Thursday, October 15, 2009

Chicago Daily News Building Saved

The current recession of sorts that we are going through isn't all bad. The October 14th Chicago Tribune had an article accompanied by pictures titled "Recession was good news for 2 North Riverside Plaza" by Blair Kamin in his Cityscapes Column.

"A recession, it's often said, is a historic preservationist's best friend. A case in point, the old Chicago Daily News Building, an art deco masterpiece with a new lease on life."

In 2000, Chicago billionaire Sam Zell bought it and had plans to rear it down. Because of the recession, his company has begun a multimillion dollar renovation of the building. The building has been made more energy efficient with double paned windows and the heat has been switched from steam to electric heat. The building's soot-covered limestone exterior has been cleaned and the stunning art deco lobbies have been renovated.

The building, located at 400 W. Madison Street was built in 1929 and designed by Chicago architects Holabird & Root.

Always Good News to See an Old Building Restored, Especially One With That Kind of Architecture. --Da Coot

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