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120-603: The Dearborn Park neighborhood comprises two distinct sub-areas: Dearborn Park I and Dearborn Park II. The former is in the Loop community area and is bounded by State Street to the east, Clark Street to the west, Polk Street to the north and Roosevelt Road to the south. The latter, located in the Near South Side community area, is directly south of Dearborn Park I, sharing the same east and west borders and bounded north by Roosevelt Road and south by 15th Street. Despite

240-414: A University of Illinois campus on the rail yards to replace the cramped, two-year branch on Chicago's Navy Pier, but had given up after failed negotiations with the railroad companies that owned the land. The Chicago Central Area Committee (CCAC), created in 1956 to provide a unified voice to business leaders in redevelopment planning for the downtown area, had also worked diligently on planning new uses for

360-603: A sculpture by Pablo Picasso and the state law courts. Given its proximity to government offices, the center's plaza serves as a kind of town square for celebrations, protests, and other events. The Loop is in South Chicago Township within Cook County. Townships in Chicago were abolished for governmental purposes in 1902 but are still used for property assessment. The nearby James R. Thompson Center

480-497: A 6.5 percent return on investment, as the civic leaders did not want to be viewed as profiting irresponsibly from the project. The group quickly raised $ 10 million, anchored by eight $ 1 million investments coming from large Chicago-area businesses. In 1975, Halas, recognizing that he would not get mayoral support, reluctantly agreed to transfer his real estate option to Chicago 21, asking only to be reimbursed for his expenses and his deposit—a total of $ 100,000. Chicago 21 Corporation had

600-588: A colleague in the Denver officer as evidence of the " glass ceiling " that was in place at that time at SOM When Julia Murphy, AIA joined SOM in 2008 there were no women partners and only a handful of directors. To attempt to address this imbalance, in 2010 she relaunched the Women's Initiative at SOM which had previously been active between 2002 and 2004. The year 2020 marked a change in which three female partners, Carrie Byles, Xuan Fu, and Laura Ettelman were named to

720-464: A commitment to invest $ 10 million in restoring the station. Construction on the first phase started in 1977. The corporation also sold some parcels to private developers for later building. As buildings were completed, buyers signed up. Initial demand for units was strong, even though the community at that time had no parks, no schools and no grocery store. By mid-1980, 90 percent of the 480 completed units had been sold. Subsequent demand weakened during

840-728: A design leader at SOM for more than 40 years, received the profession's highest honor, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 1988. Notable architects who are associated with SOM include: T. J. Gottesdiener , Edward Charles Bassett , Natalie de Blois , Gordon Bunshaft , David Childs , Robert Diamant, Philip Enquist , Myron Goldsmith , Bruce Graham , Gary Haney , Craig W. Hartman , Gertrude Kerbis , Fazlur Rahman Khan . Lucien Lagrange , Walter Netsch , Larry Oltmanns , Eszter Pécsi , Brigitte Peterhans , Norma Merrick Sklarek , Adrian Smith , and Marilyn Jordan Taylor Architect Sally Harkness ,

960-641: A founding partner at The Architects Collaborative in 1947, was interviewed at the firm during World War II along with her husband Chip Harkness , but only her husband received a job offer. In an interview later in life, Sally Harkness explained that she was told the firm did not believe in hiring women. Norma Merrick Sklarek , an African-American, was hired by SOM in 1955 after having been previously rejected by 19 other firms. She stayed there for 5 years, eventually starting her own firm. Patricia Weston Swan spent her 30-year career with SOM including many leadership roles but never achieved partner status, perceived by

1080-568: A highly confidential project: the planning of Oak Ridge, Tennessee . By 1945, the town was home to 75,000 people. The work at Oak Ridge prepared SOM to take on the large-scale architectural and planning projects that would define the postwar era. For more than 20 years, SOM was involved in the development of a master plan for the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy appointed Nathaniel Owings as chair of

1200-540: A host of public spaces and amenities. The plan also provided for a robust transportation network including a light rail station that connects to the London Underground . The massive scale of the project led to the opening of SOM's London office in 1986. The firm's work at Canary Wharf continued into the new millennium, with the completion of Five Canada Square in 2002. In central London, the opportunity to build above rail lines near Liverpool Street Station spurred

1320-482: A lasting role in the development of cities and urban areas in America and the world, including London, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Denver, and Portland, Oregon. SOM's City Design practice has made influential contributions to urban design approaches such as transit-oriented development , overbuild strategies and sustainable urbanism . In 1942, SOM was hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for

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1440-412: A means of generating rather than simply realizing architectural ideas, with concerted effort, computers gained credence at the firm, and eventually throughout the industry, as a catalyst for architectural innovation. In 1980, an in-house team at SOM created Architecture Engineering Systems, a computer program that was used to study complex structural systems and energy demands. This program is regarded as

1560-469: A much larger study and plan, prepared by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) , as well as the formation of a corporation, initially called Chicago 21 and later renamed to Dearborn Park Corporation, to fund the effort. By 1972, the group, which had expanded to include representatives of leading Chicago businesses and civic, labor, education and religious institutions, in partnership with the CCAC, had developed

1680-473: A name for the community was finalized. In December 1976, the Chicago 21 shareholders held their annual meeting and approved the Dearborn Park name, paying homage to Chicago's premier architectural street, to Fort Dearborn and to Dearborn Station. At this same meeting, the Chicago 21 Corporation changed its entity name to Dearborn Park Corporation, in part, according to one shareholder, simply to confound

