Tuesday, June 14, 2016

June 14, 1969 -- Praise for the Plazas




June 14, 1969 – The Chicago Tribune gives a shout-out in an editorial “to the many open spaces which building owners and architects have provided to make downtown Chicago a more civilized place.” [Chicago Tribune, June 14, 1969]  Today this editorial reminds us of something that we take for granted, something that was a rarity as the 1960’s began – open space in the heart of a city in which every square foot of property is a valuable commodity.  It could have been a lot different.  Think of it – within the space of nine short years the city received four great plazas in conspicuous places:  the Civic Plaza in front of the 1965 Chicago Civic Center, now the Daley Center; the plaza, now being filled with an Apple Store, in front of the 1965 Equitable building at 401 North Michigan Avenue; the First National Bank plaza with its Ferris Bueller fountain of 1969; and the great federal plaza north of the Kluczynski Federal building, completed in 1974.  We are today the recipients of the foresight of those planners of the 1960’s.  The Tribune was right on the money when it stated, “We commend the building owners for sharing some of their expensive land with the public.” 

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