On this date in 1971, the Sears Tower opened, the tallest building in the world. more ›

Notre Dame researchers want to turn your house into a power plant. Their vision for producing electricity is a bit different than the coal plants already in the City...it involves some very high-tech paint... more ›

This artist uses everyday household materials to create models of large, important architectural landmarks. more ›

The owners of Willis Tower have hired two brokerages to market the nation's tallest skyscraper in the search for an investor or an outright sale of the building. more ›

Police took an unnamed 60-year-old man into custody in connection to a threat he allegedly made against the Tower Formerly Known as Sears. more ›

Former President George W. Bush, in town to promote his book Decision Points, said that Sears Tower was "a genuine target" of terrorists on September 11, 2001 and praised Mayor Daley for his response in evacuating downtown the day of the attacks. more ›

Yes, it’s the 25th anniversary of the Bears’ 1985 Superbowl victory. And yes, that might have been the greatest team in NFL history. And, sure, while this is a Bears town, football glory has all but disappeared since Walter, the Fridge, Samurai Mike and the Punky QB left the stage. But really, why the breathless anticipation every time two of these geezers are in a room together? Can’t this city move on? more ›

The Sears tower was the tallest building in the world until 1997. But it was still the tallest building in the Western hemisphere since its completion in 1973. However, New York will once again take the title when it completes the new World Trade Center in 2013. But nobody can take away our title of having the first skyscraper climber. more ›

• Two members of the Liberty City 7 - the group accused of plotting to bomb the Sears Tower - were sentenced today. Burson Augustin was sentenced to six years while Rotschild Augustine was sentenced to seven years. Sentencing for the other three men who were found guilty (two were acquitted) will occur tomorrow and Friday.
• The case against two area men arrested for plotting terror attacks overseas has grown as authorities investigate allegations that they may have been involved with last years terror attacks in Mumbai.
• Buffalo Grove trustee Lisa Stone will get to learn the identity of internet commenter Hipcheck16 at a December 18 hearing.

Whether or not you still have sore feelings about one of Chicago's most recognizable landmarks being renamed by the Brits, there is at least one good thing coming from the switch: the building will receive an upwards of $300 million green makeover. more ›

After a weekend of watching music's future at Pitchfork (and remember when we talked to P4k's Chris Kaskie about the festival back in March?) , this week's entry to the Chicagoist Podcast series takes a bit of a look backwards. more ›

Not one to miss an opportunity to pander to publicity, Mayor Daley had some choice words for the media at the naming ceremony for the newly-minted Willis Tower. Asked if he would be calling the iconic skyscraper 'Big Willie', Daley told the press "'Big Willie', Willis Tower, yeah. You know why? Because they stepped up to the plate." The mayor used the comments as a chance to trumpet his glorius transformations in how Chicago works. "There has to be change in government and business," the mayor said. "And you have to realize that change is good." more ›

This morning's ceremony to rename the Sears Tower to its new name - The Willis Tower - has come and gone but the argument over what to call the building will linger for a long time. Still, these pictures don't lie: it finally happened. more ›

American Landmark Properties of Skokie is finally taking steps to recognize an iconic, if lesser-known Chicago personality. That's because today American Landmark Properties has made official the name change of the Sears Tower to the Willis Tower. And Chicagoist couldn't agree more - nearly six years since the death of Chicago busker, musician and artist Wesley Wiliis, he's finally getting his due in the form of a landmark office tower bearing his name. more ›

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: more ›

Last week, the Sears Tower's newest attraction opened to much fanfare: The Ledge. Located in the Tower's 103rd floor Skydeck, the Ledge consists of four retractable boxes (three are currently open and the fourth opens this fall) that stick out on the Tower's west face, allowing visitors to look straight down onto Wacker Drive. All 1,353 feet down. While most of the media got a look at the Ledge last week, Fellow Chicagoist staffer Prescott and I waited out the holiday and paid a visit yesterday when Skydeck General Manager Randy Stancik guided us through the new attraction. more ›

This morning, Prescott and I paid a visit to the Sears Tower to check out the new Ledges observation boxes and talk to officials about the new attraction. We'll have our full report and gallery up tomorrow, but the Ledges have made news outside the city with coverage from various national press outlets such as the New York Times (here) and the Associated Press (here). Check out those stories and check back tomorrow for our feature. more ›

The Sears Tower will receive a $350 million face lift over the next five years to reduce its energy consumption by 80 percent. The building will also receive a new neighbor--an environmentally friendly 50-story luxury hotel, located at Jackson and Wacker. The initiative could create 3,600 new jobs and Sears Tower could become the tallest building to receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. more ›

In an interview with the Tribune Monday, the chairman and chief executive officer of Willis Group Holdings Ltd., Joe Plumeri, said there were a few things he wishes he’d done differently to ease the upcoming name change of the Sears Tower. Among them was downplaying the “Britishness” of his 181-year-old, London-based company. Plumeri, who was born, raised and now resides in New Jersey, said he spends as much time running Willis from its New York offices as he does from London. more ›

• The Sears Tower is opening four glass-bottomed skydecks in June. We are both terrified and intrigued by this.
• The Chi-Town Daily News has a report on the shenanigans going on over at the CHA.
• Three teamsters from Teamsters Local 743 were convicted today on charges of rigging two 2004 elections.

