Quote:
Originally Posted by CarlosV
what happened to this tower???
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As was mentioned, Lee Plaza was abandoned in the 1990s. Its last use was as a senior citizens residence. It was built in 1929 to the design of Charles Nobel (he also designed Kean Apartments of which I had also included a picture). It was a luxury hotel at first and then it became a long term residence hotel/apartments.
Photo credit:
Me / Flickr
Despite the building being listed on the National Register of Historic places, nothing was done to protect it after the building was closed. Sometime in the early 2000s, the scrappers moved in and removed everything of value. One infamous theft was the removal of 6 terra-cotta lion heads that were installed in a Chicago condo complex that ironically won a preservation award! The pillaging of Lee Plaza climaxed with the theft of the copper roof cladding in 2006. Now just the steel and masonry shell is left.