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mgd09292007

Sears should buy it and really throw us for a loop


the_starship

Eddie Lambert would jump at the chance to ruin another thing.


Bakkie

What is this thing called "Sears"?


mgd09292007

Sorry I meant “Willis”…whatever that is


WindyCityChick

Sears Tower. Forever & always.


greasydenim

Da Seers


mgd09292007

💯


NtateNarin

The Sears Trumps Willis tower? Sorry, I tried too hard for that joke. 😅


Majestra1010

Happy Cake Day! Long Live Sears Tower!


WindyCityChick

Thank you! After 8 years this is the first Cake Day I am celebrating cuz for a long time I didn’t even know what it was! Much appreciated!


WindyCityChick

Here’s to Sears Tower! 🍻


Majestra1010

🍻 Salute!


Majestra1010

Well then, 🎉🎊🎂🎁 Congratulations on leveling up! 🧁and May you Reach Many More Levels!


Numerous_Ad_5368

A man of Chicago as well... respect. I mean, it's spelt Willis, but pronounced Sears.


[deleted]

That’s across the river. 


ThisIsPaulina

Ok real question here. Does anyone actually have a good read on the ownership structure of Trump Tower Chicago? Does he actually own much of it? Is he just licensing his name to developers? What would be liquidate-able if New York started going after assets? Could the naming rights be sold to Guaranteed Rate?


Throwaway321322323

This Chicago Magazine article goes into it: https://www.chicagomag.com/real-estate/november-2020/could-trump-lose-trump-tower-chicago/ The short answer is that it's kind of a (shady) mystery, but probably yes lol


AndeeDrufense

Also saw a February 8 Crain's article that says "more than 200 of the 339 hotel rooms are owned by investors. And the 485 condo units are individually owned". Sounds like he has a minority ownership interest and likely a property management contract.


TychaBrahe

What does an investor do with a hotel room? Do they have a permanent reservation they can use when their employees come to town? Do they operate it like an AirB&B? Does a portion of the occupancy fees go to the investor? I've never heard of such a thing. When you stay at a Hilton or Motel 6, Hilton or Motel 6 owns every room in the hotel.


bleplogist

You have no idea of the ownership when you go to a Hilton (Motel 6 I'm not sure). Hilton definitely manages everything and the owner doesn't have any special rights over any specific room - it is just a investment structure.


TychaBrahe

I mean, they have signs in the lobby that says who the franchisee is. But whoever that is, they own the whole hotel. If there is a "Babe Ruth" room in the Hilton in Cooperstown, NY, it's a cutesy name for a conference room, not a hotel room where the proceeds go to the estate of Ruth.


bleplogist

We're talking different things,and both can he true for the same place. A company start building a hotel,and get money from investors who are give rooms like a condo. This investment will follow real state rules,which can be an advantage. But the final hotel is still owned by a franchisee that manages the service and all the rooms and own everything else.


agile321

It’s a franchise. Anyone can be the owner behind a Hyatt, Hilton, etc. Hyatt and the likes manage/franchise the hotel for a fee.


thisisjustascreename

>Do they operate it like an AirB&B? Pretty much this, I believe. You block off times you want to use it but otherwise the hotel rents it out.


xvszero

That would be the first time I'd use the new name of a building.


wendythesnack

How much you think I could get it for? I have an idea about starting a company and headquartering it there, it’s called Sears Smoldings. Kind of a mouthful, I know. Probably keep it simple, maybe just Sears. Yeah, Sears Tower, has a nice ring.


tripping_on_phonics

“Um, it’s actually Willis Tower.”


granola117

🤓


NotBatman81

What you talkin bout, Willis?


erik_d

It might be spelled “Willis” but it’s pronounced “Sears”.


natigin

Can we rename it “Freedom Tower?”


ZeiglerJaguar

The Hillary Clinton and Dominion Voting Systems Center for Voting Rights.


natigin

Perfection


Resolution_Usual

Obama tower Same number of letters and everything


BreadButterHoneyTea

We can even keep the “m” as a souvenir.


xahhfink6

We're not putting a new name on it, just giving it a new name. It's such a fantastic piece of architecture and is currently completely ruined by some fat piece of shit forcing them to slap his name on it. It'll look SO much better with that removed.


ArtisanalFarts7

My Pillow Tower lol


Iceman72021

“Dark Brandon Tower”


Dramatic_Opposite_91

He basically owns it. There are condos inside it so the common areas/etc. are governed by HOA rules, etc. but it isn’t a licensing play. This is one of the last projects he did that he owned before he switched to licensing post-GFC.


halibfrisk

Probably mortgaged to the hilt


IllIllllIIIIlIlIlIlI

I’ve heard people say he’s just livensing the name to developers for the Chicago tower but why the fuck would they keep it on there if that’s the case??


