Old Prentice danced its last dance with the City Landmarks Commission yesterday. Northwestern University Medical Center was clearly the belle of the ball, now granted a clear path to demolition of the polarizing Bertrand Goldberg building. A Cook County Judge still has to lift the stay, but the city's formal revisiting (read: mandated) probably gives the justification needed. Should demolition proceed, it'll be a victory for Mayor Emanuel as well—in the short term, anyway—as he's long thought Prentice a "troublesome building". And what of that touted biomedical research facility for which this site is so critical? Well, there aren't any plans to break ground on anything until at least 2015. Preservationists vow to continue their courtroom fight but if Northwestern gets the nod, expect a very rapid demolition. Curbed didn't witness yesterday's hearing (we were that convinced of the outcome), but it shouldn't be too hard to prove the Commission's proceedings lacked integrity. Will anyone listen?
·Landmarks Commission Unanimously Votes Itself Completely Useless [ArchitectureChicago PLUS]
·Prentice Hospital Coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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