1800-464: A personal vehicle at all, compared to 26.4 percent citywide and 12.6 percent regionally. The Loop is Community Area 32. In addition to the financial ( West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District ), theatre, and jewelry ( Jewelers Row District ) districts, there are neighborhoods that are also part of the Loop community area. According to the 2010 census, 29,283 people live in the neighborhoods in or near

1920-529: A plan for the City of Chicago, entitled "Chicago 21" , which advocated the creation of an as-yet-unnamed "South Loop New Town" residential area, which eventually was branded as Dearborn Park. The proponents of Dearborn Park believed their project would stabilize the South Loop. They wanted Dearborn Park: to be a catalyst for a new community on the barren rail yards south of the Loop; to halt the deterioration of

2040-643: A plaza surrounding the tower, a novel concept that would be adapted in many future projects. In Colorado Springs, Colorado , SOM planned a campus for the United States Air Force Academy . Built between 1958 and 1968, the campus broke from the traditions of West Point and Annapolis to become the first U.S. military academy designed in the modern style. The centerpiece of the campus is the Cadet Chapel , designed by architect Walter Netsch . The American Institute of Architects awarded

2160-578: A precursor to the array of building information modeling (BIM) tools now used by the profession. SOM's projects have featured works of art by significant artists. In many cases, the firm's architects and engineers played a role in commissioning, engineering, and installing the artworks—such as with the Chicago Picasso , a 50-foot-tall steel sculpture in the city's civic center. Joan Miró , Alexander Calder , Isamu Noguchi , Harry Bertoia , Richard Lippold , Jean Dubuffet and Chryssa are among

2280-507: A range of scales and project types, providing services in architecture , building services/MEP engineering, digital design, graphics, interior design , structural engineering , civil engineering , sustainable design and urban design & planning. The firm's first influential project was Lever House , completed in 1952 to become the first International Style office building in New York City. Constructed of glass and steel at

2400-568: A timber tower and a modified concrete slab design. SOM is structured as a partnership. The current partners and consulting partners are: Mustafa Abadan, William Baker, Thomas Behr, Keith Boswell, Carrie Byles, Larry Chien, Leo Chow, Brant Coletta, Chris Cooper, Paul Danna, Michael Duncan, Scott Duncan, Laura Ettelman, Xuan Fu, T.J. Gottesdiener, Gary Haney, Craig Hartman, Kent Jackson, Colin Koop, Kenneth Lewis, Mark Sarkisian, Adam Semel, Jonathan Stein, and Douglas Voigt. Gordon Bunshaft, who thrived as

2520-434: A time when Park Avenue was lined with masonry buildings, Lever House introduced a modernist aesthetic that embodied the spirit of the times and influenced an entire generation of high-rise construction. In 1962, architectural historian Reyner Banham wrote that, "It gave architectural expression to an age just as the age was being born ... Lever House was an uncontrollable success, imitated and sometimes understood all over

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2640-411: A total purchase price of $ 7.3 million for the land. Halas' ability to use the land for a stadium required the consent and support of Mayor Daley, which was not forthcoming; Daley preferred a residential development. In January 1974, seeing that Halas might not be successful, the South Loop group formalized its activities by forming the Chicago 21 Corporation, an investment vehicle that would be limited to

2760-483: A two-tiered city to further segregate Chicago economically and racially. Activist Helen Shiller wrote in her memoir that: "It looked like the downtown was being fortified to protect the privileged while providing a catalyst to take on surrounding neighbors to whiten the inner city." A coalition of five nonprofits formed the Campaign to Stop the Chicago 21 Plan. The CCAC responded by pledging matching planning grants to

2880-429: Is Bill Baker , who is best known as the engineer of Burj Khalifa (Dubai, 2010), the world's tallest man-made structure. To support the tower's record heights and slim footprint, he developed the " buttressed core " structural system, consisting of a hexagonal core reinforced by three buttresses that form a Y shape. Davis Allen , a pioneer in corporate interior design , had a forty-year tenure at SOM. The designer of

3000-429: Is a building that acts as a bridge spanning the tracks. In 2008, Broadgate Tower, the district's tallest building, was completed. SOM also designed public space enhancements for the area. SOM designed the master plan for Chicago's Millennium Park , which opened in 2004 and has become one of the city's most visited attractions. Constructed above bus lanes, parking garages, and a rail yard, Millennium Park can be considered

3120-484: Is a mixed-use district bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, the Chicago River to the north, Randolph Street to the south, and Lake Shore Drive to the east. It encompasses the entire Illinois Center and Lakeshore East is the latest lead-developer of the 1969 Planned Development #70, as well as separate developments like Aon Center, Prudential Plaza, Park Millennium Condominium Building, Hyatt Regency Chicago, and

3240-452: Is a section of Grant Park, opened in the summer of 2004 and features Frank Gehry 's Jay Pritzker Pavilion , Jaume Plensa 's Crown Fountain , and Anish Kapoor 's Cloud Gate sculpture along Lake Michigan . The Chicago River and its accompanying Chicago Riverwalk, which delineates the area, also provides entertainment and recreational opportunities, including the annual dyeing of the river green in honor of St. Patrick's Day . Trips down

3360-582: Is across the street. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is located on LaSalle Street in the heart of the financial district. The United States Postal Service operates the Loop Station Post Office at 211 South Clark Street. The Chicago Fire Department operates 3 Fire Stations in the Loop District: Several countries maintain consulates in the Loop. They include Argentina , Australia , Canada , Costa Rica ,

