Friday, August 28, 2009
Main Post Office Auctioned, Future Still Unclear
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friends of the Chicago Portage invite you to discover the hidden places where Chicago was born.
If you are interested in learning and visiting the places where Chicago was born, you should take the Discovery of Chicago Bus Tour. The tour will be held on Saturday, September 19th and will begin at 10 am at Portage Woods Forest Preserve in Lyons, IL. Following the historic Portage Creek, the tour visit the places where Joliet and Marquette took their boats out of Mud Lake and then continues downtown to visit the Centennial Fountain's symbolic portrayal of the Chicago Portage. The tour will then stop near the location of the first trading post in Chicago....get as close as the public can get to the site of DuSable & Kinzie's cabin.
After a lunch break near historic Wolf Point and the "The Forks", the tour will follow the development of Chicago at the site of the orginal terminus of the I&M Canal before returning to Portage Woods Forest Preserve. The tour will conclude before 3:00 P.M.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Final Race to Chicago 2016
We now have less than 37 days until the decision will be made on the 2016 Olympic bid. Whether one is against or for the Olympics in Chicago, most people can agree that if the city secures the bid then the city’s neighborhoods have the opportunity to flourish. More specifically, the city will develop innovative and sustainable buildings and recreational space. If Chicago secures the bid, it will be highly likely that construction will restart on the Spire and that the city will reinstate the auction of Chicago Main post office. I’m looking forward to Chicago winning the Olympic bid, because it will inspire Chicagoans to continue to make this city into a world-class city.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Chicago River's Transforming Ecology
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
Chicago, the Beautiful
A lot has changed in Chicago since 1948, but for the most part Chicago architecture has remained untouchable. Although, the city’s skyline is full of modern high-rises and several building names have changed, Chicago remains picturesque and breathtaking as it was in 1948.
This classic video produced by legendary documentary filmmaker, James A. Fitzpatrick highlights the architecture wonders post WWII: the Wrigley building, Field Museum, Soldier Field, Tribune building, the Stevens Hotel (renamed as the Hilton), Civic Opera, and Merchandise Mart just to name a few. Additionally, the video highlights comprehensive mass transportation, boats on the Chicago River and the railway system.
In a time period, when people were not able to travel as efficient and rapidly as today, Fitzpatrick was able to bring the modern majectic city to cinemas all over the United States. Chicago, the Beautiful is a great record of our city’s architectural history.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
One World Trade Center
Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP is designing the tower. Construction began in 2006 and is not expected to be completed until 2018. The tower will have over 2.6 million square feet of office space, retail, on observation deck, parking, and access PATH and subway trains. Here’s an animation video of the expected tower and Memorial site.
Monday, August 17, 2009
2009 US Hall of Fame Inductees Mural in Millennium Park
Last week, the US Olympic Committee unveiled a mural of the 2009 US Hall of Fame inductees in Millennium Park. The three-dimensional mural was designed by chalk artist, Tracy Lee Stum, who holds the Guinness World Record for the largest chalk painting by individual for her piece, “The Da Vinci Code’ in 2006. The mural depicts the inductees achieving excellence in their respective sports in the Olympics. The mural pays homage to inductees: Clyde Drexler, Michael Johnson, Picabo Street, Teresa Edwards, Willye White, Sarah Will, Andrea Mead-Lawrence, and Mary T. Meagher. Drexler, Edwards, Will, and Meagher viewed and signed the mural.
So who are the inductees?
- Mary T. Meagher won a bronze medal in 1988 Seoul Olympics, but won 1984 Los Angeles in Swimming.
- Teresa Edwards won a bronze medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, but won a gold medal in 1984 Los Angeles, 1988 Seoul, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney Olympics in basketball.
- Clyde Drexler won a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in basketball.
- Sarah Will won 12 gold medals in the Winter Paralympics 1992 – 2002.
- Michael Johnson won a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics in Track & Field.
- Willye White who won a silver medal in 1956 Melbourne and 1964 Tokyo Olympics in Track & Field, went on to win a gold medal in the 1963 Olympics in the Long Jump.
- Andrea Mead-Lawrence won a gold medal in 1952 Oslo Olympics in Alpine Skiing.
- Picabo Street won a silver medal in 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and then won a gold in 1998 Nagano Olympics.


