Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station

["Gene Paoli" <stationman_@_prodigy.net>]

What is left of this station is the result of pre-planning for air rights.
The design is Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and differs from Burnham's
original design just as thier design for Philadelphia's 30th st station.
Burnham's design was baroque in both cases and his successor's design more
contemporary. All this aside, designs after 1910 or so, primarily PRR
involved designs, all had air rights as a design priority. If there was one
thing the railroads did right after the turn of the century, it was thier
approach to real estate. Keeping thier real estate buisiness strictly as a
dividend generating entity, it was, in some cases the only, black ink
generating part of the corporations. As proof of this thinking, roads like
the PRR and Reading RR real estate corporations still exist today although
they have nothing to do with railroads anymore with the sole exception of
NY's two major stations and thier air rights.......While i mourn this line
of thinking and action, it did keep major roads like the PRR, NYC, etc. out
of bankrupcy untill the 60's. The destruction and demolition of several of
our most beloved stations was, on the table so to speak, as eary as the 20's
although they did not fall untill the 50's and on. In many cases, it was not
the local preservationist effort to save at fault, but the RR real estate
corporations zeal to sell the air rights to generate black ink.
Gene Paoli
stationman_@_prodigy.net

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com>
To: <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>; <superc@monmouth.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station


> In a message dated 2/7/02 10:38:34 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> superc_@_monmouth.com writes:
>
> > If it would complete Burnham's plan, why is Lucien Lagrange's design
> >  required?
>
> My guess is that they only mean completing Burnham's plan in a general
way,
> which would be the addition of a tower on the site.
>
> I don't know if Burnham drew up detailed plans for a tower, but if he did
> chances are his 1925 plans wouldn't have met with the desires of today.
> Among the things being proposed that wouldn't have been suggested in the
> original plan are the parking facilities, high-tech offices and modern
HVAC.
>
> Bernie

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #281
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