The Chicago Sun-Times Building, Downtown, Chicago
Trump Stakes His Claim, Downtown, Chicago
After calling 401 N. Wabash home since 1958, the Chicago Sun-Times will soon find itself homeless. In 2001, a deal was struck between Hollinger International Inc., the owner of the Sun-Times, and Mr. Donald Trump in which they are 50-50 partners in a $700 million new development. The Sun-Times building is scheduled for demolition this year to make way for The Donald to erect a mixed-use, 90 story skyscraper. Chicago Trump Tower will include luxury condos, hotel rooms, office space, a restaurant, retail space, a health club and spa, and a riverfront park. The building will be the 4th-tallest in Chicago and the city will become the first in history with 5 buildings over the benchmark 1,000 ft. mark. The Sun-Times has until September to get out of it’s building and is reportedly going to move to a building in the Merchandise Mart complex that will then be renamed after the paper.
I walk past the Sun-Times building every day. It is hideous and it’d be nice to see something beautiful built in it’s place on the Chicago River, but do we really trust Trump to do that?
26 responses so far ↓
1 janelle // Mar 19, 2004 at 9:04 am
it’s been awhile since i’ve been near the sun-times building, but what i recall about it that i liked was that it was a lower-rise building, allowing for a little more breathing room along the river. it’s not a pretty sight, though, i agree. trump is definitely too much of the developer mindset - with all that money it would be a shame if such a prominent site were wasted on a generic tower.
2 tien // Mar 19, 2004 at 11:53 am
it looks like this tower is generic enough. they could do so much more with a site like that and in that city too.
3 jake // Mar 20, 2004 at 10:25 am
i was just asking my friend garth about the building when we were walking by last week- i asked him how a building like that could still exist in such a prominent spot- since it looks like it’s from east germany in 1962. still, it’s almost so ugly it’s beautiful- i hope that the new trump building isn’t one of his usual gold travesties.
4 Stacy // Mar 20, 2004 at 1:16 pm
Yes, Trump will make it fantastic!
5 ChrisM // Mar 20, 2004 at 5:38 pm
I dont want to rain on the old parade but Chicago is The City of Broad Shoulders, fitting well into the world of Mid-Western values such as hard work and modesty. Will Trump’s gaudiness and meglomaniacy fit in? Where will the ho, or harmony be if the Trumpee builders run amok? Now I know he’s not opening a casino but it makes me think of the situation now in Saint Louis. Another hard working no nonsense Mid-Western City with totally out of place neon dripping river boat casinos now inflicted on its downtown.
6 Ray // Mar 20, 2004 at 7:42 pm
I “think” Trump will do a nice job. His profile has increased significantly since The Apprentice. Also, he’s at that stage in life (we hope) where one starts thinking about what they will leave behind.
7 Andrew // Mar 29, 2004 at 9:26 pm
I hated the idea of Trump taking over Chicago with his towers….especially after his latest 90-story gold box on the East River in NYC. If you look at his plans for Chicago, though, I think it will fit in nicely. At a glance, his proposed building looks like a grey Sears Tower: 21st century style. I live in Michigan so I won’t have to live with it if Trump screws up. Sorry Chicagoans….I’m pulling for you!
8 George // Mar 31, 2004 at 11:37 pm
It is about time a pretty and stylish building is being built in the United States, sinse it seems lately that all pretty buildings are being built in other countries.
BUT this Trump Tower is not half tall enough. It really should be obviously the tallest building in the world and the safest at least meeting American standards which don’t quite meet Japans.
Don’t get me wrong I just want nicer,prettier, and taller building build in the U.S.
9 Richard // Apr 16, 2004 at 6:34 am
Bill Rancic, the Apprentice winner, is going to oversee the construction of the Trump Tower. He could have chosen that or a golf course in southern California. He’s from Chicago, so it really wasn’t a surprise what he chose.
10 rachelleb // Apr 16, 2004 at 8:06 am
Yeh, we were all cheering when he picked the Chicago Trump Tower even though it wasnt really a surprise. I’m probably going to have to change the way I walk from the subway to work since i walk past the site every day.. i mean i walk so close to the sun times building that i could touch it. or kick it because it’s so ugly. i’m sure i wont be able to walk that way during construction.
11 nicole // Apr 16, 2004 at 1:25 pm
i am not opposed to the idea of a new building in the place of the Sun-Times building. I am opposed to the idea of a tall building in that spot.
