NationStates Jolt Archive


What you talkin' bout?

Galloism
12-03-2009, 21:59
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-sears-tower-name-change-willis-march12,0,7014962.story

Come this summer, Chicago's iconic landmark known around the world is getting a new moniker: Willis Tower.

Willis Group Holdings, a London-based insurance broker, announced Thursday that it will consolidate its area offices to Sears Tower and as part of the deal, gets to put its own name on the 36-year-old skyscraper.

Willis will move nearly 500 associates into Willis Tower, at 233 S. Wacker, initially occupying more than 140,000 square feet on multiple floors. The company said the move to the new space, at $14.50 per square foot, will result in significant real estate cost savings, and that there is no additional cost to the company associated with renaming the building.

"It was part of our negotiations," said Willis spokesman Will Thoretz. "We are actually not having to pay anything for renaming the building."

The rental information is accurate but the terms of the deal are incomplete, said a Sears Tower spokesman, who declined to provide additional information.

"The details that have been disclosed are not a complete picture of the agreement," the spokesman said. "We view the economic terms to be proprietary information and do not reveal those for any of our transactions."

The move is a coup for Willis, which counts Aon Corp. as one of its main competitors. Come this summer, Willis' name will be on a tower taller than Aon Center.

"It's a tremendous boost for the Willis brand in North America," Thoretz said. "We're especially well known in the U.K., but we're relatively unknown in North America. We really feel this will make us a household name in the U.S."

A spokesman for Aon said, "Chicago is firmly established as a global financial center so we welcome their support for the city."

But what of any potential backlash, or the inability of Chicagoans to call the building anything but Sears Tower? "Old habits die hard but we feel that ultimately people will come to embrace the Willis name," Thoretz said.

That remains to be seen. For building tenants, the name change will cause them to re-evaluate how they refer to their workplaces and, more importantly, how they direct visitors to their offices.

"I'll suppose I'll tell them the structure formerly known as Sear Tower," said Ronald Safer, managing partner at Tower tenant Schiff Hardin LLP, in a nod to 'the artist formerly known as Prince.' "It is a sign of the times. These former institutions, the names will change as the bidding dictates."

The addition of Willis partially offsets the loss of Ernst & Young, which announced late last year that it would leave its 387,000 square feet in Sears Tower this summer and relocate to John Buck Co.'s new building at 155 N. Wacker.

Sears, Roebuck & Co., now based in Hoffman Estates, finished construction on the office building in 1973 but has not had offices in it since 1992. At the time it was the tallest building in the world and built for what was then the world's largest retailer. It was eclipsed in 1998 and is now the skyscraper is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.

A spokeswoman for Sears said the retailer was not approached about striking a deal to keep its name on the building. "We're saddened but we don't own the rights to the building."

I'm sad. Willis tower just doesn't sound the same.

Thoughts?
Golugan
12-03-2009, 22:13
My thoughts: Screw that, it's the Sears Tower.
Nodinia
12-03-2009, 22:25
It could work if they made it smaller.....
Conserative Morality
13-03-2009, 00:13
What are they talking about? It will be, and always has been, The Sear Tower. *puts fingers in ears*
Pope Lando II
13-03-2009, 00:37
I doubt anyone's going to call it by its new name. I sure wouldn't.
Sarkhaan
13-03-2009, 00:41
I doubt it will be recognized by its new name for a very long time. Such a famous buliding and major part of the skyline won't change in the minds of people for, in all probability, decades...if at all.
Saint Clair Island
13-03-2009, 00:50
It'll take a while. Probably almost as long as it'll take for people to start referring to Chicago as "Megacity Two" after the Fourteen-Minute War makes rural life impossible without full-body NBC suits.
The One Eyed Weasel
13-03-2009, 01:28
Divvying up the US one step at a time...
Sarkhaan
13-03-2009, 01:33
It'll take a while. Probably almost as long as it'll take for people to start referring to Chicago as "Megacity Two" after the Fourteen-Minute War makes rural life impossible without full-body NBC suits.

we're all going to have to dress up like peacocks?
1010102
13-03-2009, 03:22
we're all going to have to dress up like peacocks?

You damned well know what he means.
Saint Clair Island
13-03-2009, 03:24
we're all going to have to dress up like peacocks?

You will, yeah, for that comment.
Sarkhaan
13-03-2009, 03:26
You damned well know what he means.
Tough crowd...
You will, yeah, for that comment.

And I will work it.
Saint Clair Island
13-03-2009, 03:31
And I will work it.

Well, with the Peacock Mk III second-generation carbonan bodysuits, that's practically the only way to get the tail to open anyway.
1010102
13-03-2009, 03:32
Damned tea suckers should stay where they belong. On your side of atlantic, working in franchise operated American owned businesses!
Katganistan
13-03-2009, 03:48
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-sears-tower-name-change-willis-march12,0,7014962.story



I'm sad. Willis tower just doesn't sound the same.

Thoughts?

My thoughts: Screw that, it's the Sears Tower.

Amen. And I don't give a crap what anyone says, it's the Triborough, not the RFK Bridge... it's Sixth Avenue, not Avenue of the Americas... and Mets games will always be out at Shea, not at "Citi-Field".

This bullshit of renaming things remains... bullshit.
Wilgrove
13-03-2009, 03:51
I've stopped caring about what happens in Chicago since this happened.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/IL/Meigs_IL_rw_tornup_03.jpg
New Ziedrich
13-03-2009, 03:52
Willis Tower? That's just awful. The skyscraper enthusiast in me is saddened by this development.
Ardchoille
13-03-2009, 03:54
Amen. And I don't give a crap what anyone says, it's the Triborough, not the RFK Bridge... it's Sixth Avenue, not Avenue of the Americas... and Mets games will always be out at Shea, not at "Citi-Field".

