![]() ![]() MIKE HUDGEN(ph): It's a - you know, it's always going to be the Sears Tower, you know. ![]() But for Chicagoans outside of the Willis Tower, the new name is hard to swallow. SCHAPER: Bringing new jobs downtown, says the mayor. You know why, because they stepped up to the plate. Mayor RICHARD DALEY (Chicago, Illinois): Big Willy, Willis, yeah, Tower, yes. SCHAPER: For his part, Mayor Daley doesn't mind changing the name of the Sears Tower for a British company. And I said on TV yesterday, call it the Big Willy for all I care. JOSEPH PLUMERI (President and CEO, Willis Groups): You know, you can call it anything you want. So, New Jersey born and bred Joe Plumeri, Willis Group's president and CEO, says he knows it might be hard for Chicagoans to call the Sears Tower they grew up with, the Willis tower. Cellular Field," preferring simply The Cell. And many White Sox fans still refuse to call the former Comiskey Park "U.S. They picketed outside the historic Marshall Fields Department Store on State Street when it became Macy's. Chicagoans haven't been too kind to other corporate renamings. Willis Group Holdings, a London based insurance company, bought the naming right as part of its lease in the giant office tower. NPR's David Schaper reports on the renaming of the tallest building in North America.ĭAVID SCHAPER: Chicago Mayor Richard Daley joined Willis Group corporate officials in pulling a black covering off the giant Willis Towers sign in the lobby of this iconic 110-story skyscraper. And it's already acquired a nickname: the Big Willy. Allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours, including wait time.In Chicago, the tower formerly known as Sears is now known as Willis Tower, that officially begins today. The cafe on your way out sells Chicago-centric snacks-hot dogs and deep dish pizza-and if you want to take a piece of Willis home with you, pick up a Willis Tower Legos kit from the gift shop it’s the shop’s most popular item. In the winter, you can zip up to the top without much of a wait, but in the summer, budget a half hour to 45 minutes in line, or purchase the pricey “Fast Pass” and skip the wait. Sears actually sold the building and moved out in the late '80s, but the name remained until 2009, when global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, the building’s largest tenant, acquired the naming rights and the skyscraper became Willis Tower (many Chicagoans still insist on calling it Sears). When it opened in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, although it’s since been surpassed in height multiple times (the Burj Khalifa in Dubai holds the current record). You’ll also get a brief Chicago history lesson from a 9-minute movie, which talks about the building of the tower for Sears in 1970. Zoom above Wrigley Field and Millennium Park to see just how tall you really are, and measure yourself to determine how many of you, stacked, would reach the top of the tower. In addition to 50 miles of views on a clear day (you can see four states: Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois), you’ll also get to engage with fun, kid-friendly interactive displays that show you, comparatively, what other Chicago landmarks look like from 1,353 flights up. That’s the reason 1.5 million people visit this very spot every year, posing for a souvenir photo while floating above the Windy City. and the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, vehicles look like Matchbox cars and the skyline of Chicago looks miniature. From your vantage point on the tallest observation deck in the U.S. It takes a slightly wobbly 60-second elevator ride to get to the 103rd-floor Skydeck, which actually consists of a series of 4-foot-long, 1.5-inch-thick glass ledges that place you, hovering, 1,353 feet above the city. ![]() Before the Ledge opened at the Skydeck at Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) a few years ago, people were faced with a difficult choice for the best views: Willis or Hancock? Now, there’s really no competition. ![]()
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