Century Building (Chicago)
Skyscraper in Chicago From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Century Building is a high rise office building in Chicago's Loop. It was designed by Holabird & Roche, and was built in 1915.[2][3] It is a contributing property to the Loop Retail Historic District.[2] The building is representative of the transition of Chicago high rise design from the Chicago School to Art Deco, and its north and east facades feature Neo-Manueline ornamentation.[2][3] It is owned by the United States Federal Government and administered by the General Services Administration. It currently sits vacant.[4]
Century Building | |
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Part of | Loop Retail Historic District (ID98001351) |
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Building details | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Chicago School |
Location | 202 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois |
Coordinates | 41°52′45.6″N 87°37′40.8″W |
Completed | 1915 |
Height | 185.45 feet (56.53 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 16 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Holabird & Roche |
Engineer | Henry J. Burt[1] |
In 2022, the building was proposed to be demolished, with $52 million earmarked for tearing down both the Century Building and the neighboring Consumers Building.
History
Summarize
Perspective
Originally known as the Buck & Rayner Building or the Twentieth Century Building, the building was completed in 1915.[1][5][2][6] Buck & Rayner was a Chicago chain of drug stores, and commissioned the construction of the building.[2][7][8] It occupied the corner store and basement.[5] In 1917, Lake and State Savings Bank signed a twenty-year lease for the building's second floor.[2][6] The bank's name was changed to the Century Trust and Savings Bank, and the building's name was changed to the Century Building.[2][6]
Home Federal Savings and Loan purchased the Century Building in 1950, and moved its headquarters into the building on June 30, 1952.[9] Home Federal occupied the first five floors, as well as the two floors below street level.[9] The building's name was officially changed to the Home Federal Building.[10] In 1958, Home Federal Savings and Loan purchased the Republic Building across State Street.[11] The Republic Building was demolished and a new 16 story building was constructed.[12] Home Federal Savings and Loan moved its headquarters to the new building on December 17, 1962.[12]
The building has also served as home to the headquarters of the Gideons International,[13][14] Local 66 of the Elevator Operators and Starters Union,[15] the main offices of Sterling Cleaners and Dyers,[16] the Audit Bureau of Circulations,[17][18][19] a Liggett's drug store,[20] Family Loan Corporation,[21] May Jewelers,[22] Romas Restaurant,[23][24] the Illinois Migrant Council,[25][26] the National Alliance of Black Feminists,[27] and the local office of the Guardian Angels.[28]
Jesse Jackson's Chicago headquarters were in the Century Building during his 1984 presidential campaign.[29]
In 2003, Marc Realty Co. purchased the building from Mitchell Macks for $1.25 million.[30] In 2005, the General Services Administration used eminent domain to seize the Century Building, also acquiring other nearby buildings, citing the need for increased security around the Dirksen Federal Building.[31][32] In 2011 and 2013, Preservation Chicago listed the Century Building and the nearby Consumers Building as one of Chicago's 7 most endangered buildings.[2][33]
In 2017, CA Ventures reached an agreement to purchase the Century Building, the Consumers Building, and the two smaller buildings in between, for $10.38 million.[34] The Century Building and Consumers Building would have been converted to apartments, as part of a $141 million redevelopment project, while the historic Streamline Moderne storefront of 214 South State Street would have been restored and incorporated into a 25,000 square-foot structure built between the taller buildings for retail and commercial use.[34] Under the terms of the agreement, the City of Chicago would purchase the buildings from the federal government and then immediately sell them to CA Ventures.[35] However, the City of Chicago backed out of the agreement in December 2019, citing security concerns at the nearby Dirksen Federal Building.[35][33]
In 2022, Preservation Chicago listed the Century Building and the nearby Consumers Building as one of Chicago's 7 most endangered buildings, after a $52 million federal earmark to demolish the buildings was revealed.[36][37][38]
See also
References
External links
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