Google recently announced new capabilities for Google Earth that will change the way you look at Chicago. Michael T. Jones, chief technology advocate for Google, was in town this week so we sat down with him to check out some of the new tricks they created, and what Chicagoans can look for now. Besides roving the land, you can now also cruise water, space, and even time. more ›

In case you didn't notice, the Chicago skyline has been showing its Irish pride like everyone else by wearing its finest green outfits. Every few weeks a few brave individuals travel to the tops of the city to change the colors of the lights on the tops of our skyline, but how do they do it? "Magic and pixie dust," he said. Of course, Randy Stancik, building manager of the Sears Tower, was joking. It is actually a manual process, Stancik said. It takes two men about two hours to change the colors, attaching theatrical gels to the tops of the 22 spotlights that illuminate the antennae. more ›

Yesterday, WBEZ's blog held a photoshop contest to celebrate the Sears Tower's name change to the Willis Tower. The winner? A video! This mash-up comes from Connor Kalista more ›

We're having flashbacks to when Marshall Field's became Macy's or when Comiskey Park became U.S. Cellular Field. Forget about that proposed paint job. The Sears Tower, currently the tallest building in the U.S, is due to be renamed Willis Tower. London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd. is about to become the tower's largest tenant, taking over 140,000 square feet of space. And that means bragging rights. “Having our name associated with Chicago’s most iconic structure underscores our commitment to this great city, and recognizes Chicago’s importance as a major financial hub and international business center,” said Joseph J. Plumeri, the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. They'll have about 500 employees working in the building when the move is complete. more ›

Could one of Chicago's most famous landmarks be getting a new wardrobe? The owners of the Sears Tower, which has soared over the city's skyline since 1973, have proposed a silver paint job for the iconic black tower. So why is silver suddenly the new black? Is the Sears Tower jealous of the attention the glimmering Trump Tower demands on account of the way it reflects the sun's rays? more ›

A group of men labeled the "Liberty City Six" began their third trial today on four terrorism-related charges including scheming to blow up the Sears Tower; two previous trials have ended in mistrials when the juries couldn't reach a verdict. Ana Jhones, defense attorney for one of the men - Narseal Batiste-, claims it was a set-up by FBI informants who were manipulating the six men for money. Batiste testified at one the earlier trials that he never intended to act on any threat and was simply playing along with the informant in hopes of receiving up to $50,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Arango countered, "What's relevant is their intention - what they wanted to do...They all agreed to sell out their country for money," Arango said. "The fact that they did so for the mighty U.S. dollar is no excuse." more ›

Photo by DR000
• Sweet Lou's not the only one to get baseball honors this week. White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano were both received Silver Slugger awards today.
• Some more details have been released in the super creepy case of the Evanston woman living with her 3 dead siblings.
• John Kass takes a look at a smarty pants 12-year-old in Oak Park who decided to do a social experiment by wearing a pro-McCain shirt to school one day, and a pro-Obama shirt the next. Guess which shirt went over better.

Construction of the Chicago Spire’s foundation is well underway, as can be seen in a photo the Tribune published today. The 2,000-foot condominium tower will be anchored in a circular concrete hole, 110 feet across and 76 feet deep. Though construction of the actual building is to begin in the middle of next year, interestingly the Spire’s developer, Garrett Kelleher of Shelbourne Development, has yet to hire a contractor to build the thing. This continues to fuel the buzz of skeptics, who are not convinced the Spire will ever actually come to fruition. more ›

Did the president of Medill use made-up quotes in a newsletter? We...barely care. What really bugs us is journalists citing the existence of Facebook group as some kind of indicator of anything--"students and alumni joined the new 'Save Journalism at Medill' group on Facebook. On Tuesday afternoon, there were nearly 90 members ...." There are 650 fulltime students at Medill. Fewer than 90 of them . Agh, not news. [Trib] more ›

Mark your calendars: For one hour on March 29th, Chicago will be in the dark. The City of Chicago and COM ED are asking businesses and residents to turn off their lights and unplug all electrical devices between 8 and 9pm on Saturday, March 29th to participate in Earth Hour, a global initiative organized by the World Wildlife Fund in which cities and communities turn out their lights to symbolize their commitment to finding climate change solutions. more ›