When news hits of an Illinois Governor attempting to sell something related to the government, people typically start to wonder how long the prison sentence will be. In this instance, however, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s intentions aren’t quite so nefarious as the past may have you believe.
The James R. Thompson Center, a 17-story structure designed by Helmut Jahn and completed in 1985, houses offices of the Illinois state government and has been described by Rauner as “ineffective,” “inefficient,” and “in disrepair,” according to dnainfo.com.
Due to the building’s shortcomings, Rauner is once again attempting to sell it following an unsuccessful attempt in 2015. According to Rauner’s office, a sale of the building would net $220 million and eliminate having to pay $326 million in deferred maintenance bills.
In an attempt to prove more successful than his prior efforts to sell, Rauner is using a conceptual study and renderings from Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture to show the site’s potential.
One rendering replaces the Thompson Center, and the full city block it sits on, with three towers. The other, more striking rendering, imagines what the site would look like with a new 1,700-foot-tall tower.
Rauner is hoping these conceptual designs will have the same effect as staging a home has for helping potential buyers envision what can be done with the space.
Even if buyers are interested after seeing the renderings, Rauner’s plans for selling the building are again subject to approval from the Illinois General Assembly, which denied his attempt at a sale back in 2015.
The three towers on the Thompson site as viewed from Clark Street. Rendering courtesy of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
EwingCole to merge with healthcare specialist Robert D. Lynn Associates
EwingCole, a nationally recognized architectural, engineering, interior design, and planning firm with more than 320 professionals, today announced that it will combine its practice with Robert D. Lynn Associates of Philadelphia, a 40-person firm with a robust portfolio of healthcare projects. The combination will create the Delaware Valley¹s largest and most comprehensive firm with an emphasis on healthcare architecture, and a national scope and presence.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIANY partners with New York's building department to launch design competition for safer, more appealing sidewalk shed
The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANY) today announced the launch of the urbanSHED International Design Competition with support from the Alliance for Downtown New York, ABNY Foundation, Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section (IESNYC), and the New York Building Congress.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declines in 48 states in August compared to last year
Construction employment saw significant declines in all but two states this August compared to last year according to an analysis of new state-by-state employment figures released today by the federal government. The analysis, conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, however did show that the number of states gaining construction jobs increased slightly in August compared to July 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
Walter P Moore wins top award for Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
With structural engineering from Walter P Moore, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art has won the New Buildings Under $30 Million project category in the 2009 Structural Engineers Association of Kansas & Missouri (SEAKM) Awards Program.
| Aug 11, 2010
Stimulus funding helps get NOAA project off the ground
The award-winning design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) replacement laboratory saw its first sign of movement on Sept 15 with a groundbreaking ceremony held in La Jolla, Calif. The $102 million project is funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), resulting in a rapidly advanced construction plan for the facility.