17-story atrium is really a remarkable space. I personally would like to see a Chicago landmark designation of this structure.” Although the building is not yet 50 years old, the usual minimum age for a landmark, Miller said there have been precedents that might pave the way.