3480-423: Is gauged by how well their builders made peace with the environment." (source: Nathaniel Owings, "The American Aesthetic," Harper & Row, 1969) This ethos has shaped the firm's journey into sustainable practices. An early example is the corporate headquarters it designed for timberland company Weyerhaeuser , completed in 1971, which has been called the "original green building" not only for its integration into

3600-491: Is often considered to be the greatest structural engineer of the 20th century. Khan invented a tubular framing system that made it possible to build higher than ever before. This system has been adapted and is still used today for some of the world's most recent tallest buildings, including the 828-meter-tall Burj Khalifa , designed by SOM and completed in 2010. In the 1960s and 1970s, SOM was an early leader in computer-aided design, developing in-house digital tools that preceded

3720-803: Is the city headquarters for state government, with an office for the Governor. Many state agencies have offices here, including the Illinois State Board of Education . A few blocks away is the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse housing federal law courts and other federal government offices. This is the seat of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit . The Kluczynski Federal Building

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3840-637: Is the most Democratically leaning district in Illinois according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index with a score of D+38 and represented by Democrat Danny K. Davis . List of United States representatives representing the Loop since 1903 Illinois's 1st congressional district (1903 – 1963): Illinois's 7th congressional district (1963–present): The Loop area derives its name from transportation networks present in it. Passenger lines reached seven Loop-area stations by

3960-427: Is the only firm to have received this honor twice. In August 2009 SOM received four of 13 available R+D Awards from Architect Magazine. In addition, a collaboration between SOM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , The Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology , was honored with a fifth award. Since the firm's founding, SOM has led large-scale urban design and planning projects. Many of these projects have had

4080-805: Is the second largest commercial business district in the United States after New York City's Midtown Manhattan . Its financial district near LaSalle Street is home to United Airlines , Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and CME Group 's Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Mercantile Exchange . Aon Corporation maintains an office in the Aon Center . Chase Tower houses the headquarters of Exelon . United Airlines has its headquarters in Willis Tower , having moved its headquarters to Chicago from suburban Elk Grove Township in early 2007. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association has its headquarters in

4200-455: The 2016 presidential election , the Loop cast 11,141 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 2,148 votes for Donald Trump (79.43% to 15.31%). In the 2012 presidential election , the Loop cast 8,134 votes for Barack Obama and cast 2,850 votes for Mitt Romney (72.26% to 25.32%). In the U.S. House of Representatives , the area is wholly within Illinois's 7th congressional district , which

4320-633: The AT&;T Corporate Center . Chicago's fourth tallest building, the Aon Center , is located just south of Illinois Center . The complex is at the east end of the Loop, east of Michigan Avenue . Two Prudential Plaza is also located here, just to the west of the Aon Center. The Loop contains a wealth of outdoor sculpture, including works by Pablo Picasso , Joan Miró , Henry Moore , Marc Chagall , Magdalena Abakanowicz , Alexander Calder , and Jean Dubuffet . Chicago's cultural heavyweights, such as

4440-797: The Art Institute of Chicago , the Goodman Theatre , the Chicago Theatre , the Lyric Opera at the Civic Opera House building, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra , are also in this area, as is the historic Palmer House Hilton hotel, found on East Monroe Street. Chicago's waterfront, which is almost exclusively recreational beach and park areas from north to south, features Grant Park in

4560-578: The Blue Line ; LaSalle/Van Buren on the Brown Line , Pink Line and Purple Line ; Harrison on the Red Line ; and Roosevelt on the Red Line , Green Line and Orange Line . Views of Dearborn Park continue to evolve but have at times been diametrically opposite. Tom Cokins, a Chicago city planner, wrote that "Today over 100,000 people make downtown Chicago their home, a migration sparked by

4680-473: The Chicago City Council , which are represented by aldermen Sophia King , Byron Sigcho-Lopez , Bill Conway and Brendan Reilly . From the city's incorporation and division into wards in 1837 to 1992, the Loop as currently defined was at least partially contained within the 1st ward. From 1891 to 1992 it was entirely within the 1st ward and was coterminous with it between 1891 and 1901. It

4800-669: The Home Insurance Building , considered the world's first skyscraper (demolished in 1931); the Chicago Board of Trade Building , a National Historic Landmark ; and Willis Tower , the world's tallest building for nearly 25 years. Some of the historic buildings in this district were instrumental in the development of towers. This area abounds in shopping opportunities, including the Loop Retail Historic District , although it competes with

4920-664: The Home Insurance Building , generally considered the world's first skyscraper, was constructed, followed by the development of the Chicago school best exemplified by such buildings as the Rookery Building in 1888, the Monadnock Building in 1891, and the Sullivan Center in 1899. Loop architecture has been dominated by skyscrapers and high-rises since early in its history. Notable buildings include

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5040-615: The Illinois Senate most of the community area is in District 3, represented by Democrat Mattie Hunter , while a large part in the east is part of District 13, represented by Democrat Robert Peters , and a very small part in the west is part of District 5, represented by Democrat Patricia Van Pelt . The Loop community area has supported the Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections by large margins. In

5160-691: The Michigan Plaza complex. Sidley Austin has an office in the Loop. The Chicago Loop Alliance is located at 55 West Monroe, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is located in an office in the Aon Center, the French-American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago has an office in 35 East Wacker , the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in the United States is located in an office at 303 East Wacker Drive, and

5280-763: The Millennium Station , which serves as the Chicago terminal of the Metra Electric District line that goes to University Park , and LaSalle Street Station , which serves as the Chicago terminal of the Rock Island District line bound for Joliet , are in the Loop. In addition to the terminals, the Van Buren Street station and Museum Campus/11th Street station on the Electric District line are also in

