The Centennial Sears Tower
Chicago, February 10, 2006 — The First Sears Tower (www.TheFirstTower.com) of Chicago is now 100 years old. This tower predates the more renowned Sears Tower by 67 years. The Tower has many other names including “Vintage,” “Original,” “Old” and “Homan Square” Tower. The structure is a 14-story building (225 ft. tall) ranking as the oldest skyscraper in the metropolitan area standing outside of downtown Chicago. The property is located in the heart of the City’s Westside (less than 10 minutes west of the Loop) and is part of the historic Sears Catalog Plant District.
The Tower is famous for numerous reasons. This building served as the show piece of Sears Roebuck’s Catalog Plant. On top, an observation deck and office complex were constructed in 1906. WLS radio was born here in 1925. The structure was attached to the largest commercial building of the time – the Merchandise Building totaling over 3,000,000 ft.².
Arguably, the Tower was the most well-known commercial structure during the first two decades of the 20th Century. It was prominently featured in most of Sears Catalogs, postcards and product labels, reaching about half of America’s households. Celebrities visiting the facilities included Henry Ford, Gene Audrey, Charles Lindbergh, The King of Sweden and others. More recently, the Tower served as a movie set for the film “Stranger than Fiction” featuring British actress Emma Thompson.
The Tower is the focal point of a national (and local) landmark district with rich real estate history and tradition. In fact, this community, now known as Homan Square, serves as an inspiration to the Real Estate Capital Institute whose founder is a former Sears employee. The various people and events associated with the Complex during the past century touched many sectors of real estate – and consequently the capital markets. Far-reaching accomplishments include retail, office, industrial and mixed-use development, architecture, urban planning, merchandising, demographic research, site selection, affordable housing, creative finance and investment, historic preservation, philanthropy and education.
In addition to moving into the area (and eventually the Tower), the Institute is sponsoring the historic Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog Plant museum. The museum will be housed in the Tower. The Institute already donated a collection of rare artifacts including catalogs, postcards, promotional items and various other merchandise.
According to Nat Zvislo, research director of the Institute, this highly identifiable structure is the “the beacon of the Westside.” Adding, “We are very proud to be associated with such a property.”
For learn more about the First Sears Tower, please contact the Institute at director@reci.com or call 800-994-7324.