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Originally Posted by pico44
Give me one good reason why. Rarely is our government involved in monument building anymore. And when they are, the results are usually too timid and safe (see wwii memorial). If I had been mayor Daley, I would have stepped in and done something when version B was dying. And what does it matter that it is a condo tower? If anything that's a positive. What other memorials out there helped pay for themselves with intramemorial residences? As far as I know; the StL Arch, Eiffel Tower, Washington Monument and Statue of Liberty did not have the advantage of being paid for by eager condo owners. One of the government's primary responsibities is to step in when the free market won't accomplish what should be done.
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The CTA needs $6 billion right now to maintain a state of good repair. The St. Louis Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and commemorates westward expansion. It was paid for with a combination of state and federal dollars and is maintained by the National Park Service. The Eifel Tower was built for the Exposition Universelle in 1889 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. The Statue of Liberty was a gift to commemorate the American Revolution. It was given to us partly because of political turmoil in France; the Third Republic was full of monarchists who wanted to return to having a king. The French gave it to us partly so that they could point to an inspiring symbol of republican values in a fellow republic. The Washington Monument stopped construction for 30 years partly because the Washington National Monument Society ran out of money midway through.
The thing with all of those examples is that they all commemorate something of significant national importance. I understand this is a beautiful building, but it's just that. I think it's insulting and irresponsible to suggest that our tax dollars go towards a condo building that is economically unfeasible without the aid of the government. Chicago has a problem with poverty and their public schools. Has anyone fixed New Orleans yet? There are a million more important things the government should be spending money on. Chicago is the city that works, not the city that needs to get bailed out by the feds to build a 2,000-foot tall condo tower for overseas millionaires. If the only way to get it built is to use public funds, I would rather have it not built at all.
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Chicago is one of the few cities out there that doesn't have a singular symbol that everyone associates with the city. JHC is a great skyscraper but it doesn't have a recognizable enough sillouette to be an iconic symbol. Version B could have been that symbol, and it would have been worth public investment.
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Have you ever heard of the Sears Tower?