12 Chuck // Apr 16, 2004 at 4:17 pm
My Dad worked for the Chicago Sun-Times for over 30 years, with most of his time spent at 401 N Wabash. I recall seeing the building as a kid when it had the grand opening ceremony in 1958. The Field family owned the paper then, and I recall Mrs. Field being partularily gracious to the children of the Sun-Times Staff.
It was always fun to watch them crank up the huge presses and see the paper being produced. …knowing that my Dad had a hand in it’s production. ….I’ll miss the old building. …but time marches on.
13 Whalen // Apr 17, 2004 at 7:58 pm
Yeah, I am excited about the new tower… It’s all about manliness and being a man, and not a woman… And Trump is going to do that! Tear down the Sun Times and erect a nice erection in its spot!
14 tien mao's little read book... // Apr 17, 2004 at 8:21 pm
Can Trump Do Chicago?
Everyone seems to know that Bill is The Apprentice, and is going to be the “project manager” for Donald Trump’s new Trump International Hotel & Tower. The Times looks at the building and how progress is going so far. The…
15 Billy // Apr 26, 2004 at 3:05 pm
I suspect we might be pleasantly surprised with Trump. He’s actually taking Chicago’s architectural legacy more seriously than any local developers have for a very long while. He’s using one of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s best architects to design a building that won’t dishonor the skyline, I think. That old Sun-Times building has been a scab on the river for way too long, and I think it’s unreasonable to expect that particular parcel of land to be underdeveloped with some kind of low-rise solution. And we should thank the stars that the land didn’t fall into the hands of Magellan Development, the only people who’ve been building skyscrapers in Chicago lately–those cheap-looking, unattractive, godawful monstrosities like “One Superior Place” and “Park Millenium”.
16 tien // Apr 26, 2004 at 4:31 pm
you act like selecting anyone from som is a good thing.
17 Billy // Apr 26, 2004 at 5:29 pm
No, not necessarily. But Adrian Smith isn’t just “anyone from SOM”. You might not like the Jin Mao tower, but at least it tries to *be* something. Don’t you think it’s been too long since Chicago had a new skyscraper that thinks about what it has to be, even if it comes up with a flawed solution?
18 tien // Apr 26, 2004 at 11:45 pm
something is always better than what’s in the location right now.
19 Chicagoist // May 12, 2004 at 10:53 am
The Training of Bill Rancic
The Apprentice, Bill Rancic, will start apprenticing this Sunday, flying to New York to learn about real estate and wheeling and dealing from the Donald and his organization. Rancic will be back in Chicago after a month. Chicagoist hopes that Rancic wi…
20 Jim // Sep 9, 2004 at 7:44 pm
Everone relax - this can only be a good thing - I lived for one year at Marina Towers and walked by the current Sun-Times eyesore every day. Better to have this taken over and completed by someone like Trump than someone with little vision or backing that could just leave it empty in another 5 years or so.
21 rachelleb.com // Oct 29, 2004 at 1:16 pm
Sun-Times Building to Trump Tower Transformation
Since I walk past the Sun-Times building every day, I thought I’d take some photos of it during its demolition and reincarnation as Trump Tower. Early in the week I took a few more photos of the empty offices…
22 rachelleb.com // Nov 5, 2004 at 3:34 pm
Sun - Times Demolition, or Lack Thereof
I’m sure they’re doing a lot of destruction inside, but from the outside, the Sun-Times Building has barely changed. Walking around the building, this is all I could see. So disappointing. See also: ยป Sun-Times Building to Trump Tower…
23 BIG Fred J. Lanshe // Sep 19, 2005 at 4:09 am
Can this Structure have LOVE PUT BACK IN IT, by JUST STEAM CLEANING IT ????
24 Justin J. Miller // Dec 24, 2005 at 1:51 pm
Congradulations Mr. Trump.
This brand new sky scraper Trump Tower will be huge. It will be the most amazing building in the Chicago Skyline.
Mr. Trump being the largest real estate developer in New York, how could this possibly be a bad thing? Go all the way Mr. Trump.
25 Funkie // Feb 7, 2006 at 9:08 am
It is healthy, I shall come on your site more often, thank.
26 yanah // Oct 31, 2006 at 2:55 am
make this tower make way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leave a Comment