Oct. 16--After hearing mostly voices of support Friday to designate Chicago's riverfront Marina City complex as a landmark, a city panel is expected to make a formal recommendation to the City Council next month.
"Many Chicagoans and visitors assume Marina City is landmarked. It is now time to make that distinction official," said Bonnie McDonald, president of Landmarks Illinois, as she addressed the Commission on Chicago Landmarks during a public hearing. The commission is slated to vote Nov. 5 on its final recommendation to the City Council on whether the complex, known for its two corncob towers on the river's edge, should be granted landmark status. The council would then have the final say.
There has yet to be strong opposition to a possible designation, although an attorney representing all commercial property owners within Marina City -- except for the House of Blues -- appeared Friday before the commission, expressing a neutral position.
Mariah DiGrino said the owners remain neutral as they continue to study how landmark status would affect them.
House of Blues owners do not object to landmark designation, according to Ald. Brendan Reilly, who initiated the landmarking process. House of Blues representatives could not be reached for comment Friday morning.
Although the Marina Towers Condo Association, which represents owners of the complex's nearly 900 apartments, also has pledged neutrality, preservationists say residents are largely in favor of the concept.
A 2008 Landmarks Illinois survey found most residents want landmark designation, McDonald said, in part because that status would provide financial incentives for capital improvements. If Marina City is designated a landmark, funds through the city's Adopt a Landmark program would be available.
In July, Marina City received a preliminary landmark designation, kicking off the official approval process. The commission said the complex, made up of five structures at 300 -- 340 N. State St. and 301 -- 351 N. Dearborn St., meets five of the seven criteria for Chicago landmarks.
The complex was constructed in the 1960s as a way to lure more residents downtown during an exodus to the suburbs, and it is responsible for a revitalization of the area and the riverfront, according to preservationists. At the time, it was dubbed a "city within a city," because of its amenities. It's also hailed for its architectural design by Bertrand Goldberg, representing the expressionist style.
McDonald, whose group has pushed for Marina City as a landmark since 1990, pointed out its towers are some of the most photographed buildings in the city, and are among the most recognizable parts of the Chicago skyline.
"Marina City was revolutionary in its design," said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, who also addressed the commission Friday. He credits Marina City for the "spark" it gave the River North area to become the destination it is today. The complex "transformed and integrated the waterway," he said. "Marina City showed what could be possible."
kthayer@tribpub.com