5400-477: The 1830s, the area was selected as the site of their respective seats. Originally mixed-use, the neighborhood became increasingly commercial in the 1870s. This process accelerated in the aftermath of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire , which destroyed most of the neighborhood's buildings. Some of the world's earliest skyscrapers were constructed in the Loop, giving rise to the Chicago School of architecture . By

5520-473: The 1890s, with transfers from one to the other being a major business for taxi drivers prior to the advent of Amtrak in the 1970s and the majority of trains being concentrated at Chicago Union Station across the river in the Near West Side . The construction of a streetcar loop in 1882 and the elevated railway loop in the 1890s gave the area its name and cemented its dominance in the city. In Metra

5640-446: The 1920s old buildings were purchased in the area and converted to parking structures. More high-rise garages and parking lots were constructed in the 1930s, which also saw the advent of double-deck parking. The first parking meters were installed in 1947 and private garages were regulated in 1957; they were banned outright in the Loop in the 1970s in response to federal air-quality standards. The first underground garages were built by

5760-560: The 1960s, SOM played a pivotal role in preventing the destruction of the city's historic districts and Inner Harbor to make way for the planned construction of an elevated highway. As the chair of a team to develop an alternate plan, Nathaniel Owings convinced the Federal Highway Administration to sign off on a plan to reroute the highway. It was eventually built around the harbor and the historic Federal Hill district, saving these irreplaceable neighborhoods. In

5880-455: The 1970s and 1980s, members of the relatively small, dedicated group pushed to integrate the computer's enhanced data-storing and analytical abilities into various phases of the design process. Through these initiatives, SOM was able to identify the potential of the computer to not only expedite necessary calculations but also introduce new ways of representing and sharing information. Just as structural engineering came to be seen early on at SOM as

6000-560: The 1970s was as the lead design firm for the Boston Transportation Planning Review , a metropolitan-wide re-design of Boston's entire transit and roadway infrastructure. Beginning in the 1980s, SOM planned the design and construction of Canary Wharf in London. Intended to accommodate a flourishing financial sector and revitalize London's former Docklands, the plan included more than 20 building sites and

6120-615: The 1970s, SOM collaborated with landscape architect Lawrence Halprin to plan and design the Portland Transit Mall . The goals were to revitalize the Oregon city's downtown area, to encourage the use of mass transit, and create walkable streets. The Transit Mall helped to change the perception of downtown Portland. As one of the first projects of its kind in the United States, it helped to usher in an era of streetscape design that prioritizes people. Another important commission in

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6240-524: The 37th floor of the brand-new First National Bank Building (now Chase Tower) , they expressed concerns regarding the area to the south of the Chicago Loop . The run-down area, impacted negatively by the decline of the rail industry and other factors, comprised abandoned railyards, a thriving vice district and many vacant, vandalized buildings. Prior efforts to transform the rail yard area had failed. Mayor Richard J. Daley had earlier sought to build

6360-601: The Americanized world, and one of the sights of New York". In the 1970s, SOM pioneered a new era of skyscraper design with its work in Chicago, including the John Hancock Center (completed 1970) and Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which became the world's tallest structure upon its completion in 1973 and remained so for more than 20 years. Both towers are the result of collaboration between architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan , who

6480-636: The CAD systems used widely today. This work quickly proved valuable in the generation of structural analysis tools that were embraced by Fazlur Khan and his engineering team, aiding the design of projects such as the John Hancock Center. The activity of an experimental research group at SOM, known as the Computer Group, exemplifies a particularly productive effort within the firm to incorporate technological research into its practice. Through

6600-412: The Chicago River throughout the area. Illinois Center neighborhood has three-level streets. The eastern terminus of U.S. Route 66 (US 66), an iconic highway in the United States first charted in 1926, was located at Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue . When Illinois and Missouri agreed that the local signage for US 66 should be replaced with that of Interstate 55 (I-55) as

6720-488: The Chicago River, including architectural tours, by commercial boat operators, are great favorites with both locals and tourists alike. The Loop is the seat of Chicago's city government. It is also the government seat of Cook County and houses an office for the governor of Illinois . The city and county governments are situated in the same century-old building . Across the street, the Richard J. Daley Center accommodates

6840-480: The Coalition to Stop Chicago 21, which opposed the development. The newly named Dearborn Park Corporation decided to construct the community in two phases, with the first phase — 1,456 housing units — being built on 24 acres north of Roosevelt Road. On the north side of the property, the land bordered Dearborn Station, which had quietly been purchased by one of the early Project 21 backers in 1982, for $ 1 million and

6960-734: The Czech Republic , Ecuador , El Salvador , France , Guatemala , Haiti , Hungary , Indonesia , Israel , the Republic of Macedonia , the Netherlands , Pakistan , Peru , the Philippines , South Africa , Turkey , and Venezuela . In addition, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Republic of China is in the Loop. The Loop is currently a part of the 4th, 25th, 34th and 42nd wards of

7080-692: The East Riverfront in Detroit; P.S. 62, the first net-zero-energy school in New York City; and the design of the Moon Village, a concept for the first permanent lunar settlement, developed with the European Space Agency and Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Notable for its role as a pioneer of modernist architecture in America and for its groundbreaking work in skyscraper design and construction , SOM has designed some of

