Official name: 108 North State Also known as: Block 37 Built: 2005-2008 Designed by: Perkins and Will Type: Mixed Use Location: 108 North State Street, Chicago, United States
I n real estate, it's all about location. And this parcel of land has one of the most desirable locations in all Chicago. But bring so desirable isn't easy. Block 37 has been a vacant lot since 1989 when a jumble of run-down buildings were leveled. A number of plans have come and gone for the prime chunk of land. Everything from a branch of luxury retailer Harrod's to a 100-story megatower. While waiting for development, the lot has served as a location for various festivals and city events.
The latest project gaining momentum is a retail/residential complex by the Mills Corporation, of Gurnee Mills, Grapevine Mills, Katy Mills, etc... fame. Mills is adroit at turning vacant plots of land into entertainment and shopping destinations, combining theme park settings with retail to create a destination of its own. How this will play in downtown Chicago remains to be seen. The location across the street from the once-great Marshall Field's could provide a needed alternative to the stodgy retailer, especially now that its heritage and luster has been lost to corporate sell-offs.
The Mills plan includes five stories of shopping, along with a mixed-use tower involving a hotel, offices, and residential space. The plan also calls for a large shaft rising from the subterranean CTA station into the main complex with video screens on each side displaying information like weather forecasts. Though not specifically mentioned, you know these are going to be full of advertising, too.
If this project is built, and Mayor Daley gets the casino he wants a few blocks away, they could be anchors for a thriving new entertainment district. The mayor has been trying hard to reverse the fortunes of State Street and return it to its glory days.
Of course, no large project in Chicago gets built without the mayor's fingerprints all over it. Daley's contribution in this case is a transit hub. The idea is to have a place where people headed to O'Hare and Midway airports can check their luggage before getting to the terminal, then take an express train directly to the airport. This will reduce lines and congestion at the airport, and make traveling more convenient for passengers who won't have to schlep their bags on the el. Individual airlines have tried similar experiments in other cities with mixed results. With city and transit authority backing, this plan could work much better since it could conceivably serve all airlines, not just one.
Before Block 37 became an empty lot and its revitalization an unattainable goal for the city, it was a standard Chicago commercial block covered with buildings between one and six-stories tall. Though it sounds innocuous, it was a cancer on the area. The buildings were run down and attracted vagrants, junkies, and worse. Though its a shame to have a vacant lot in the middle of the city, this block did no service to the community, and the city is better off without it.
The television studios in this building use the address 22 West Washington Street.
1989 - The buildings on this 2.85 acre lot are razed.
2002 - The City of Chicago purchases Block 37 for $32,500,000.
2002 - Mills Corp, of Arlington, Virginia, is selected to develop Block 37.
August, 2004 - CBS confirms that WBBM television and radio will move into the new building.
1 September, 2004 - Mills Corp applies for a zoning change on Block 37 to build a new retail, commercial, and residential complex.
12 October, 2004 - The plan to turn Block 37 into the 108 North State entertainment complex gets preliminary approval from the city's planning department.
13 October, 2004 - The Chicago Tribune reports that Mayor Daley is considering this location for a city-owned casino. On WGN Television Daley refuses to say where the favored locations for the casino are, claiming it would raise property values in the neighborhood. Just a few months earlier, Mayor Daley purchased a new home two blocks away.
3 May, 2005 - The Mills Corporation announces the names of the first few businesses expected to move into 108 North State. They include Banana Republic, and an restaurant.
15 November, 2005 - Groundbreaking.
August 11, 2006 - Golub & Company buys the residential and office portions of the project.
March 31, 2007 - Fire breaks out at this construction site. Witnesses describe a column of smoke climbing into the sky blotting out neighboring buildings. It was caused by sparks from a welder's torch that fell on some flammable material.
June 9, 2008: WBBM Television begins moving in.
July 21, 2008: WBBM Television was supposed to start broadcasting from its new streetfront studio on this date. But according to the Chicago Tribune, that date had to be pushed back because it wasn't ready.
September 2008: New anticipated date for the premiere of the WBBM streetfront studio.
September 1, 2008: Scheduled official opening of the office tower portion of this project.
Stephen
Friday, January 25th, 2008 @ 3:56pm
Rating: Four stars. The architectural drawings look great! State Street has so much to offer, but is overlooked by many as being a run-down and out of date. This is just what is needed to help bring in more revenue for the city and clean-up what has become a very run-down part of Chicago.
Jim
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 @ 11:14am
Rating: Five stars. Its about time that someone has stepped up to the plate and done something with this dump. Good job Daley! I think the plan (Block 37) is good with it's mixed use type structure and should bring some people back to the now ghost town known as State Street. Developers need to wake up already and realize that times have changed; people want to be able to shop, work, eat, and live all in the same structure or at least be darn close. Yes it's sad, but people are lazy. Start building more of those types (mixed use) of buildings and you will see a major change to Chicago's lonely at night Loop area and for God sake's put some stuff in there that will actually draw some people off the Mag Mile already! Palos Shoes and Dollar Tree aren't going to do it! Think Saks Fifth Avenue, not Walgreens or Starbucks.
Brian
Friday, March 30th, 2007 @ 2:38pm
Rating: Four stars. i simply love the plan it will give the downtown area more color and attraction for visitor and better treveling 4 everone i give it a 4 cause its something to look forward to in the future
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Stephen
Four stars.
Five stars.