Mar 29, 2006 11:02 pm US/Central
City Approves Plans For Tallest Building In U.S.
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Chicago is already home to the tallest building in the United States. Now, the city is reaching new heights.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine looks at how a new project will make its mark on the city's skyline.
You'll have to crane your neck quite a bit to see 2,000 feet up. That's how tall the city's newest skyscraper will be.
The Fordham Spire would be built at 420 E. North Water Street in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, looking downriver toward the Loop. The project is a residential and hotel tower. But the question remains as to whether it will become reality or just the latest fantasy of developers with big dreams, but not deep pockets.
Maybe it's the beauty of the design that twists and turns nearly half a mile into the sky.
Or maybe it's the genius of the architect, Santiago Calatrava, whose marriage of art and architecture. A combination of the two at the new Milwaukee art museum has made him a rising international star.
"He's a great architect, he really is, and it's really unique and different, and a great symbol," Mayor Daley said.
Even the aldermen who approved the project Wednesday, usually a cynical lot, were taken with the concept. Ald. Burton Natarus even asked to keep the sketches.
"I think they're a treasure. I think this building's going to be a remarkable building," Natarus said.
The developers were surprised at how it's sailed through the approval process.
"But it wasn't just approval. It was wholehearted support. It was unanimous, and they just did cartwheels to get it done for us," said developer Christopher Carley. "In Chicago, that's everything. It means it's really going to get done."
A sales center has already been set up to sell 300 condos and 150 5-star hotel units. Most apartment prices range between $1 million and $2 million.
As a 2,000-foot-high structure topped by a spire and hi-def TV antennas, it will be the tallest building in America, despite fears that such landmarks could become terrorist targets.
"For the terrorists see that we're afraid, not going ahead with our building and our lives, that works to their advantage," Natarus said.
"We're celebrating," Carley said. "This is going to happen. This is going to happen for sure."
Not everyone is crazy about the design. Some neighbors are upset that it'll block their view. Others raise issues of congestion. City officials considered those concerns but nonetheless gave it a green light and look forward to the day the 124-story spire becomes a prominent part of Chicago's skyline.
The exact date of when construction will begin is not known yet but the tower is expected to be completed sometime by 2010.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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