Your Gold Coast mall is getting a total facelift, seriously?
Okay so, Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue, right? The one that's been there forever, like since your grandma was shopping for her prom dress. It's getting a *massive* $170 million makeover. I'm talking a full glow-up. They say they're changing a "signature feature," and honestly, I'm kinda nervous. Is it the atrium? The glass elevators? That's what makes it *Water Tower Place*. This mall used to be the *spot* on the Magnificent Mile, you know? But let's be real, it's felt a little… tired lately. Like that one auntie who still wears her hair from the 80s.
### What This Means for Chicago
I mean, on one hand, it's like, *finally*. The Mag Mile needs a shot in the arm. All those empty storefronts, especially since COVID, it's been rough. But then you think about it: $170 million for a mall that mostly serves tourists and the folks who live in those fancy high-rises around Streeterville. Meanwhile, you go down to places like Archer Avenue in Brighton Park and they're fighting over bike lanes. Or you look at communities on the West Side that are food deserts, where a new grocery store would change everything, but a mall gets all this money? It’s just… Chicago. Always a tale of two cities, isn't it?
* **Big Bucks:** $170 million is a lot of dough. It’s supposed to revitalize the whole vibe. * **Signature Changes:** Whatever they're changing about the "signature feature" better be good, or people are gonna riot, I swear. * **Who Benefits?** This is the part that always gets me. Will this actually bring more jobs to regular Chicagoans, or just a new coat of paint for the same old luxury brands?
Nah nah nah, let me explain, I'm not saying don't upgrade the mall. Just wish that same energy, that same investment, could find its way to our neighborhoods that actually need it. Like, could we get that Red Line extension already? Chi-Town on the wire — you already know.
Catch the whole crew talking about this and more every morning, you can watch it live at mornings.live.