View Single Post
  #14  
Old Posted Nov 24, 2011, 7:19 PM
Chicago103's Avatar
Chicago103 Chicago103 is offline
Future Mayor of Chicago
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Chicago
Posts: 6,060
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim View Post
I've always wondered about this too. Was there some sort of height restriction in Chicago until the 1960's? Lots of 40 floor buildings, but nothing higher. Even Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit had taller or rivaling buildings.
Yeah the fact that Cleveland's Terminal Tower was taller than anything in Chicago in 1950 is one thing that amazes me the most although if you include all skyscrapers Chicago was even back then had the second tallest skyline after New York City.

As far as the height restrictions in Chicago I have heard various stories that there indeed was, as in it had something to do with the zoning code or a gentleman's agreement to not build higher than the Board of Trade (the statue of Ceres is faceless because it was assumed no one would build higher in Chicago). However I have yet to see an actual city ordinance from those days that spells this out in black and white. Honestly if I lived in Chicago in 1950 as a skyscraper enthusiast it probably wouldn't bother me, I would have been proud to be in the birthplace of the skyscraper and have so many awesome skyscrapers around and have such a kick ass urban fabric, back then the very notion that Chicago would one day have a building taller than the Empire State Building and also the tallest in the world would probably have been viewed as a fanboyish wet dream even though it was only 23 years away, in the meantime 1956 would bring the mental masturbation of Frank Lloyd Wright's mile high tower fantasy, some times I wonder if this planted the seeds in people's minds on a subconscious level that Chicago would really compete with New York City in height.
Reply With Quote