Marina Towers Residents Don't Want Dick's

By Margaret Lyons in News on Apr 14, 2008 8:00PM

Should Marina Towers be a landmark? That's one of the questions on the table now that the once nearly bankrupt iconic apartment buildings are back in the black. Another question: Is Dick's Last Resort really going to open in the base of one of the corncobs?

Dick's Last Resort is a chain of cheesy bars the Trib calls "in-your-face," and which identifies itself as "outrageous." Eh, it's a jerk-themed Bennigans, but more stupid. Anyway, about 100 residents of the Towers don't want Dick's downstairs and don't want the restaurant to move forward with its construction.

Homeowners are especially aghast at Dick's plans to build folding garage-style doors along the riverfront for open-air seating.

The controversy has [Alderman Brendan] Reilly, some condominium owners and preservationists talking about taking steps to have the Marina City complex designated as landmark.

Among other restrictions, that would make it more difficult for anyone to substantially change the facade. That process could be complicated, though, by an agreement in 2003 by the condominium association with commercial developers not to seek or support landmark status.

According to Dick's website, the restaurant will be "[m]oving the [m]ayhem to Marina City" this spring, which...is now, right? And you know they're kooky cause their website uses Comic Sans. Cuh-raaaaay-zee! [Trib, photo by Joshua Mellin]