THREATENED: Unanimous Public Opposition to Demolition of Century and Consumers Buildings at Public Scoping/Section 106 Hearings (Chicago 7 2011, 2013 & 2022)

November 30, 2022

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Century Consumers EAR _5_ — The Consumers Building, 1913, Jenney, Mundie & Jensen, 220 S. State Street and The Century Building, 1915, Holabird and Roche, 202 S. State Street. Photo Credit: Eric Allix Rogers

The Consumers Building, 1913, Jenney, Mundie & Jensen, 220 S. State Street, c. 1960. Photo credit: Chicago Architectural Photographing Company, State Street, 200-298 S. Folder 1177, Sheet 4, CPC_04_D_1177_004, Chicago – Photographic Images of Change, University of Illinois at Chicago. Library. Special Collections Department

Preservation Chicago organized the submittal of dozens of letters and comments and letters to the GSA as past of the Section 106 process. Image credit: Preservation Chicago

“Tearing down a pair of early 20th-century towers and their neighbors on State Street would be a waste of money, natural resources and the city’s architectural heritage, speakers at a federal hearing said Thursday night.

“The hearing was the start of the General Services Administration’s public engagement process for its proposed demolition of a row of four buildings, the 16-story Century Building, the 22-story Consumers Building and two low-rises between them. Earlier this year, Congress allocated $52 million for demolition of the strip, from 202 to 220 S. State St. The move is designed to reduce security risks for the Everett Dirksen U.S. Courthouse immediately to the west.

“About a dozen architects, preservationists and others all urged the GSA to back off the demolition plan. No commenters at the hearing stood up for demolition.

“‘Everyone involved should be ashamed,’ said Chicago resident Aoife Fahey, who attended the meeting virtually.

“Demolishing the buildings would be ‘a waste and a bad decision,’ said Keith Giles, a veteran Chicago developer who was a partner in a $141 million residential redevelopment project for the buildings before Chicago officials halted the plan in 2019 because of the federal government’s security concerns.

“‘I respect and understand the importance of security, particularly in today’s world,’ Giles said. ‘However, eliminating these buildings and creating a large empty plaza with a few security guards will be a mistake if it happens.’

“Renovation is one of the possibilities, the GSA noted in its introductory slide show Thursday, but it would come with a set of 15 stipulations aimed at helping with security. Among them are no residential use of the buildings, no occupants with sight lines into the Dirksen or other federal properties, and no parking in or next to the buildings.

“In May, a coalition of archives proposed a [Chicago Collaborative Archive Center] plan they believe meets all the stipulations. Filling the building with several private archives would limit the number of people using the buildings and allow for extra security measures that might feel burdensome to more bustling users.

“Pallmeyer said there is ‘a lack of significant federal funds to make long-term improvements’ to the buildings. Speakers from Preservation Chicago urged the GSA to put the allocated $52 million toward restoration of the buildings with safety concerns in mind. Making that switch would entail getting two words inserted into the legislation: ‘demolish’ would become ‘demolish or renovate.’

“Preservation Chicago’s Adam Natenshon said that while there’s no solid estimate of the cost to renovate the buildings, he felt confident it would be less than demolition. The recent renovation project at Lane Tech High School, he said, entailed rehabbing more than twice the combined square footage of the State Street quartet, but the total cost was $52 million. That’s the same amount allocated for demolition on State Street.

“At the meeting, the GSA laid out a timeline for the engagement process that will last two years before a final decision is made. The four buildings, which have sat unused for almost 17 years, will remain in limbo during that time.

“‘It’s tragic that the buildings will stand another two years vacant and with few repairs, when there are viable reuse options,’ said Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago’s executive director.

Read the full story at Crain’s Chicago Business

Feds urged not to ‘waste’ vintage State Street buildings, Four early 20th-century buildings that the federal government wants to demolish should be saved and rehabbed, commenters at a Thursday evening hearing argued, Dennis Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 11/10/22

GSA begins public process for Century/Consumers Buildings; The federal agency wants to demolish both towers, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 11/11/22

Landmarks stops short of designation for Century & Consumers Buildings; The GSA will soon begin public hearings on the proposed demolition, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 9/11/22

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

Landmarks Commission Kicks the Can on Status of Threatened Century and Consumers Buildings, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 9/8/22

Commission punts vote tied to demolition plan on State Street; Safety and security concerns leave statuses in limbo, The Read Deal, 9/12/22

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

City landmarks panel backs review of State Street buildings that feds say are security risk; The members act after getting a petition from more than 22,000 people who voiced support for saving the early 20th century structures, setting up a potential show down with the federal government over security concerns for the nearby Dirksen Federal Courthouse, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 7/7/22

Preservationists seek landmark status for State Street buildings; The Commission on Chicago Landmarks has scheduled a presentation on the buildings today after an advocacy group gathered more than 22,000 signatures supporting its plan to protect them from demolition, Alby Gallun, Crain’s Chicago Business, 7/7/22

Commission On Chicago Landmarks Passes Resolution To Review Endangered Buildings At 202 And 220 S State Street In The Loop, Jack Crawford, Chicago YIMBY, 7/12/22

Landmarks backs review of Century and Consumer Buildings; The process may lead to a landmarks standoff with the federal government, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 7/10/22