Better late than never, Chicago’s third-tallest building may soon get into the observation deck business. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that some of the potential new owners of the Aon Center at 200 East Randolph Street want to open the upper reaches of the stately skyscraper to the public.
The Aon Center in 2005, before it had neighbors trying to muscle in on its turf.
The 83-story building in Chicago’s New Eastside is currently for sale, and expected to fetch well in excess of half-a-billion dollars. Citing a flyer touting the sale, Crain’s reports that JLL, which is marketing the tower, estimates an Aon Center observation deck could bring the new owner $30 million a year in new revenue.
The Aon Center has incredible unobstructed views across Grant Park, Lake Michigan, and The Loop. Even its semi-obstructed views to the north and west are pretty awesome, too. As part of its connection to the city’s pedway system, the skyscraper has an extensive below-street-level shopping arcade, part of which could be converted into a ticketing and staging area for visitors to the observatory.
Currently there are two other observation decks in Chicago: Skydeck Chicago, formerly the Sears Skydeck, at the Willis Tower (233 South Wacker Drive) and 360 Chicago, formerly the Hancock Observatory, at the John Hancock Center (875 North Michigan Avenue). Both have been competing against one another aggressively in recent years, adding amenities like cafes and temporary skating rinks, as well as unique ways to stand, sit, or otherwise dangle above the city below.
Other current ways of getting elevated views of Chicago include:
- Take a ride on the Navy Pier ferris wheel
- Splurge for a romantic dinner at Cité, the restaurant on the 70th floor of the Lake Point Tower at 505 North Lake Shore Drive
- Have a business lunch at Everest, the restaurant on the 40th floor of Four40 at 440 South LaSalle Street
- Take your bended knee to the SkyChapel atop the Chicago Temple Building at 77 West Washington Street
- Go watch a trial at one of the upper level courtrooms in the 31-story Daley Center at 55 West Randolph Street
- To get a preview of what an Aon Center observation deck might be like, you could join the Mid America Club on the 80th floor of that skyscraper.
- If the 103rd-floor Skydeck Chicago at the Willis Tower is too high for you, you might join the Metropolitan Club, which is on the 67th floor of the same building.
Chicago has long been a city where people have wanted to look out from tall buildings. Skyscrapers that at one time had public observatories include One Prudential Plaza, Tribune Tower, the InterContinental Hotel, 6 North Michigan Avenue, and the Kemper Building. There was also once the Navy Pier AeroBalloon, an itinerant observation balloon that spent time in Chicago in 2009.
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from The Chicago Architecture Blog http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/07/06/will-aon-center-be-chicagos-next-skyscraper-to-sport-an-observation-deck/
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