For Sale: Reasonably-Sized City on Western Bank of Lake Michigan

Forgive a native Chicagoan for a moment here, but I have to shed a virtual tear as I contemplate the renaming of another Chicago institution - the Sears Tower will be known some time soon as the Willis Tower. Far away from home as I am, I couldn't help but perking up when I learned this news this morning.

First they came for Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox on the South Side, and renamed it U.S. Cellular Field.

Then those cretins at Federated Department Stores, a.k.a the Macy's Group, just had to mess with a century of history and commerce, and transform our venerable downtown department store Marshall Field's into a Macy's, just like you'd find anywhere else.

Now the Sears Tower is Willis Tower. Great.

Next up, I imagine, Wrigley Field, owned by the ailing Tribune Company, will get sold to the Scheinhardt Wig Company and re-christened "Scheinhardt Wig Company Stadium," just before they close it down, build another place for the Cubs to play outside of Naperville where the land is cheaper, and lease the parcel in Wrigleyville to Wal-Mart.

What upsets me here is that these signifiers of Chicago's history as a booming city at the center of America are systematically being wiped away. Months ago, with President Obama's election, there was all this sturm und drang about how it was going to be Chicago uber alles in America; now if it was Chicago over all, you wouldn't be able to tell it from St. Louis, or Indianapolis, or Manchester. That's because these things that make Chicago Chicago are being scrubbed away in the face of someone else's far-off brand.

OK, I know, Wrigley, Sears, and Marshall Field's were all old money. But they were old Chicago money, a sign of how this unique thing called "Chicago" had emerged where once there was a swamp that stunk of wild onions.

I know that President Obama is probably too busy to gasp at the homogenizing of the city that nurtured him during his meteoric ascent to the White House. But Mayor Daley isn't. It's time one of our civic leaders stands up for what makes The City That Works The City That Works.

Or would you rather find yourself in some perfectly globalized future where you can't tell Chicago-Style Pizza from a round of cardboard on sale at Pizza Hut?

Comments

[montemalone]

Newing and improving everything is ruining everything.

[Diana Cannon]

Why is everyone acting like the building is being demolished? It's not going anywhere. Our gorgeous skyline is intact; they are simply replacing one corporate name with another. All this is completely over the top, as is the cover of the Redeye this morning, a silhouette of the building with an "RIP" underneath it.

This isn't 9/11, people. Get a grip.

[Ravyn]

Daley doesn't care. The new name isn't going to stick unless Willis wants to spend a fortune doing an international media blitz because the old name is on all the post cards, tour books, etc. It's ego for Willis to want to rename the building, but also stupid (unless they spend millions advertising) because the name is totally unknown here in the US and won't be associated with the building unless they want to have "former Sears Tower" as part of the name. I mean, if they say they have the Willis Tower in Chicago, no one will know what building they're talking about outside of Chicago whilst everyone everywhere in the US has heard of the Sears Tower and knows it is the tallest building in the US. In NYC it took years for people to associate the former Pan Am building with MetLife (sits directly behind Grand Central Station) when it got renamed or for the former RCA building (sits behind the skating rink and annual Christmas tree) in Rockefeller Center to be called the GE building. If someone in NY decided to rename the Empire State building in NY, how quickly would the new name be adopted -- but I can't imagine Mayor Bloomberg allowing that to happen. I guess we can next expect the John Hancock building to get renamed. It's not that I am attached to the Sears name but I think renaming landmarks anywhere is just dumb. Whatever happened to Bombay?