A new Thompson Center's rezoning proposal pushes plans for a supertall development even closer

A path forward in Illinois’ plans for the redevelopment of the Thompson Center has been made a little clearer in Chicago this week, a month after the accidental death of architect Helmut Jahn in a tragic bicycling accident at the age of 83. A City Council committee approved a proposal from Alderman Brendan Reilly to upzone the troubled building this past Tuesday, doubling the amount of space that can be built on the site and fueling further speculation that the iconic Randolph St. location could be the site of Chicago’s next supertall tower should the measure be approved in a vote that could come as soon as Wednesday  The change came at the request of Governor J.B. Pritzker, who has been an outspoken proponent of the state’s push to sell the 36-year-old signature building to private developers in an effort to get off the hook for the nearly $17 million in annual costs it takes to maintain the aging property as it currently stands. Preservationists now face an all-out fight to save J...