Sears Tower Now Called Willis Tower

By cwalters March 13, 2009

Sears Tower, the tallest building in the U.S. and abandoned stronghold of the once-powerful Sears, Roebuck & Co., is no more. Its name will be changed to Willis Tower later this year as part of a big leasing agreement with London-based insurer Willis Group Holdings, Ltd. The Chicago Tribune notes that although everyone still calls it Sears Tower, Sears actually moved out in 1992.

If the building’s current owners go through with their plan to paint it silver, we think Chicagoans should start calling it the Silver Willy.

“Sears Tower being renamed” [Chicago Breaking News]
“Sears Tower in silver? A green idea that isn’t as good as gold” [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo: jr conlin)

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Comments

  1. ARP says:
    March 14, 2009 at 1:06 am

    Chongo; MissPeacock; Real Cheese Flavor, etc. (Sorry, reply still broken for me.)

    So you’re some of the 10 others at Wesley Willis shows. I remember seeing him before punk and ska shows all the time.

  2. howtragic says:
    March 14, 2009 at 3:01 am

    I recall how the new stadium where the Spurs play got renamed like 3 times in as many years. The stadium was new so it never really got a legacy name attached to it. You know what I call it? The place where the Spurs play. Perfect – tells the story.

    I think these corporate whores just don’t get it – Chicagoans consider the Sears tower to be “theirs.” It doesn’t matter who technically owns it – it belongs to the city. It will always belong to the city – and thus the people. Same thing goes for pro-team stadiums. The people of the city feel like the team is THEIRS. So when a corporation comes in a buys the team and splatters their name all over the place, it’s incredibly off-putting.

  3. redkamel says:
    March 14, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    I didnt even know it was called Sears tower because of Sears the department store. I just thought it was designed by a Mr. Sears or something.

  4. kreatre2009 says:
    March 15, 2009 at 1:44 am

    “Willis Tower” doesn’t sound right to me. Why even change the name anyway?

  5. vladthepaler says:
    March 16, 2009 at 3:29 pm

    When it rains, can we call it Slick Willy?

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