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Tower to get new windows. In the wake of a fatal glass failure last fall, CNA Financial Corp. will replace about 2,900 windows in its 45-story building in downtown Chicago. Thermal stress is suspected as the primary cause that resulted in a shard of glass falling from a 29th-floor window, killing a pedestrian. The replacement glass will be heat strengthened and incorporate a safety film that helps prevent it from falling.
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National school design competition. The Chicago Public Schools are sponsoring a national design competition for two new elementary schools to be developed with "universal" design principles for student populations targeting 20 percent disabled students. Four firms are named as initial participants: Ross Barney + Jankowski of Chicago; Koning Eizenberg Architecture of Santa Monica, Calif.; Mack Scogin and Merrill Elam of Atlanta; and Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects of New York City. Firms must register by Dec. 1; visit www.cps.k12.il.us for rules.
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K.C. powers down. Named after its Art Deco building, Kansas City's "Power & Light District," a massive $628 million development spearheaded by AMC Entertainment, was voted dead after four years of misfires.