7200-600: The Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. The area has a triple-level street system and is bisected by Columbus Drive. Most of this district has been developed on land that was originally water and once used by the Illinois Central Railroad rail yards. The early buildings in this district such as the Aon Center and One Prudential Plaza used airspace rights in order to build above the railyards. The New Eastside Association of Residents (NEAR) has been

7320-463: The Fort Dearborn reservation that became part of the city in 1839 and land reclaimed from Lake Michigan. The area was bustling by the end of the 1830s. Lake Street started to be a center for retail at that time, until it was eclipsed by State Street in the 1850s. By 1948 an estimated one million people came to and went from the Loop each day. Afterwards, suburbanization caused a decrease in

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7440-526: The Loop area and offer 24/7 service; the Red and Blue Lines are the only rapid transit lines in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains to offer such service. Bus Rapid Transit has been implemented in the Loop. Chicago's address system has been standardized as beginning at the intersection of State and Madison Streets since September 1, 1909. Prior to that time, Chicago's street system

7560-606: The Loop proper, but in the 21st century began to refer to the entire Near South and much of the Near West Sides of the city, respectively. In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn in what is now the Loop; although earlier settlement was present, this was first settlement in the area sponsored by the United States' federal government . When Chicago and Cook County were incorporated in

7680-419: The Loop. The professional sector is the largest source of employment of both Loop residents and Loop employees, at respectively 21.4 and 23.3 percent. Finance was the second most common employment for both groups, at respectively 13.5 and 17.7 percent. Health Care was the third largest sector for residents at 10.2 percent while Education was the third largest sector for Loop employees at 13 percent. Education

7800-479: The Loop. 26.8 percent worked outside of Chicago. Respectively 11.5, 8.0, and 2.8 percent worked in the Near North Side , the Near West Side , and Hyde Park . Conversely, 45.5 percent of the people employed in the Loop lived outside of Chicago. Lake View housed 4 percent of Loop employees, the highest percentage of any of Chicago's community areas. The Near North Side, West Town , and Lincoln Park respectively housed 3.8, 2.6, and 2.5 percent of those working in

7920-428: The Loop. All stations in the Loop are in Zone A for fare collection purposes. The interurban South Shore Line , which goes to South Bend, Indiana , has its Chicago terminal at Millennium Station. All lines of the Chicago "L" except the Yellow Line serve the Loop area for at least some hours. The State Street Subway and Dearborn Street Subway , respectively parts of the Red Line and Blue Line , are present in

8040-438: The Loop. The median sale price for residential real estate was $ 710,000 in 2005 according to Forbes. In addition to the government, financial, theatre and shopping districts, there are neighborhoods that are also part of the Loop community area. For much of its history this Section was used for Illinois Central rail yards, including the IC's Great Central Station , with commercial buildings along Michigan Avenue. The New Eastside

8160-425: The Pennsylvania Avenue redesign council, and the resulting 1966 Washington Mall Master Plan laid the framework for a dynamic, inviting, and pedestrian-friendly place. A second master plan developed in 1973, envisioned the construction of major cultural facilities, including the National Air and Space Museum , the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden , and the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden . In Baltimore in

8280-476: The US Mexico Chamber of Commerce Mid-America Chapter is located in an office in One Prudential Plaza . McDonald's was headquartered in the Loop until 1971, when it moved to suburban Oak Brook . When Bank One Corporation existed, its headquarters were in the Bank One Plaza, which is now Chase Tower. When Amoco existed, its headquarters were in the Amoco Building, which is now the Aon Center. In 2019, about 40 percent of Loop residents were also employed in

8400-424: The United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Throughout its history, SOM has been recognized with more than 2000 awards for quality and innovation. In November 1990, SOM was placed on the cover of Interior Design Magazine for The Top Ten, Winner Of IBA. In 1996 and 1962, SOM received the Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects , which recognizes the design work of an entire firm. SOM

8520-456: The affected neighborhoods, an offer that was accepted by two of the affected communities. Ultimately, the opposition receded, with the group had decided they had lost the battle to stop the first phase of Dearborn Park and the redevelopment of the South Loop, although Shiller later expressed regrets that they had given up too soon. As the group pursued negotiations with the railroad companies, they were surprised to learn in 1972 that Henry Crown ,

8640-481: The area's importance. Starting in the 1960s, however, the presence of an upscale shopping district caused the area's fortunes to increase. The Loop's population has boomed in recent years, having a 158 percent population increase between 2000 and 2020. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of jobs in The Loop increased by nearly 63,000 jobs, or an increase of over 13%. The Loop, along with the rest of downtown Chicago,

8760-501: The area, Crain's reported that "residents are mostly couples and families who bought townhouses" and that the "neighborhood has a stable racial mix: about 50% Anglo and 35% African-American, with the remainder Asian and Hispanic." According to 2020 Census Data , there were 3,303 people and 1,807 households residing in the area. The racial makeup of the area was 54.20% White , 15.50% African American , 23.50% Asian , 4.09% from other races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.68% of

8880-460: The area. 33.3 percent of Loop residents walk or bike to work compared to 7.3 percent citywide. An additional 19.4 percent of Loop residents use transit for a daily commute, while 23.4 percent of residents citywide do. Just 22.2 percent of Loop residents drive to work alone or in a carpool, compared to 54.9 percent of all Chicago residents and 72.5 percent in the greater Chicago region. By household, 47.2 percent of Loop residents do not have access to

9000-517: The artists whose work has been a part of SOM projects. More recently, SOM's architects and engineers have collaborated with artists such as James Turrell , Janet Echelman , Iñigo Manglano–Ovalle , James Carpenter , and Jaume Plensa . In 1953, the firm completed the Manufacturers Trust Company Building in New York City, the first international style bank building in the United States, Seven years later, in 1960,

