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The day many have dreaded - and even more have dismissed - will finally arrive tomorrow. The Sears Tower will cease to be and instead, in a ceremony, the building - the tallest in the U.S. of A. - will become The Willis Tower officially. Last week, while Prescott and I were teetering over The Ledge, reader Melody - who works in the Tower - sent us an email saying:
The changeover is continuing slowly but surely. First the Sears, Roebuck & Co. chisled marble disappeared (replaced with just plain marble). And now the elevator that takes you to and from the Sky Deck thanks you for visiting the "Willis Tower." This met with groans and then a full chorus of boo's (and one "Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?") this morning from the tenents - who were there because the building opened up the skydeck (and the new ledges) to tenants for free.
The building has been named the Sears Tower since its opening in 1973 even though Sears & Roebuck hasn't been a tenant since 1992. The new name is, as you'll recall, in honor of the London-based real estate firm that is the new landlord of the city's tentpole. The Tower will also soon be undergoing a new greening initiative as well as the construction of a new 50-story hotel.
So what say you, Readers? Do you fall in the "How Dare They!" camp or the "Who Cares?" group?
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I invite all my fellow readers to reject the name Willis Tower, keep on promoting Sears Tower to all your out-of-town friends !!!
Whatever they call it, people will still call it the Sears Tower. I'm sure in another 5-10 years someone else will buy it and they will change the name again. It will still be the Sears tower then to.
To me, this is as absurd as trying to rename Lake Michigan.
Sears moved out to Hoffman Estates a long time ago. Willis is adding jobs downtown. Sorry, no tears from me. The name should have been changed a long time ago.
Oh please. When's the last time John Hancock Insurance had any connection to that other big Chicago building? How long has it been since Wrigley owned that little ballpark on the north side? Some names outlive their origins. Sears Tower is one of them.
First of all we're talking about Sears ONLY. I was clarifying for another poster that not only does Sears have a history here, they probably employ more people in the city of Chicago than the Willis company does. If they want to change the name, fine. But to act like there's no real reason for people to feel some connection to the name is silly. So expect to hear tower referred to as Sears for quite some time.
They aren't adding that many jobs; it appears to be mostly people transferring here. Sorry.
Big Willie!
Big Willie on Wacker....this name has so much potential.
I will always think of it as "the Serious Tower" - what my nephew called it when he was about 6.
Willis is adding jobs downtown. Sorry, no tears from me.
Sears will probably continue to add more jobs in Chicago than Willis probably ever will. They've still got stores all over the place, including right in the middle of downtown.
Besides, what does where they're headquarters have to do with it? Where is Willis' headquarters? Oh, yeah, that's right
Meh. Chicago is over, anyway. I still say Comiskey Park...and I've never been there.
So, they're swapping out one corporate name for another? Who cares!
I think Willis is just a big new tenant, not the landlord, right?
And they're not even that big a tenant. They're taking a couple of floors. That's all. The owner threw in naming rights because they were desperate to lease space during the economic downturn.
Come on people, the "Sears" name has long come to represent mediocrity, rip offs (see their history of class action suits:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/sears_tire_fraud.htm)
and failure. So good riddance.
The Sears Centre - ditto:
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/streamwood-il/T3DBOBI6DT7R6E7HI
I am going to imagine that the new name is in memory of the late Chicago artist/singer Wesley Willis.
Wesley Willis FTW!!
I would rather that this proud landmark have tenants than a name steeped in a 30-40 year tradition.
I think the name change is completely absurd, and I intend to continue calling it the Sears Tower as long as I live.
I might feel somewhat like FlockThere had this come in a different manner ... say, a new owner wanted to give the building its own name or somesuch. But Willis isn't even the largest tenant in the building, not by a long shot, nor is Willis bringing that many jobs to the structure. In the end, Willis is leasing a mere 3 percent of the building for a bargain basement price. The building's owners gave away the name far too cheaply, I believe, and in the end it's going to cost them. I wonder, for instance, what a much larger tenant like Ernst & Young or Bank of America must think.
The name isn't merely a 36-year-old tradition. It's a mark of prestige for companies that want to make a statement about their locations. A powerful company will locate in the Sears Tower, once the tallest building in the world, because it means something in the public's eye. But nobody's ever heard of the Willis Tower, and there's no reason to locate there.
The building was commissioned as the Sears Tower, so the name should remain the Sears Tower. I still call US Cellular Comiskey in casual conversation and have to correct myself. It's just habit.
First of all Willis Holdings is not the landlord, they are merely a tenant. Second of all they are only leasing 3% of the entire 110 floor building -- not even distinguishing them as the largest tenant. Third of all, they sought a $3.5 MILLION subsidy from the City of Chicago because they can't even afford to build-out the mere three floors they'll be occupying. For people that say it's all about money, it sure is: The taxpayer kind.
This is Chicago. We school out-of-towners to call Sox Field 'Sox Field' or 'New Comiskey'. Corporate rebranding or not, the name 'Sears Tower' is part of our history. It's been a source of pride and frustration since it was built. It's our landmark and something that is as iconic to the city as the lakeshore. It hurts the city to have something so steadfast and memorable stripped away because it will make a company feel better.
Chicagoans have pride in their home. It's not a safe city or a nice city all the time, but it's our home, and what bothers isn't that the name is changing; it's about not having a choice in the matter. It's about being told that something important to our cultural identity isn't important because it doesn't bring in money.
Sears Tower 4 Life!
Come on people, the "Sears" name has long come to represent mediocrity, rip offs
So has Wrigley Field. Can't wait until we re-name it Ricketts Park.