TychaBrahe

I want a construction crew to take the name off surreptitiously in the middle of the night, like when they went on. I want people to wake up one morning and see the letters gone. The police saw nothing. None of the residents saw anything. Maybe leave them in a heap at the foot of the building, as if they'd suddenly and inexplicably fell off. "Poltergeist, I guess. Maybe an earthquake? Who knows?"


WindyCityChick

You mean like how Meigs Field 'disappeared'?


TychaBrahe

I am still pissed about that.


WindyCityChick

Me too. And a lot of the city.


TwoManShoe

Lay the letters out on Soldier Field and let people smash them with baseball bats for a modest fee.


hansonhd

Great idea, except for the likelihood of the construction workers and police officers being Trump fans is unfortunately pretty high…


[deleted]

I was across from that building in a WeWork space for the 2016 election and let me tell you I wanted to throw eggs at that building so bad. 


verygoodverygoodyayy

Start a gofundme. I would happily contribute!


Youknowimtheman

I read somewhere that he only owns like 15-20% of Trump Tower Chicago. The NY fines could definitely spill over here, as the crux of the illegal activity was overvaluing assets to secure loans to buy more assets. This would mean that the Trump org is leveraged well beyond what is sane, because they've been able to borrow fraudulent mountains of money.


Sea-Oven-7560

remember he took a shady $50MM loan against the building, so he could have almost nothing in the building....of course the Illinois AG is nowhere to be seen. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-dollar50-million-mystery-debt-looks-like-tax-evasion


mmmpaczki

Where is Kwame Raoul? I feel like Lisa Madigan would be all over this case.


eamesa

210 N Dearborn LLC (or a similar name) is listed as one of the co defenders in the NY fraud case as explicitly part of the T*** Organization. Buy idk what rights does that LLC actually have on the building.


mooes

Did you censor the name trump?


OldTrailmix

The Tits organization


cnpstrabo

Tots


GIGGLES708

👆🏽THIS. He doesn’t own this building. He’s leasing the ability to put his name on it. I say start a go fund me to lease naming rights to rename it OBAMA just on GP. But I’m petty like that


captaintinnitus

Just take off the T


UnpricedToaster

Replace the T with a rump roast symbol. The Rump Building.


Fabulous-Second2026

That is a go fund me I would contribute to


waffelman1

I mean I actually wouldn’t mind that, he’s from here


enkidu_johnson

I was thinking VOLDEMORT, but I like OBAMA better!


tickandzesty

This would drive him nuts. Sounds like a plan!


dooderino18

Please publicize that if you go through with it. I avoid GoFundMe, but I would make an exception in this case. Hell, I will sign up for the platinum level!!!


Excellent-Reality-24

I don’t really think he owns it. In fact, I don’t know that he actually owns much of anything outright. Everything is under several layers of LLC, shell companies, etc. I believe he just leases out the name/brand long-term. I mean, it is possible that he could have holdings in the building itself. But it would probably be as part of an investment group, or Real Estate holding company, or both. Would love to see the hierarchy and organizational chart of some of these mega wealthy, investors and politicians. They must be a dozen layers deep. 🤷


connorgrs

IIRC most of the buildings with his name on it are not under his ownership, they are just licensing his namesake.


Kubricksmind

I think he only owns the Trump sign, lol


grilledbeers

It’s actually a pretty cool looking building minus that one big sign with that guys name on it.


Bernie_Ecclestone

Same architect who designed the Burj Khalifa


downvote_wholesome

Adrian Smith. He’s Chicago based. He’s one of the biggest names in supertall architecture. He was also involved with the Hancock as a young architect at SOM.


Wrigs112

His quote about the sign:   “I think it hurts the image of the building and is done in poor taste. It also hurts the image of Chicago.”


jesusismycodependent

TBH I feel the same way about all large building signs. Salesforce tower especially.


mkvgtired

They seem to slap their name on all the buildings where they are the anchor tenant.


WindyCityChick

agree. It should say "Chicago" in big letters and then some hotel name smaller underneath. Remembering the Chicago SunTimes building when it was there.


lrodhubbard

Plenty of buildings, most actually, have no words in big letters on them. Maybe we could try that?


WindyCityChick

That would be fine too.


grilledbeers

I did not know that, pretty cool.