9120-459: The building with its prestigious Twenty-five Year Award , conferred onto "a building that has set a precedent for the last 25 to 35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance" . In 1969, SOM founder Nathaniel Owings wrote, "Civilizations leave marks on the Earth by which they are known and judged. In large measure, the nature of their immortality

9240-486: The center of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan , it is the second-largest business district in North America after Midtown Manhattan . The headquarters and regional offices of several global and national businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, hotels, and theaters–as well as many of Chicago's most famous attractions–are located in the Loop. The neighborhood also hosts Chicago's City Hall ,

9360-480: The city in the early 1950s. All residences and places of employment within the Loop are in highly walkable areas; the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning defines such areas based on population density, the length of city blocks, tree canopy cover, fatalities or grievous injuries incurred by pedestrians and bicyclists in the area, the density of intersections, and amenities located near

9480-410: The city's historic Union Station into a major regional hub. 20 acres of former rail yards have been converted into a transit-oriented urban district that orchestrates light rail, pedestrian, bicycle, and bus routes, as well as commuter and intercity rail. Completed in 2014, the project has spurred more than $ 3.5 billion worth of private investment in the surrounding district. The earliest SOM engineer

9600-404: The construction of Broadgate , a new business district. SOM devised the master plan, and over three decades designed several of the site's 14 buildings. In order to build high-rise structures atop one of the city's busiest stations and its railyard, SOM's structural engineering team devised a deck over the tracks to allow for various building configurations on top. Exchange House, completed in 1990,

9720-409: The downtown area, strengthen its property values and add to the city's tax base; and to create an economically and racially integrated community "from the subsidized level to the semi-luxury level." Activists in Chicago saw things differently, viewing the Chicago 21 Plan, which envisioned changes not only to the rail yards but also to other neighborhoods near downtown, as the city's intention to develop

9840-686: The downtown area. Grant Park is the home of Buckingham Fountain , the Petrillo Music Shell , the Grant Park Symphony (where free concerts can be enjoyed throughout the summer), and Chicago's annual two-week food festival, the Taste of Chicago , where more than 3 million people try foods from over 70 vendors. The area also hosts the annual music festival Lollapalooza which features popular alternative rock, heavy metal, EDM , hip hop, and punk rock, artists. Millennium Park , which

9960-480: The east, and Roosevelt Road (12th Street) to the south is called the Loop. It took its name from a somewhat smaller area, which meant the 35 city blocks bounded on the north by Lake Street, on the west by Wells Street, on the south by Van Buren Street, and on the east by Wabash Avenue—the Union Loop formed by the 'L' in the late 1800s. Similarly, " South " and " West Loop " historically referred to areas within

10080-673: The executive committee of the 1250-person firm. The SOM Foundation was first established in 1979 with the mission to support and cultivate emerging design leaders by granting awards to outstanding students of architecture, design, urban design, and engineering. Many winners of SOM Foundation awards have gone on to distinguish themselves in professional and academic careers. Past winners include Marion Weiss (1982), Werner Sobek (1983), Himanshu Parikh (1985), Santiago Calatrava (1988), and Joshua Ramus (1995). The SOM Foundation continues to support emerging design leaders and interdisciplinary research with five annual awards granted to students from

10200-421: The firm completed Pepsi-Cola World Headquarters . In 1961, the firm completed One Chase Manhattan Plaza , which is now 28 Liberty Street , the first International Style building to rise in New York City's Financial District . The 28 Liberty Street project helped reverse an exodus of corporate clients from Lower Manhattan to Midtown Manhattan and the suburbs. SOM's design for 28 Liberty Street also created

10320-707: The first net-zero-energy school building in New York City and one of the first worldwide. The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground, Staten Island , has been awarded for its sustainability performance by organizations, including the American Institute of Architects , the Municipal Art Society , and the Urban Land Institute . SOM has been recognized for its research and experimentation with new energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies, inckuding

10440-462: The first hotel in Chicago, was built in 1831 near Wolf Point at what is now the northwestern corner of the Loop. When Cook County was incorporated in 1831, the first meeting of its government was held at Fort Dearborn with two representatives from Chicago and one from Naperville . The entirety of what is now the Loop was part of the Town of Chicago when it was initially incorporated in 1833, except for

10560-524: The head of one of America's wealthiest families, was also attempting to buy the rail yards, doing so on behalf of his friend George "Papa Bear" Halas , owner of the Chicago Bears , who wished to build a replacement stadium for Soldier Field inside of the rail yard land. Halas gained control of the property, negotiating a price for the 51 acres of $ 3.25 a square foot, half the lowest price the South Loop group had been able to negotiate, and amounting to

10680-477: The highway was predominately north–south in those states, most signs of the former highway in Chicago were removed without incident but the final sign on the corner of Jackson and Michigan was removed with great fanfare on January 13, 1977, and replaced with a sign reading "END OF ROUTE 66". The first anti-parking ordinance of streets in the Loop was passed on May 1, 1918, in order to help streetcars, and had been advocated by Chicago Surface Lines . This law banned

10800-423: The infamous Levee District , had also earned a reputation for vice, with many "houses of ill-fame." The neighborhood was unscathed by the 1871 Chicago Fire but was not so lucky with the 1874 Chicago Fire , which destroyed most of the buildings in the area. In the aftermath of the 1874 fire, much of the land that is now Dearborn Park was purchased by real estate promoter John B. Brown and his associates, who saw

