108 North State

With all the fanfare of a Chicago Blackhawks' game, the Block 37 108 North State development broke ground a couple weeks ago, on November 15. Billed as a "21st Century urban, retail and lifestyle destination," The Mills development features a who's who of corporate architects in the mix: Gensler (retail/entertainment/transportation component), Perkins + Will (office tower), Rockwell Group (interior design and signage), and James Carpenter (State Street art installation), according to Interior Design.



Mayor Daley summed it all up at the groundbreaking: "This is a great day for all the residents of the city of Chicago. We're beginning construction of a one-of-a-kind retail, residential, entertainment and transportation center that will make downtown Chicago even more attractive and enjoyable than it is today...[that] will benefit every neighborhood, by providing 2,700 jobs for the hard-working people of our city – on top of hundreds of construction jobs." As much as the Mayor's heart is almost in the right place, I can't help but think the rational of job creation asbenefitingg the whole city is not only media fodder but a bad excuse for neglecting the physical make-up of those neighborhoods that need attention much more than the Loop. As Lynn Becker puts it, in regards to the city's TIF program: "the Loop can no longer be considered a depressed area."

Mills chairman and CEO Laurence C. Siegel summed it his own way (my emphasis): "We look forward to transforming this high profile, long-vacant land parcel into a vibrant new destination that will create tremendous value for our investors, the City of Chicago and visitors to 108 North State Street and the Loop." Ah, the poetic developer-speak of calling one of the most important places/spaces in the city in recent memory a "land parcel", another piece of land used to create value for his investors.


Image from Looper

I probably shouldn't be too cynical, because this moment is one the city has had to wait for for a VERY LONG time. Any criticism over the Mayor's actions in 1989 (good timeline of Block 37 events here, if questionable commentary) will surely disappear as this mixed-use development rises. Personally I'm glad to see Perkins + Will and Carpenter involved, two very capable designers, and the transit hub to be builtundergroundd holds some potential for linking the airports and other undertakings. Let's just hope the Mayor doesn't feel the need to create another Block 37 after this project is finished in 26 months.