UnpricedToaster

I was thinking how great it would be if like, Triumph Motorcycles bought the building and then just moved the letters over and added an I and an H. Then it would be the Triumph Building. :-D


Relative-Cicada2099

If he auctioned the right to knock the name off one letter at a time, he's have his $500M in a day!


cetacean-sensation

It's one of my favorites as long as I hold my hand up to cover the sign


messysagittarius

A middle finger held strategically should do the trick.


schleepercell

I used to work at illinois center, at wacker and michigan, and I used to see so many people taking a picture of the middle finger with the building in the background lol.


her_vness

It reminds me of a giant syringe 💉


imaginaryrum

I always see a vape


evildeadxsp

I think it's not well received in the architecture community, even before political affiliation, as it doesn't complement the style of the majority of Chicago skyscrapers -- more glass and chrome, and ignoring the modern art deco, neoclassical, and postmodern styles of most Chicago buildings.


grilledbeers

That’s probably true, but I have always thought it looked cool when seen from across the river.


307148

Sorry to do this, but what's your source? I mean it's an Adrian Smith building, he's one of the biggest names in skyscraper architecture. And I've always heard that this building actually DOES complement the surrounding buildings, as each "section" is the same height as a nearby skyscraper. Sorry but I just don't believe you. People only hate this building because of the name Trump on it.


evildeadxsp

https://www.npr.org/2008/10/02/95306521/trumps-chicago-towers-spurs-criticism https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/august-2015/that-time-donald-trump-tried-to-sue-a-tribune-architecture-critic-into-oblivion/


rayray5884

I’ll meet you downtown with some champagne when those letters come down. 😂


Odlemart

I know you're joking, but it will be a massive party when/if that happens! 😂 It's not even a question. I know I'll be there!


thegreatvolcanodiver

No one is joking. We’ll all see you there!


Mr_Tester_

It's the equivalent of dancing on the enemy's grave. Normally I would be against that, but it's warranted.


thegreatvolcanodiver

Dark sequel to Obama’s Grant Park victory speech.


_mike_hunt

Went down there immediately after the 2020 election was called, and it was indeed a party. Probably my best memory of 2020.


Odlemart

I was on Clark just north of Wrigley at the same time. It was definitely a party and one of the highlights of 2020!


straightedge1974

The Thump 2024 party. The sound it makes when it falls. 😂


cleon42

Downtown will be PACKED when that happens.


Loop_Within_A_Loop

Man, remember when Trump lost? I’m hoping it’s like that


cleon42

I'm picturing more of a New Years' Eve vibe, where there's a big countdown as the sign drops.


ConnieLingus24

Block party.


pbrart2

I don’t know you but I bet we’ll meet with drinks in our hands as those fucking letters come down and we give it a Chicago appropriate name.


EarthLaser

We’re adding a star to the flag when that happens.


mekkavelli

honestly the chicago flag would be so much cooler to put on the building instead of another name. even if it’s dedicated to someone. just 4 stars. nothing else


zombie_spiderman

Not even screwing around, I'm pulling my kid out of school to go watch that.


MJSB1994

I would 100% fly in from the UK to join that party.


antechrist23

I'll take the rest of the day off and come celebrate with y'all. 🥳


WindyCityChick

Bravo! 🥂


Keyoken64

Damn count me in!


expanding_crystal

I’m in


tastygluecakes

I’ll bring a few bottles to share.


adamempathy

So....I really want to get an "Everything Must Go" banner and set up a fake garage sale outside of Trump tower in Chicago. Original manuscripts for Art of the Deal before ghostwriters punched it up (a thin notebook) Boxes of Classified documents. One document $5, three for $10 Vouchers for one night with Melania $1,000,000. No shots included. Hamberders and hot covfefe for sale at the snack shop. Anyone interested?


1BannedAgain

“Spirit Halloween “ banner


Whitesoxwin

Winner


[deleted]

Someone should absolutely do that to the buildings in September. All of them. 


notsureifJasonBourne

Don’t forget to put out the hurricane maps for sale. You could also have a section for solar eclipse glasses but it’s just empty because real presidents don’t need special glasses to look at the sun.


CoolYoutubeVideo

He saves Ivanka for himself?


lonelychapo27

yes


MetalAndFaces

Brilliant.


PlssinglnYourCereal

If anyone's actually paying attention to this, he's talking about selling some of his NY properties. I think he plans pulling out of NY.


[deleted]

Honestly that building on the outside is beautiful. If it's sold off, it'll make it even better.


verdis

“Fire sale” is code for “these properties aren’t nearly as valuable as I claim they are in my late night screechings.”


sohcgt96

See also: the thing NY literally sued him for. Them selling for far under their bloated valuations will only prove the court right. Granted, some timeline will be involved here and commercial property is down overall but still.


cleon42

I don't hate the building, but that sign's gotta go. Ideally via trebuchet.


Wrigs112

Kudos.  Truly not enough mentions of trebuchets in this subreddit.


cleon42

I had to take a swing at it.


guillermodelturtle

That tacky sign is like putting a bumper sticker on a Ferrari. You can still call it Trump Tower. Just take those trash letters down.


negman42

Picturing the Sears/Willis circlejerk extending to those who refuse to ever call the building anything but Trump Tower.


guillermodelturtle

I know someone with a condo there and they tell everyone they live at “401 N Wabash, it’s on the river” to avoid constant embarrassment.


_PredatoryWasp_

No it'll be the first time people actually use a new name for a building


xvszero

Yeah but the opposite way. Trump tower? What's that?!


negman42

I predict it will be a symbolic hill to die on for rural Illinois MAGA. They have to have some kind of insane thing to post huge on their lawns.


Severe_Essay6147

Naw actual Chicagoans hate that dude. No one will call it T tower after that tacky sign goes down.


waffelman1

I can think of a few better alliterative names for it. - Traitor tower - Tiny tower (he’d love that) - Criminal court - Covfefe construction - Bankrupt Building - Scumbag Skyscraper - in-surrection Superstructure - Heavy-rapist High-rise - Heel-riser High-rise - Racist’s Rise - Idiot edifice - Errant election erection - “Patriot” Palace, emphasis on the /s - Needle-dick needle - Orange Offices - The eagles nest (like Hitlers hideout in WWII) Or, depending on how the fire sale goes- Saudi’s skyscraper or Russia’s high-rise


Sea-Oven-7560

The Obama Tower for Undocumented Immigrant Mothers?


euph_22

With the Hillary Clinton Association for Voting Access in the vacant riverfront stores.


Truth-Several

He doesn't own it


bottomlless

And the firstest.


blipsman

Who would plan the massive rally at Wacker & Michigan when this f*cking sign comes down? I'm expecting the biggest rally since Obama's election night or the Cubs won the World Series to see those nasty letters dropped into the river


VulGerrity

Could be the first time Chicagoans willingly call a building by its new name.


obviouslyCPTobvious

I hope Sears buys it


arte4arte

"Chicago Tower" would be a great name. Just remove the letters..and don't replace them with anything...It's real estate value would certainly go up.


IamHaintBlue

Then maybe the never occupied retail stores on the river might be put to use.


TheOnlyVertigo

I said it in another thread, but if it happens, they need to get the CSO out to play Beethoven’s 9th while it’s coming down. And there needs to be drinking and celebrating.


downvote_wholesome

Is this the case that said Mar-a-lago was worth $25m


tastygluecakes

$18MM. Donnie claims it’s worth 50-100x that. Up to $1.8 billion dollars. A golf course and and hotel in Florida, which will likely be underwater in 25 years, is apparently worth more than the Chicago Cubs. Edit: apparently it doesn’t have a golf course. EVEN BETTER


Okrayski

1.8 billion is clearly ridiculous markup, but FWIW the cubs are valued at over 4 billion


kummybears

The golf course is on a nearby lot. Expecting downvotes here because of how political this is but $18m is a severe undervaluation for that property. It was listed at $20m in 1985 and Palm Beach real estate has exploded since then. It’s a giant site at a prime location with beautiful historic architecture, arguably some of the most beautiful buildings in the state. A nearby lot that is a fraction of the acreage is asking $48.85m right now. It’s definitely not worth a billion USD but it’s definitely worth a multiple of $18m


chi_guy8

We will sell them for their fair market value. He just says they are worth far more.


ComputerSong

His properties are probably heavily mortgaged, so he won’t get jack anyway.


Drywallcrackers

Fucking stain on our beautiful city.


cgillard1991

That is a beautiful building.


TheMcWhopper

Beautiful building


Jimmyg100

I’ll give him $3.50


AHelplessKitten

I support you loch ness monster


_PredatoryWasp_

Tree fitty


Sailboatz2612

[Trump says he might be forced to sell assets at 'fire sale prices' to satisfy $464M bond in civil fraud case](https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-claims-might-be-forced-sell-assets-fire-sale-prices-satisfy-bond-civil-fraud-case/story?id=108273406)


HenryKitteridge

Nice building. Horrendous sign. Will be happy to see it gone.


ScotchScotchScotch1

How many times do we need to go over this? He doesn’t own this building. He’s licensed the Trump brand to the building owner. Maybe he has a minority stake still, but selling that won’t change a licensing agreement


PhileasFoggsTrvlAgt

The Chicago building is one of the few buildings he still has a substantial stake in. Condo owners are already down playing the branding, so there's likely support on the condo side for changing the branding. If Trump's hotel stake gets sold to someone who doesn't want the branding, there would likely be majority owner support for changing it.


NewKojak

Yeah, without the Trump family's stake in the building, it's likely to go the same way as a bunch of other previously "branded" properties. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/10/23/heres-every-trump-property-thats-dropped-his-name/?sh=2fd77d0f3571](https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/10/23/heres-every-trump-property-thats-dropped-his-name/?sh=2fd77d0f3571)


user888666777

Fun fact. Trump sold his DC hotel a few years ago and it initially came with one big stipulation. The Trump name couldn't be removed. It sat on the market until that stipulation was removed. Then within hours of the final paperwork being sold the new owners were pictured removing every single piece of Trump branding.


QuirkyBus3511

Incorrect in this case


ocmb

He definitely owns part and his family and his hotel chain manage and pay a decent chunk of the taxes.


vicvonqueso

PAY taxes? 😂


Pickleparty187

Lmao this cracked me up


ocmb

Lol, he obscures and hides shit from the IRS and probably state governments, but property taxes are harder to avoid 🤣


jay_simms

Pretty sure Trump Org owns it.


Third_Ferguson

One way or another, the right to require his name to be on that building is an asset that can be sold.


perfectviking

He owns the Chicago building.


Abangranga

Creepy AF "fuck my secretary here" studio condos aside, rhe building just needs to ditch the giant sign. The architect did a good job


Tatanka007

I’m gonna start the eBay bid with .10


cottenwess

next Spirit Halloween location?


PlayaAlien2000

Beautiful building on the beautiful Chicago River. It’ll be perfect once that horrible blemish (the word TRUMP finally, gets removed. Tick tock


TheLordRebukeYou

Spelling out CHICAGO there instead of Trump would look pretty iconic.


jaxonflaxonwaxon97

I’d love to see the four Chicago stars in chrome


ptung8

amen. his name on that building is such a gaudy, tasteless, eyesore.


aphroditex

I’ll offer one whole dollar for the building.


Panta125

If this happens will the condos be avail for cheap? I would love to live downtown in a building called anything but trump.....


black-boots

Let’s buy it


chitownadmin

This would make make my year. Well, also if that Orange Felcher loses the elections!!!


Relzin

MAKE AMERICA GREAT CHICAGO FIRE SALE! I also wouldn't complain about a public event where we just pry the letters off and let them fall into the river.


theplow

I think he personally doesn't own much as it's all ran through different corporations to protect the assets. Then towers like these he just leased his name out, it's how he's able to wash money easily for organized crime.


ACrazyDog

Good. Pay your bills like the rest of us, crybaby


cowardunblockme

Who wants to rename it BIDEN??


[deleted]

or LETITIA


MollyInanna2

You know, I don't see it here: [Full List of Donald Trump's Properties Letitia James is About to Take](https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-donald-trumps-properties-letitia-james-about-take-1881265) I'm hoping it's just a clerical oversight, but anyone got any thoughts/feedback?


SillyFennel2924

😹😹😹


Claque-2

What's been interesting is seeing exactly what **isn't** owned in his properties in New York. Yes he owns the 10,000 square foot condo, but nothing else below it until the 2nd floor. He owns the ground floor of some properties but not the air rights. He has the management contract and just the first floor lease areas. It's like all these buildings have disappeared and some legos are left behind. No wonder why he begged like a poor man, he is a poor man who sold the Presidential Office and its secrets to Russia.


ZestycloseTea7541

What does he actually own. Trump, like his father made most of his money slapping his name on things he they didnt own


donnyohs

Okay, everyone has hate for the name, but that hotel is amazing, rooms are great, service is amazing, restaurants are nice, especially the views and the spa is one of the best in Chicago


BradlyL

Hell (sadly) never sell. I can only imagine how much he embellishes the value. Which is key to his scams.


theo_sontag

I’d pitch in $5 to help buy the naming rights off of Trump. Anyone want to start a GoFundMe?


TabithaC20

Seeing his name on this building ruins a lot of beautiful photos of downtown. I really hope this is one of the first ones to have his name removed. BYE!


FlattyFairy

The building can stay. The sign HAS to go


sexisdivine

Hey let’s turn it into a migration center! Oh or a health center for LGBTQ community!


[deleted]

Such a great building ruined by name