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Sears Tower will now be called "Willis Tower" after a British company who occupies a large portion of the building.
Just like Winterhurst, many of our nation's and cities' landmark buildings and institutions are selling out to the highest bidder. Many, if not most, were built and funded by the taxpayer and belong to "us." But are we so desperate for a buck that that we're willing to obliterate what we worked for?
If its such a great idea, why don't we offer naming rights to our schools? They need money, right? I can see it now, Enzyte Academy for Underachievers or Budweiser High.
How do we justify the prostitution of our national and local treasures?
as a former manager of Winterhurst Ice Rink, I commend your spirit. I was hired there at age 15 while the REC was still running the operation. When the City took things over in 1997, I was kept on despite my age and promoted to Assistant Manager. In 2000, I was brought on to the management team, and worked until late 2003.
In that time, we hosted many events, with the most publisized being the Nationals in 2000. That year, Winterhusrt set records for attendance for PRACTICE sessions and minor judged events. The City and our entire team at Winterhusrt took many pains-taking leaps to make this event one for the record books.
I left the rink for greener pastures, that never proved to be even brown by most standards.
But even after our shining moment, and with the hard fought efforts of Mr. Tom Rados, Tim Stark and Bill Needham, then rink was still an afterthought for the City. And this is not to be a slam on the City.
It was just not a venture the City was interested in taking on.
I applaud the new rink management for taking the risk into boosting the appearance and accesibilty of the building. Their group may have the funding and backers to make the building and facility more manageable than the City would have ever offered.
And in this time, dollars and cents make the decisions. And the City made the right choice. The City receives a flat fee plus a percentage of proftis. This was far better than taking a loss into an instituition that has been around since my parents were not even dating. And also an intstitution that the City had no plans to invest in.
As for the sale of the name, at least they kept the origianl name and logo. I still have my hat from Skate with Santa from when I was 5. And I cherish every memory I have from my first skating lesson, until I was there for my final couples' skate when I was 30.
From being on the inside for many years, and it pains me to see those that poured their hearts and souls into to th rink for more than 25 years as Bill Needham and Tim Stark had, I truly feel that this was best for the institution. But not for those whose blood sweat and tears had gone for so long. But for the community.
I will forever be a 'rink rat', and I know that those metntioned above will be the legacy of Winterhurst Ice Rink. Once the largest continuous ice rink in North America.
As for National Treasures, Wrigley Field will always bee there. Despite the lack of chewing gum. The Sears Tower will always be there whether Sears/Kenmore and Robuck part ways. Forget the official name, these will always be the originals. Place a placard anywhere, and we will remember the rtue names.
Grace O'Malley wrote:If its such a great idea, why don't we offer naming rights to our schools? They need money, right? I can see it now, Enzyte Academy for Underachievers or Budweiser High.
Businesses buy and sell the naming rights of buildings all the time, especially for sports venues. I can't get used to calling where the Indians play the "prog".
The schools do need money. Why can't the naming rights to the football field and baseball field be sold? Maybe even the naming rights to Lakewood Civic Auditorium? Stick with these as I don't believe naming rights to the schools themselves should be sold.
I was going to sue her for defamation of character but then I realized I had no character – Charles Barkley
Great post. However, it's definitely a stretch to describe the pasture for which you left Winterhurst as 'greener'. While it might be green in the environmental sense, its actual color is much closer to brown or even gray
Grace, while I agree with most of what you're saying, the Sears Tower is probably a bad example since it was constructed by Sears, Roebuck to be their headquarters. I don't believe it was taxpayer funded; therefore I don't feel it belongs to 'us'. If Sears employees are no longer the primary occupants, does it make sense for the Sears name to still be on the building? Seems to me that the primary occupant should be able to name it if they so choose.
Anyway, like Pat said, what's most important is the structure itself, not what people choose to call it. And I think it might be stretching a bit to claim that the renaming of Sears Tower and Winterhurst are steps toward having a high school named after the alleged King of Beers....
And dont forget that naming rights have nothing to do with the actual ownership of the building.
The "National City" tower downtown was owned by someone else almost from the day it opened.
I dont want "Budweiser Lakewood High School" but whats so bad about the "PNC Lakewood Civic Auditorium" if it saves me some tax $$??
I don't think it will stick with Chicagoans. Look at how well the Macy's change went - or didn't. That said, money talks though and it's better to have a renamed building with tenants than an empty landmark.
They are also talking about recladding it so it is no longer black. Can you imagine the glare on a (rare) sunny day from a silver Sears, ehem, Willis, tower?
By greener pastures I meant the National Sales Manager position I took. Then I went on to grayish brown partures. The solution to pollution is dillution.
And who knows how long Sears will be around...they could merge with another retailer anyway....as many department stores have...can we rename the building that used to be Bailey's Department Store back again?
Sears has been owned by Kmart for several years now. Some financial analysts think that the only value remaining in that operation is the real estate.
A walk through the Great Northern Sears is a real, live, dead (as Ghoulardi used to say) zombie experience.