10920-422: The land it needed, albeit only 51 acres, considerably less than the 200, 350, or 600 acres that had been mentioned in early plans. In 1974, a naming consultant had been engaged to brand the new neighborhood, with short-list candidates including Friend Town, Oasis, Fellowship, Mecca, Rail Town, Marquette Place, Burhan Place and Greenville — but none of the proposed options was selected and it would be two years until

11040-616: The late 19th century, cable car turnarounds and the Union Loop encircled the area, giving the neighborhood its name. Near the lake, Grant Park "Chicago's front yard" is Chicago's oldest park but was significantly expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and houses a number of features and museums. Starting in the 1920s, road improvements for highways were constructed to and into the Loop, perhaps most famously U.S. Route 66 , which opened in 1926. While dominated by offices and public buildings, its residential population boomed during

11160-409: The latter 20th century and first decades of the 21st, partly due to the development of former rail yards (at one time, the area had six major interurban railroad terminals and land was also needed for extensive rail cargo storage and transfer), industrial lands, as well as highrise residences. Since 1950, the Loop's population has increased the most out of all of Chicago's community areas. The origin of

11280-500: The more upscale Magnificent Mile area to the north. It includes Chicago's former Marshall Field's department store location in the Marshall Field and Company Building ; the original Sullivan Center Carson Pirie Scott store location (closed February 21, 2007). Chicago's Downtown Theatre District is also found within this area, along with numerous restaurants and hotels. Chicago has a famous skyline which features many of

11400-435: The name "the Loop" is disputed. Some sources claim it first referred to two cable car lines that used a circuit–constructed in 1882 and bounded by Van Buren Street, Wabash Avenue, Wells Street , and Lake Street –to enter and depart the downtown area. Other research, however, has concluded that "the Loop" was not used as a proper noun until after the 1895–97 construction of the Union Loop used by 'L' trains, which shared

11520-790: The new headquarters for The Walt Disney Company , the global headquarters for Citigroup , Moynihan Train Hall and the expanded Penn Station complex, and the restoration and renovation of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City; airport projects at O'Hare International Airport , Kansas City International Airport , and Kempegowda International Airport ; urban master plans for the Charenton-Bercy district in Paris, New Covent Garden in London, Treasure Island in San Francisco,

11640-484: The northern border of Dearborn Park in 1885, resulting in decades of economic growth in the area that reversed course into steep decline in the 1950s and 1960s. Dearborn Station ultimately closed in 1971. The genesis of Dearborn Park emerged during a 1970 meeting of three Chicago business leaders: Thomas G. Ayers , President of Commonwealth Edison ; Donald M. Graham, CEO of Continental Illinois ; and Gordon W. Metcalf, CEO of Sears, Roebuck & Co. . Looking south from

11760-489: The official community area designations, residents of Dearborn Park describe their neighborhood as being part of the South Loop . Dearborn Park, like most of Chicago, was originally the home of Ojibwe , Odawa , Potawatomi , Miami , and other Native American tribes and nations. The defeat of Sauk warrior and leader Black Hawk led to the ceding of the last Potawatomi lands around Chicago in an 1833 treaty , and Chicago

11880-425: The parking of any vehicle between 7 and 10 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. on a street used by streetcars; approximately 1,000 violators of this law were arrested in the first month of the ordinance's enforcement. The La Salle Hotel 's parking garage was the first high-rise parking garage in the Loop, constructed in 1917 at the corner of Washington and LaSalle Streets and remaining in service until its demolition in 2005. In

12000-429: The population. Age distribution for the area is similar to other nearby communities, with 14.50% under the age of 18, 33.83% from 18 to 39, 35.90% from 40 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median household income for the area was $ 98,500 as opposed to $ 63,300 for the Chicago area. Dearborn Park is easily accessible via public transportation . Nearby Chicago "L" CTA stations include LaSalle on

12120-421: The potential of southside access to the city by rail and acquired the land, principally for the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad (C&WI) but other rail lines also bought nearby land. (Perhaps not surprising to those who live in Chicago, there were accusations of bribery and self-dealing regarding the acquisition of the land.) The investment in the rail lines culminated in the opening of Dearborn Station at

12240-429: The presence of children from nearby public housing projects...In short, their community is a suburban development uncomfortably plunked down in the city." 41°51′59″N 87°37′44″W  /  41.86639°N 87.62889°W  / 41.86639; -87.62889 Chicago Loop The Loop is Chicago 's central business district and one of the city's 77 municipally recognized community areas . Located at

12360-428: The railroad land, even since its founding days, but had made very little progress. Ayers, Graham and Metcalf co-funded a small initial consulting study to evaluate options for the land., which confirmed the potential of the project but also identified numerous challenges, not the least of which was that 13 railroad companies owned pieces of the land, singly or in combination with each other. This initial analysis led to

12480-451: The recession of the early 1980s but took off again when the recession ended, interest rates came down, and the Board of Education announced plans to open the new South Loop Elementary School at the north end of Dearborn II in early 1988. By the end of 1986, 2,000 people were living in Dearborn Park I. The approach to Dearborn Park II was different from that of Dearborn Park I, in that the land

12600-826: The recognized community representative (Illinois non-profit corporation) since 1991 and is a 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt organization. Skidmore, Owings %26 Merrill SOM , previously Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP , is a Chicago -based architectural , urban planning , and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings . In 1939, they were joined by engineer John O. Merrill . The firm opened its second office, in New York City , in 1937 and has since expanded, with offices in San Francisco , Los Angeles , Washington, D.C. , London , Melbourne , Hong Kong , Shanghai , Seattle , and Dubai . The firm's notable current work includes

