Block 37 Proposal, Chicago, Illinois, Perspective

Block 37, the parcel of land in the heart of Chicago’s Loop bordered by State, Randolph, Dearborn, and Washington Streets has stood idle for years in spite of numerous ideas for the construction of new buildings. The redevelopment of the block was originally conceived by Mayor Richard J. Daley in the 1970s to transform the site of old, inferior, low-rise buildings into new and larger buildings with more intensive uses in keeping with the downtown area. The site has been the object of several unsuccessful attempts at development over the years. Architect Helmut Jahn, working for the joint venture development company FJV, prepared several schemes for the site between 1983 and 1987. All of these plans envisioned a giant atrium that would permit continuous movement of pedestrians throughout the block. The developers’ failure to secure a anchor tenant for the development—along with delays by the City and the worsening economic situation—cast doom on the project.