I’ve got to give some credit to the preservationists of Chicago: the relatively cloutless crew of architecture buffs has put Mayor Emanuel in a bind.
According to Cubbage, Northwestern can get the project under way as soon as the city grants it a permit to demolish Prentice.
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel would typically operate the wrecking ball himself for a project of this magnitude, but Northwestern’s not looking to knock down just any old building. Prentice was designed by Bertrand Goldberg—best known for the Marina City corncob towers—and has a unique and instantly recognizable cloverleaf look.
For the last several years, members of the National Trust, Preservation Chicago, and Landmarks Illinois have pleaded with the city to landmark Prentice, which would prevent Northwestern from demolishing it. “At the very least, it deserves its day in court,” says Jonathan Fine, executive director of Preservation Chicago.
And so goes the back and forth.
As you can imagine, a lot of people—starting with the preservationists—aren’t buying this argument. After all, it’s not as though Northwestern the hospital and Northwestern the university haven’t already cut a fair share of real estate deals. In fact, Prentice was originally owned by the hospital even though it sits on land owned by the university. Under their agreement, the university was put in charge of demolishing the building once the hospital moved out.
But if Emanuel gives Northwestern its demolition permit—and let’s face it, the permit doesn’t get issued without the mayor’s approval—he will be forever regarded by preservationists and architects (and maybe even his beloved New York Times) as the pinhead who destroyed one of Chicago’s great buildings.