12720-491: The same route. In what is now the Loop, on the south bank of the Chicago River near today's Michigan Avenue Bridge , the United States Army erected Fort Dearborn in 1803, the first settlement in the area sponsored by the United States. When Chicago was initially platted in 1830 by the surveyor James Thompson , it included what is now the Loop north of Madison Street and west of State Street. The Sauganash Hotel ,

12840-408: The seat of Cook County , offices of other levels of government, and several foreign consulates. The intersection of State Street and Madison Street in the Loop is the origin point for the address system on Chicago's street grid . The Loop's definition and perceived boundaries have developed over time. Since the 1920s, the area bounded by the Chicago River to the west and north, Lake Michigan to

12960-410: The success of Dearborn Park. This South Loop community serves as a model of urban renewal unlike any other in the United States." On the other hand, historian Edward Kantowicz castigated the early community, writing in 1998 that "They built a wall around their neighborhood and provided only one automobile entrance. They refused to send their children to a public school built expressly for them because of

13080-450: The surrounding landscape, but also for its use of efficient building systems. In 2007, the firm completed a large-scale sustainable architecture project for the U.S. Census Bureau , the first federal office building to receive LEED certification. Like Weyerhaeuser, the design of the campus works in concert with its natural surroundings and incorporates a range of design strategies to reduce its environmental impact. In 2015, SOM completed

13200-704: The tallest buildings in the world as well as the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District . Chicago's skyline is spaced out throughout the downtown area. The Willis Tower , formerly known as the Sears Tower, the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere (and still second-tallest by roof height), stands in the western Loop in the heart of the city's financial district, along with other buildings, such as 311 South Wacker Drive and

13320-414: The units sold as soon as they were produced. In 1997, Crain's Chicago Business commemorated the 20th anniversary of Dearborn Park, describing it as a neighborhood of 5,000 residents that had "developed into a stable, racially integrated area" and that was an "almost exclusively middle-class enclave isolated from surrounding low-income neighborhoods." Noting that there were 1,700 saleable housing units in

13440-483: The western half is part of the 2nd district, represented by Democrat Dennis Deer . In the Illinois House of Representatives the community area is roughly evenly split lengthwise between, from east to west, Districts 26, 5, and 6, represented respectively by Democrats Kambium Buckner , Lamont Robinson , and Sonya Harper , with a minuscule portion in District 9 represented by Democrat Lakesia Collins . In

13560-403: The world's largest roof garden. Below the great lawn, two new levels of parking were built, bus stops were added, and rail stations were renovated and expanded, including Millennium Station . The project revitalized a formerly blighted downtown site and marked the completion of Chicago planner Daniel Burnham 's 100-year vision for the area. In Denver, SOM was commissioned to expand and transform

13680-450: The world's most significant architectural and urban projects including several of the tallest buildings in the world : John Hancock Center (1969, second tallest in the world when built), Willis Tower (1973, tallest in the world for over twenty years), One World Trade Center (2014, currently the seventh tallest in the world), and Burj Khalifa (2010, currently the world's tallest building). SOM's multidisciplinary practice works across

13800-563: Was John O. Merrill . Fazlur Khan , another engineer at SOM, is best known for his design and construction of the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), and John Hancock Center and for his designs of structural systems that remain fundamental to all high-rise skyscrapers . Indeed, Khan is responsible for developing the algorithms that made the Hancock building and many subsequent skyscrapers possible. Another notable SOM engineer

13920-421: Was a hodgepodge of various systems which had resulted from the different municipalities that Chicago annexed in the late 19th century. The implementation of the new street system was delayed by two years in the Loop to allow businesses more time to acclimate to their new addresses. Several streets in the Loop have multiple levels , some as many as three. The most prominent of these is Wacker Drive , which faces

14040-495: Was incorporated as a town that year. Shortly thereafter, the neighborhood was developed by German and Irish immigrants who came to Chicago in the 1830s and 1840s to dig a shipping canal . Their initial shantytown of wood cottages soon grew to host Italian immigrants, as well as freed and escaped slaves. By the 1870s, the neighborhood served as a home to many Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland, as well as working-class and middle-class African Americans. The neighborhood, part of

14160-548: Was sold to multiple private developers. The first units in Dearborn Park II were offered for sale in late 1989, with the development of the community being delayed by unmet infrastructure needs that were being finalized with Mayor Harold Washington , replacing prior Mayor Eugene Sawyer who had shoveled the first dirt at the groundbreaking of Dearborn Park II in late 1988. 486 homes were constructed on 27 acres, making Dearborn Park II less dense than Dearborn Park I, and

14280-469: Was the fourth largest employer of residents at 9.4 percent while Public Administration was the fourth largest for Loop employees at 13 percent. Administration was the fifth largest sector for both groups, at respectively 6.9 and 7.3 percent. The area has long been a hub for architecture. The vast majority of the area was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 but rebuilt quickly. In 1885

14400-543: Was while part of the 1st ward that it was represented by the Gray Wolves. The area has not had a Republican alderman since Francis P. Gleason served alongside Coughlin from 1895 to 1897. (Prior to 1923, each ward elected two aldermen in staggered two-year terms). In the Cook County Board of Commissioners the eastern half of the area is part of the 3rd district, represented by Democrat Jerry Butler , while

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