McPier is showing a sudden interest in obtaining good design for the planned DePaul arena/event center at Cermak & Indiana. Could it be fear of an almighty backlash from an already agitated public ($55M in TIF funds to be spent on zero-tax producing $195M project)? Whatever the incentive, a second call for submissions has gone out to firms with a penchant for the 'conceptual', to be partnered with a firm that has experience designing arenas. Even something as supple and sexy as the Barclays Center may not quell neighborhood opposition. McPier's Jim Reilly spoke to this: "While I don't agree with the neighbors who just don't want [us] to build, I do agree with them that the typical arena has blank walls. We don't want a blank wall...." [WBEZ, previously]
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