For Media Inquires, please email info@preservationchicago.org and we will connect you with Ward Miller, Executive Director of Preservation Chicago.

Photo credit: Ward Miller / Preservation Chicago

Restoration or Wrecking Ball?

Chicago’s Early Chicago Skyscrapers are currently being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But the possible demolition of the Century and Consumers Buildings would jeopardize this extraordinary designation and international recognition. 

And just as the historic buildings were on the verge of being beautifully restored, the Feds earmarked $52 million taxpayers dollars to demolish these two outstanding Early Chicago Skyscrapers and replace them with...a permanent fenced security zone with perimeter landscaping, which will become a permanent void in State Street's historic streetwall.

Their claim is that the demolition is required because there is no plan for reuse and that the rear windows endanger the adjacent courthouse security.

But there IS an adaptive reuse plan that addresses the security concerns. It's brilliant, creative, and its stakeholders are highly motivated to move forward.

After two years of planning, the Chicago Collaborative Archives Center's adaptive reuse plan has motivated leadership, support from nearly 20 archives, and interest from financial strong institutions. Detailed plans and architectural drawings were presented at the widely covered press conference on May 18, 2022.

Most importantly, this creative and innovative adaptive reuse plan was specifically designed to meet known security related issues, including bricking up rear windows and limiting access to upper floors. 

Landmark or Landfill?

So after being vacant and mothballed for nearly twenty years, the fate of the historic Century and Consumers Buildings is about to be determined. 

These proud and elegant Chicago School skyscrapers are located on State Street in the vibrant and thriving heart of Chicago’s Loop. The 16-story Century Building was built in 1915 and designed by Holabird and Roche. The 22-story Consumers Building was built in 1913 and designed by Jenney, Mundie & Jensen. Both are on listed on the National Register for Historic Places.

In 2005, the Federal Government took ownership of these buildings through its power of eminent domain with plans to renovate and reuse these buildings. But due to the lack of federal funding, the renovation never happened.

All will be lost if the $52 million dollars of federal funds are used to demolish the Century and Consumers Buildings.

Please sign the petition to Save the Century & Consumers Buildings.

1. We encourage the Illinois Delegation in Washington D.C. including Senator Dick Durbin (202-224-2152), Senator Tammy Duckworth (202-224-2854), and Congressman Danny Davis (202-225-5006) to take urgent action to support this effort.

2. We encourage the City of Chicago to take immediate steps to designate the Century and Consumers Buildings as Chicago Landmarks which would protect them from demolition.

Read more about the threats to the Century & Consumers Buildings at:

Opinion: Saving a pair of State Street buildings would help revitalize downtown, Eleanor Gorski, Op-ed, Crain's Chicago Business, 2/19/24

The federal government wants to demolish 2 historic State Street skyscrapers. Preservationists are mobilizing in opposition; Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 11/13/23 

Endangered State Street towers get unanimous support from city landmarks panel, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 12/7/23

Architects argue for rescuing a pair of imperiled State Street towers, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/13/23

Making the case to restore two historic Chicago skyscrapers, Lisa Dent interview with Ward Miller, WGN Radio 720, 11/14/23

Vox preservare: Landmarks commission hearings are a chance to speak up on saving Century and Consumers buildings; The U.S. General Services Administration and the federal judges pushing for demolition would do well to hear and abide by what could be a flood of testimony next week in favor of saving the buildings, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 11/8/23

Don't demolish historic State Street towers, residents tell Feds, Corli Jay, Crain's Chicago Business, 9/12/23

Feds’ report leans slightly toward saving endangered State Street towers, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 9/12/23

Preservationists push for restoring State Street towers; Federal agency soliciting feedback on draft environmental report, Rachel Herzog, The Real Deal, 10/3/23

Century & Consumers Buildings, 202-220 S. State St. Federal Properties GSA Reports and Documents

Preservationists notch a victory in campaign to save State Street buildings, Alby Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 5/13/23  

City landmarks panel backs preservation of State Street towers; The decision by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks goes to the City Council for final action is not binding on the federal government, which owns the properties. But it could generate support for preserving the early 20th century towers, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/13/23

Preliminary landmark designation approved for Century & Consumers Buildings; Don’t get too excited, the feds could ultimately still tear them down, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 4/14/23

Feds begin demolition of three-story State Street building between historic skyscrapers that could be next, Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 4/19/23

Fight the power: City must move quickly on landmark status for fed-owned Loop skyscrapers; A preliminary designation hopefully would force the Century and Consumers buildings to be redeveloped rather than demolished. Chicago Sun-Times Editorial, 4/11/23

City panel revives landmark proposal for State Street towers, Alby Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 4/10/23

Landmarks panel to consider recognition of 202 and 220 S. State buildings; Action by the city to preserve two unoccupied Loop towers could make it harder for the federal government, which owns the buildings, to tear them down as it wants, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/10/23

Federal Government Plans to Demolish Century-Old Building Next to Threatened Historic Skyscrapers, Nick Blumberg, WTTW Chicago, 4/6/23

Federal agency to raze three-story building on State Street; The more than century-old structure is between two taller buildings that preservationists are fighting to save. The General Services Administration said the smaller building has a facade that could collapse, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/6/23

Demolition of building located between historic skyscrapers scheduled to start in the Loop next week, Adam Harrington, CBS Chicago 4/6/23

