City of Chicago Doing It's Part on Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Ironwork

Good news for Louis Sullivan fans, and for that matter, anyone who likes special architecture. Chicago is ready to come up with almost $10 million in the form of a subsidy to restore the ironwork at 1 South State Street, the former Carson Pirie Scott department store. The ironwork covers the lower two floors

"The ironwork is widely considered a Louis Sullivan masterpiece...and is in extremely poor condition," said a Planning Department manager.

The building will now be known as the Sullivan Center. This is epecially good news since three Sullivan-designed buildings were lost in the last year. The million square foot, block-long building was purchased by developer Joseph Freed in 2001 for $19 million. Carsons moved out this past March. A big chunk of it was provided by Chicago, $13.5 million, of which $5.5 was to offset repairing the terra cotta and rebuilding the cornices. Nothing was slated for the ironwork, however.

Chicago Tribune, September 2nd, "Restoring a Jewel" by Jeannette Almada.

Keep on Down That Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog