* DNAInfo…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged Tuesday he was blocking the sale of the Thompson Center in the heart of the Loop until he’s certain that Chicago taxpayers won’t get “stuck with the tab” for rebuilding the massive CTA station underneath the state building.
“I’m not going to stick that tab on Chicago taxpayers,” Emanuel said at an unrelated event to tout park and library improvements in Bronzeville. “Why would I do that to Chicago taxpayers?”
The sale of the center is contingent on the City Council changing the rules that will dictate the size of the building that will eventually replace the the three-decade-old state office building at 100 W. Randolph St.
Eleni Demertzis, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bruce Rauner, responded by saying said Emanuel was “trying to distract from the real issue — which is the city being greedy and trying to extort the state taxpayers for more money than what the property is worth.”
* Maybe so, but there’s also this…
“I am not going to let the state have a short term, book a couple hundred million and then stick the Chicago taxpayers with [a bill for] $100 million. How about paying the teachers’ pensions?” Emanuel asked.
Call me crazy, but I kinda think that if Gov. Rauner wasn’t holding up progress on appropriating $215 million for Chicago teacher pensions and hadn’t vetoed another city pension bill that this sale might be going more smoothly.
And for the governor’s office to complain when somebody else holds something hostage that Rauner wants is a bit rich.
But, man, it’s like everybody is in the room throwing roundhouse punches at each other these days.
* Sun-Times…
The mayor noted the Thompson Center station is “one of the busiest stations in the entire network of 140-plus L stations.” That begs the question: “If you sell it and it has to come down, who builds it and who takes the cost?”
“I’m not gonna stick that on Chicago taxpayers. The developer or the state has to do it,” the mayor said.
“I’m not gonna have a short-term gain [and a long-term loss] when you have one of the most important stations and the reason that property is so valuable [being demolished]. Yes, the state gets to book the money when they sell. But, who’s gonna build or rebuild that station? I’m responsible to make sure that tab is not on the Chicago taxpayers.”
A significant part of the value of the Thompson Center site is that incredibly busy station underneath. You gotta figure the new owners would want to keep that station intact.
* Not to mention that the city would get a bunch of money from the sale…
“If we maximize the development in the way that we’ve conceived of at 3 million square feet, it could be over $40 million a year in additional property tax revenue for the city,” Hoffman added.
Again, this is likely a lot more about CPS funding than it is about the CTA.
- Just Me - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:24 am:
Your last line is absolutely correct: developers would LOVE to have their very own CTA station in their building. That CTA station is an enormous asset, and surely any potential developer would be willing to spend a ton of money fixing it up and branding it with their development.
And technically the CTA station is not underneath the Thompson Center, it is underneath Lake and LaSalle Streets, so re-building the structure on that block shouldn’t interfere too much with the station’s operations. Customers may not be able to enter/exit through the Thompson Center, but there is an enter/exit on the east side of Lake Street they can use.
However, Rauner should suggest that while the Thompson Center station is closed, passengers can use the station located under Block 37, which the City wasted $500 million to build and now sits empty. (snark)
- Gooner - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:28 am:
I’m not a big fan of the Mayor, but I love this move. Mr. Rauner has used Chicago like a punching bag since he started running, and now he wants something for free?
No way.
Beautiful.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:32 am:
What shouldn’t be lost here is…the speaker came out in favor of selling the Thompson center earlier this year. to meet the Governor half way. Now, the Mayor is opposed. This is delicious politics.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:33 am:
“You gotta figure the new owners would want to keep that station intact.”
True, but paying for it? Wonder how many EDGE or INTERSECT bucks would help pave the way??? If so, then taxpayers, including Chicago taxpayers, will still be paying.
- DuPage - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:33 am:
A Rauner agenda item de-railed by Rahm. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:35 am:
The JTC sale is largely Blago/Rauner symbolism; a drop in the fiscal bucket, a politically popular unloading of a friendless building.
The CTA station is a real-world, critical asset used often by virtually everyone who takes the el downtown. Protecting the taxpayers investment in it is the highest priority.
- Boone's is back - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:38 am:
===But, man, it’s like everybody is in the room throwing roundhouse punches at each other these days.===
LOL, aint that the truth
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:40 am:
The State built a monstrocity that it is responsible for. The only value is where it was built. No one would expect a property owner who devalues a neighborhood, to demand that the neighborhood cough up the dough to fix what they did.
Rauner doesn’t take any responsibilities for any issue that could force him out of his beloved bubble of political blather. He blames anyone else involved as being a roadblock towards any solutions.
My twins do the same thing Rauner does, but they’re elementary school children, not governors. It’s time we get an adult governor who likes governing, isn’t it?
- Chitown Clown - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:42 am:
How d’ya like us now, Bruce?
- W Flag - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:42 am:
As to the CTA train station issue, advantage Rahm.
BTW, I was in the dismal Thompson Center recently and its offices look tired and worn out. It was as if not a dime had been spent on upgrading the facility since its opening. In contrast, the State Capitol has been extensively renovated and its interiors look quite good.
- Ahoy! - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:42 am:
Rambo is holding up a sale of property that will eventually add more to his tax base since the prime property will be added to the tax roles… yup.
- Texas Red - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:44 am:
==“I’m not going to stick that tab on Chicago taxpayers,”
Of course Rahm will gum up Rauners planned sale of Thompson center. Just one more hostage held in the “resist” movement. Now his rationale is very suspect; but he does not care, he just needs any excuse and cover for the Dem’s. It is no wonder nothing gets done in IL !
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:45 am:
I was told, by someone close to Governor Thompson, that the City of Chicago has no authority over the Thompson Center as it is State of Illinois property. The story is that the Governor and Mayor Daley clashed over whether the Chicago Police had authority in the Thompson building.
Can anyone confirm or refute whether State ownership stops city control?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 9:55 am:
===“trying to distract from the real issue — which is the city being greedy and trying to extort the state taxpayers for more money than what the property is worth.”===
Oh Eleni Demertzis…
The sale of the JRTC is worth $215 million, payable to CPS… oh… and the guarantee the El Stop will not be made whole by city money.
That the price.
Nothing to get emotional about… It’s just… a business decision, by Rahm.
“Simple”
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:06 am:
Where else in life do any of us get all of what we want? Especially so if you are in a relationship of any kind; and governing is the ultimate relationship.
All of us compromise, whether its dinner, spending money, vacation plans, which movie to see, etc. This whole business of ‘I want it all and nothing short of that is acceptable’, is just baffling.
Imagine if mom and dad refused to compromise on where to go out for dinner and until one or the other caved in, nobody was going to eat, including the kids. Sure mom and dad carry a little extra lbs and they can afford to go hungry for a while, but in the meantime, the kids are starving and mom and dad are set on a path to do irreparable harm to their kids.
The Governor and the Speaker are no less culpable than my rhetorical mom and dad, and the two of them by their intransigence are starving our state and are on a path to causing irreparable harm.
Gentlemen, find a way before its too late.
- A guy - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:22 am:
==Again, this is likely a lot more about CPS funding than it is about the CTA.===
Bingo. Amen. Yes sir.
It is the trump card to solve a problem the size of the CPS. Nothing else presents this kind of solution.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:25 am:
Oh Eleni . . . Saying Rahm is trying to distract is rich.
Like the whole “let’s sell the JRTC” isn’t one big distraction. An agenda item that Rauner inherited from Blago.
Has anyone figured out the long term lease with the property manager yet?
Are Hoffman’s estimates based on the 115 story tower that is literally a pie in the sky idea?
Selling the JRTC is just noise. Activity, not achievement.
Rahm is just taking a gratuitous swing at Bruce so he can say he is fighting for the City. But he knows this isn’t going anywhere.
- Amalia - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:35 am:
this is a great move from the Mayor. more of this against Rauner from all, please.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:37 am:
While they bicker about this, maybe they could find someone with a mop to clean the place up a little pit. I was there last week and the floors at the CTA station were stickier than a movie theater. A fresh coat of paint wouldn’t hurt either. And maybe some of those plug-in air fresheners.
- Bogey Golfer - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:37 am:
So you have a state-owned facility over/ next to a City-agency facility. You’d hope a State/CTA was crafted and signed a few decades ago addressing such a scenario. Always the optimist.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 10:54 am:
Rahm’s questionable rhetoric, motivation, and…well, Rahm-ness aside, you really do need to work out what you’re going to do with that CTA station before you sell the thing.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 11:10 am:
I bet the building across Lake Street would do some major remodeling to get that foot traffic.
To the poster above, the City has no jurisdiction over the JRTC and the ground it sits on, with maybe some minor exceptions like elevator inspections and issues related to the food court.
There is a mutual aid agreement with the CPD, or there was.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 11:34 am:
AA, there’s ingress/egress to the subway across Lake at the 203 N LaSalle building, but not the elevated.
- Porgy Tirebiter - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
I was told the CTA put up some of the $ for the initial construction of the JRTC. Something the superstars sgould have looked into.
- OldNetwork - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
Not only CTA, but there’s a major CPS network hub down there with multiple tier-A providers coming in. A lot behind the scenes. Usually takes millions of $$ to move these things plus telcos move at the speed of snails (sorry telco people)!
- Workin' - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
Check the superstars’ math. Doubtful even a 3m sqft building generate $40M annual city property tax revenues. One time transfer tax would help, but it’s not an annual benefit.
If the Gov were “negotiating to yes” you’d have a mayor willing to upzone it to 110 stories like Helmut Jahn wants and you’d have a win-win for everyone.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 1:31 pm:
===there’s ingress/egress to the subway across Lake at the 203 N LaSalle building, but not the elevated.===
You can most certainly access the Brown, Orange, Green, Pink and Purple elevated line via 203 N. LaSalle. I do it all the time.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 1:54 pm:
47, thanks, mea culpa.
- City Zen - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 2:06 pm:
CTA was going to build a new State/Lake station just east of the current one. Not sure where that stands, but the current station doesn’t have the accessibility of Clark/Lake.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 2:23 pm:
” What shouldn’t be lost here is…the speaker came out in favor of selling the Thompson center earlier this year. to meet the Governor half way. Now, the Mayor is opposed. This is delicious politics. ”
Yea, non of them,, us need any funds to pay for other things do they/we?
- Just Me - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 2:48 pm:
(I meant to say north side of the street in my previous post, apologies).
47th is also correct in that there is elevated access via the north as well. That station is also above the street and sidewalks (aka the public right of way), so would have minimal interruption with the re-building of JRTC.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 3:24 pm:
So is it safe to say that Rahm doesn’t have squat to hold over the Governor in this context?
AA Demolition Services is ready to go!
- d.p.gumby - Wednesday, May 3, 17 @ 3:48 pm:
I don’t want to stop laughing…