This bullshit of renaming things remains... bullshit.

But Kat, don't you live in New Amsterdam? :D
New Ziedrich
13-03-2009, 03:54
I've stopped caring about what happens in Chicago since this happened.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/IL/Meigs_IL_rw_tornup_03.jpg

Could you explain this, please?
Galloism
13-03-2009, 03:54
I've stopped caring about what happens in Chicago since this happened.<snippity>

That runway is closed.
Sarkhaan
13-03-2009, 03:58
Amen. And I don't give a crap what anyone says, it's the Triborough, not the RFK Bridge... it's Sixth Avenue, not Avenue of the Americas... and Mets games will always be out at Shea, not at "Citi-Field".

This bullshit of renaming things remains... bullshit.
Same with Boston...the Garden was torn down. The TD BankNorth Boston Garden is still the FleetCenter.
I've stopped caring about what happens in Chicago since this happened.
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/IL/Meigs_IL_rw_tornup_03.jpg
What is this is?
Katganistan
13-03-2009, 04:03
But Kat, don't you live in New Amsterdam? :D
Ard, I live in Breuckelen. Not far from New Utrecht Avenue, Cortelyou Road, and a train ride from Haarlem. And next Thursday, I will be traveling through The Bronck's.

And that's Nieuw Amsterdam. ;)
Wilgrove
13-03-2009, 04:04
Could you explain this, please?

On March 30th, 2003 in the cover of darkness Mayor Daley ordered the runway of Meigs Field to be carved up like you see in the picture. If you look at the upper right hand corner, you can see that aircrafts were still stranded on the island. (They later used the taxiway as a runway.) There was no NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) no warning, no nothing. Why it was closed down, well Dealy always hated Meigs Field, he wanted to tear down the field and put up a casino or something like that. Hell a incoming flight was diverted while Daley pulled this little stunt of his.

Court battles ensued, but since Meigs Field was owned by the City of Chicago and not a federal airport, at the end Daley did have legal rights to do what he did. However, he was fined for not putting out a NOTAM about thirty days before the closing of the airport.

The city pay the $33,000 fine as well as repay $1 million that was supposed to be used to improve the airport, but instead was used to make the park.

The reason Daley did this, well his official reason was that terrorist could use the airport to attack downtown Chicago. Ahh gotta love the fear-mongering.

After another incident involving a C-150 and Washington's DC no fly zone, pilots started making this bumper sticker.

http://www.grouchyoldcripple.com/archives/Cessna.BMP

It's amazing how many people are scare of a single engine 4 seat aircraft....
Saint Clair Island
13-03-2009, 04:05
Amen. And I don't give a crap what anyone says, it's the Triborough, not the RFK Bridge... it's Sixth Avenue, not Avenue of the Americas... and Mets games will always be out at Shea, not at "Citi-Field".

This bullshit of renaming things remains... bullshit.
Aye. Although I've never been sure what the government intends for you to call Sixth Avenue in Harlem. "Lenox Avenue"? "Malcolm X Boulevard"? I just call it Sixth the whole length, Harlem River to the Village, but I'm not sure which of the two names is considered the official one by people who don't.

Of course, I also call U.S. 9 "Broadway", even as far north as Poughkeepsie or Albany, so maybe I'm just weird.

But Kat, don't you live in New Amsterdam? :D

You mean Mannahatta, right? Nieuw Amsterdam was that newfangled Dutch name for the place. I can't believe we were suckered into selling the island to them, even though we did get this really cool bead collection.
Geniasis
13-03-2009, 04:10
It'll take a while. Probably almost as long as it'll take for people to start referring to Chicago as "Megacity Two" after the Fourteen-Minute War makes rural life impossible without full-body NBC suits.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/shr0649l.jpg

Yeah, this name isn't gonna take hold for a while.
New Ziedrich
13-03-2009, 04:15
On March 30th, 2003 in the cover of darkness Mayor Daley ordered the runway of Meigs Field to be carved up like you see in the picture. If you look at the upper right hand corner, you can see that aircrafts were still stranded on the island. (They later used the taxiway as a runway.) There was no NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) no warning, no nothing. Why it was closed down, well Dealy always hated Meigs Field, he wanted to tear down the field and put up a casino or something like that. Hell a incoming flight was diverted while Daley pulled this little stunt of his.

Court battles ensued, but since Meigs Field was owned by the City of Chicago and not a federal airport, at the end Daley did have legal rights to do what he did. However, he was fined for not putting out a NOTAM about thirty days before the closing of the airport.

The city pay the $33,000 fine as well as repay $1 million that was supposed to be used to improve the airport, but instead was used to make the park.

The reason Daley did this, well his official reason was that terrorist could use the airport to attack downtown Chicago. Ahh gotta love the fear-mongering.

After another incident involving a C-150 and Washington's DC no fly zone, pilots started making this bumper sticker.

http://www.grouchyoldcripple.com/archives/Cessna.BMP

It's amazing how many people are scare of a single engine 4 seat aircraft....

A blatant act of assholery then. Gotcha.
Dakini
13-03-2009, 04:17
I'm sad. Willis tower just doesn't sound the same.

Thoughts?

This is almost as bad as when Rogers bought the Sky Dome and started referring to it as the "Rogers Centre". Fuck that.