Feds plan demolition between historic State Street skyscrapers, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 4/5/23

Landmark commission could save State Street towers, Federal government plans to demolish historic buildings for security needs, The Real Deal, 4/11/23

Preservation Chicago Reveals 2023’S Most Endangered Buildings List, Ian Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 4/11/23

State Street sidewalk closed at Adams; feds cite pedestrian danger at buildings it wants to raze; Fences were erected days after Preservation Chicago put the buildings at 202 and 220 S. State St. on its ‘most endangered’ list, calling for efforts to save them, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/4/23

Feds urged not to 'waste' vintage State Street buildings, Four early 20th-century buildings that the federal government wants to demolish should be saved and rehabbed, commenters at a Thursday evening hearing argued, Dennis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 11/10/22

GSA begins public process for Century/Consumers Buildings; The federal agency wants to demolish both towers, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 11/11/22

Landmarks stops short of designation for Century & Consumers Buildings; The GSA will soon begin public hearings on the proposed demolition, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 9/11/22

Downtown’s endangered Century and Consumers buildings deserve landmark status; The city is making the right move by standing up to the feds and formally arguing that the towers are historically and architecturally important, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 9/6/22

Landmarks Commission Kicks the Can on Status of Threatened Century and Consumers Buildings, Patty Wetli, WTTW Chicago, 9/8/22

Commission punts vote tied to demolition plan on State Street; Safety and security concerns leave statuses in limbo, The Read Deal, 9/12/22

Are the endangered Century and Consumer buildings headed toward landmark status? Let’s hope so. It would be a better fate than the federal government’s plan to demolish the structures for a security plaza, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 7/23/22

City landmarks panel backs review of State Street buildings that feds say are security risk; The members act after getting a petition from more than 22,000 people who voiced support for saving the early 20th century structures, setting up a potential show down with the federal government over security concerns for the nearby Dirksen Federal Courthouse, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 7/7/22

Preservationists seek landmark status for State Street buildings; The Commission on Chicago Landmarks has scheduled a presentation on the buildings today after an advocacy group gathered more than 22,000 signatures supporting its plan to protect them from demolition, Alby Gallun, Crain's Chicago Business, 7/7/22

Commission On Chicago Landmarks Passes Resolution To Review Endangered Buildings At 202 And 220 S State Street In The Loop, Jack Crawford, Chicago YIMBY, 7/12/22

Landmarks backs review of Century and Consumer Buildings; The process may lead to a landmarks standoff with the federal government, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 7/10/22

The US Government Wants to Destroy These Towers, Christine Beldon, The B1M, 7/13/22 (with over 1.2 million views)

Groups coalesce around plan to save State Street buildings; The proposal calls for turning them into a shared archive center, but the properties’ owner, the federal government, wants the early 20th century high-rises wrecked, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/18/22

Preservationists push rescue plan for endangered State Street skyscrapers; The feds want to demolish a pair of early 20th-century Loop buildings. But preservation groups say they could be reused instead., Denis Rodkin, Crain's Chicago Business, 5/18/22

Instead Of Demolishing Century And Consumer Buildings, Let Us Turn Them Into A National Archive Center, Preservationists Ask Feds; Preservation groups said the national archive center would meet the security guidelines of the neighboring federal courthouse while serving as a major hub for archive-based research, Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 5/18/22

Preservationist places faith in plan for State Street buildings; A proposal to revive the buildings adjacent to the federal complex is being developed, with hope that it will satisfy concerns about safety, David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/9/22

The Two Towers, A bizarre federal quest to destroy a pair of historic Chicago skyscrapers, Henry Grabar, Slate, 5/11/22

Why have feds spent millions on vacant Chicago buildings they now want to demolish? Ben Bradley, WGN Chicago, 4/6/22

A federal case: U.S. government shouldn’t wreck two Loop skyscrapers in the name of safety; The buildings’ demolition would create an economic and pedestrian dead zone on State Street. And it would be a shameful waste of some really good Chicago architecture, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/3/22

Flashback: Chicago remains a ‘city of skyscrapers,’ but two early examples may be nearing a date with the wrecking ball, Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 4/14/22

Loop skyscrapers must be demolished to protect safety of Dirksen federal building; I respect the interest in historic preservation. But the Dirksen Courthouse and those who work in it have been targeted before, and security vulnerabilities around the courthouse must be addressed, Sen. Dick Durbin, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/26/22

Wrecking the Century & Consumers buildings is ‘Durbin Renewal,’ not urban safety, Elizabeth Blasius, Chicago Tribune Op-Ed, 4/29/22

Century And Consumers Buildings, Beverly’s Pike House Top List Of Most Endangered Historic Places In Illinois; The feds plans to tear down the historic Loop buildings as part of a $52 million demolition. They've sat vacant for 17 years. "It's completely ridiculous," one Landmarks Illinois preservationist said., Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 4/20/22

What’s that building? The Century and Consumers buildings; The federal government wants to demolish a pair of century-old State Street buildings — a plan preservationists are trying to stop, Dennis Rodkin, WBEZ, 3/31/22

Preservation Chicago 2022 Chicago 7 Most Endangered: The Century and Consumers Buildings

Landmarks Illinois 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, Century & Consumers Buildings, 4/20/22