108 North State Street (CBS Chicago Headquarters)
From Towrs
Location
108 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601
Architects Involved
Overview
In real estate, it's all about location. And this parcel of land has one of the most desirable locations in all Chicago. But being desirable isn't easy. 108 North State spent more than a decade as a vacant lot, since a jumble of run-down buildings were leveled in 1989. Before that date, it was a standard Chicago commercial block covered with buildings between one and six-stories tall. Though it sounds innocuous, it was a cancer on the area. The buildings were run down and attracted vagrants, junkies, and worse. Even the vacant lot was better than the buildings that preceded it.
A number of plans came and went over the years. Everything from an American branch of British luxury retailer Harrod's to a 100-story megatower. While waiting for development, the lot served as a location for various festivals and city events.
Finally in 2004 things started to actually happen. The plan that finally turned an eyesore into a landmark was a mix of office, retail, residential, and hotel space. By 2005, dirt was finally turning and people, long weary of broken promises, started actually believing that something would happen.
The company behind the plan was the Mills Corporation, of Gurnee Mills, Grapevine Mills, Katy Mills, etc... fame. Mills is adroit at turning vacant plots of land into entertainment and shopping destinations, combining theme park settings with retail to create a destination of their own. At first it appeared to be out of place in the heart of the Loop. The location across the street from the once-great Marshall Field's seemed a little dicey especially now that Field's heritage and luster has been lost to corporate sell-offs.
But the timing was perfect -- just as the mall component was getting built, State Street started undergoing a renaissance. The street that was once Chicago's shopping hub was returning to prominence. Old vacant storefronts were being replaced by gleaming new shops. Nasty run-down stores of questionable utility were replaced by art stores catering to students, coffee shops, and freestanding outlets of East Coast and European clothing stores. Even the crusty old Palmer House Hilton renovated its ground floor retail arcade to bring in a newer, younger mix of shopping opportunities. With State Street once again becoming the city's third great shopping district (Behind Oak Street and Michigan Avenue) The idea of a mall in the Loop no longer seemed strange, and many hoped it could provide the kind of anchor needed to help funnel business into struggling properties like Macy's on State and the former Carson Pirie Scott building.
But in spite of many hopes and big plans, things change. The plan was amended amid rough economic times. The residential component has been removed, leaving a mall at the base, plus an office tower and a hotel tower.
Underneath 108 North State was supposed to be a transit hub. This was one of Mayor Daley's pet projects. He envisioned a place where people headed to O'Hare and Midway airports could check their luggage before leaving downtown, then take an express train directly to the airport. The idea was to reduce lines and congestion at the airport, and make traveling more convenient for passengers who wouldn't have to schlep their bags on the el. Individual airlines have tried similar experiments in other cities with mixed results. But in mid-2008, the plan was mothballed. The Chicago Transit Authority began work on the station, but simply didn't have enough money to complete the mayor's vision. For now the station is abandoned and there's no indication it will ever return to service.
However, other parts of this project have managed to be completed. The office tower opened in September, 2008 along with the new (CBS)WBBM-TV street front studio and offices. But that opening brought with it another disappointment for project planners and the mayor. The plan approved by the city included a massive video wall that would wrap around the Washington Street and Dearborn Street sides of the building. When (CBS)WBBM television moved in, it instead put up one single video panel, leaving the rest of the space an ugly framework exposed to the public.
