“The federal government, we hope, will have an open mind as it starts soliciting reuse proposals for downtown’s historic Century and Consumers buildings next month.

“The U.S. General Service Administration earlier this month wisely — and surprisingly — spared the vacant century-old skyscrapers at 202 and 220 S. State St. from the gallows.

“Then the agency, which initially wanted to raze the structure to build a security plaza for the nearby Dirksen Federal Building, seemed to hang the buildings with an albatross’ worth of security measures that we fear will scare away developers.

“But one developer is expressing interest. Quintin Primo III told the Sun-Times’ David Roeder last week he plans to respond when the GSA issues its call to developers.

“We’re not endorsing a Primo proposal; other developers will surely put their own ideas forward. But it’s encouraging when someone in the business says “there’s some room for negotiation and some room for flexibility” with the GSA mandates.

“‘As developers, we’re problem-solvers, and I think we can develop a plan that meets the need for security,’ said Primo, founder and executive chairman of Capri Investment Group, who joined developer Michael Reschke to turn the James R. Thompson Center into Google’s Chicago headquarters.

“It’s also a good sign a GSA spokesperson now says the agency will consider ‘proposed deviations’ to the feds’ security mandate for the towers and that a reuse plan should line up with city plans to enliven State Street.

“And the GSA and U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Illinois, must also find a way to help fund the Century and Consumers’ reuse, with the $52 million Durbin earmarked in 2022 to raze the buildings.

“The government spent some of the cash demolishing one of the two small retail buildings between the towers, but $45 million is left. An amount like that could help insure the reused buildings would be an asset to downtown.

“Along with the money, there is certainly enough architectural and real estate development talent in this city make sure that happens.

“All the GSA has to do is let them get creative and do their jobs. (Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 8/19/24)

Read the full editorial in the Chicago Sun-Times

• Keep an open mind, feds, on reuse of Century and Consumers buildings; Developer Quintin Primo III has expressed interest in submitting a proposal, and others likely will too. Negotiation and flexibility about security measures will be key, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/19/24
• Feds save Century and Consumers buildings, but make redevelopment tougher; With its decision to save the two Loop skyscrapers but nix residential and other reuse, it’s as if the General Services Administration gave the city a bright balloon it wants to jab with a stickpin, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 8/5/24
• Landmarks commission must move to protect historic Century and Consumers buildings, A vote in favor of designating both skyscrapers as landmarks is the right way to go. It tells the feds the city wants the two historic properties saved, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 12/7/23
• Vox preservare: Landmarks commission hearings are a chance to speak up on saving Century and Consumers buildings; The U.S. General Services Administration and the federal judges pushing for demolition would do well to hear and abide by what could be a flood of testimony next week in favor of saving the buildings, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 11/8/23
• Century and Consumers Buildings now on national list of ‘endangered historic places’; The designation by the National Trust for Historic Preservation is more reason for the feds to reconsider their plan to wreck the historic Loop skyscrapers, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 5/9/23
• Fight the power: City must move quickly on landmark status for fed-owned Loop skyscrapers; A preliminary designation hopefully would force the Century and Consumers buildings to be redeveloped rather than demolished, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 4/13/23
• Downtown’s endangered Century and Consumers buildings deserve landmark status; The city is making the right move by standing up to the feds and formally arguing that the towers are historically and architecturally important, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 9/6/22
• Are the endangered Century and Consumer buildings headed toward landmark status? Let’s hope so. It would be a better fate than the federal government’s plan to demolish the structures for a security plaza, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 7/23/22
• A federal case: U.S. government shouldn’t wreck two Loop skyscrapers in the name of safety; The buildings’ demolition would create an economic and pedestrian dead zone on State Street. And it would be a shameful waste of some really good Chicago architecture, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/3/22