(
3D Satellite)
iven that it still has its smokestacks, I can't believe I didn't take photos of the powerhouse itself when I made a trip to get photos along Roosevelt Road. The following two images of the
Union Station Power House were cropped out of some other photos.
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| 20180615 2140c |
I have to up my priority of getting better photos because Amtrak wants to tear it down for a parking lot. [
SunTimes]
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| Eric Allix Rogers/Preservation Chicago via SunTimes, cropped |
I copied the
Preservation Chicago information because I could not get a direct link to this information and their .pdf link did not work.
Address: 301 W. Taylor Street
Architect: Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
Date: Designed in 1931 and built in 1932-33
Style: Art Moderne
Neighborhood: South Loop
OVERVIEW:
Visible from the Roosevelt Road Bridge, the iconic and austere Chicago Union Station Power House, with its streamlined Art Moderne facades and smokestacks, exemplifies the story of Chicago’s growth as a railroad and transportation center beginning in the pioneering days of the 1850s. The Union Station Power House is part of a network of buildings, systems, and rail tracks constructed in the 1920s by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, which included Chicago’s Union Station, its Great Hall and Grand Waiting Room, along with the separate Concourse Building. The Chicago Union Station Power House has been out of service since 2011, is currently mothballed, and is being considered for demolition. When designed in 1931, it was referred to as the “boiler plant.”
HISTORY:
Chicago’s central role in the national rail network was unparalleled by any other city in the nation, with the highest amount of passenger and freight traffic. This allowed for early industries to flourish, ranging from coal and raw products for manufacturing, to agriculture including wheat, corn, grains, and even meat-packing. Chicago’s robust rail system also affected the city’s residential population. As industrial business expanded in Chicago, its population also expanded as laborers and their families came to the city to work and live. Chicago’s location at the hub of the national railroad network established Chicago as the capital of the Midwest.
In contrast to the more Classical-Revival style Union Station complex, the Power House is in the Art Moderne and Art Deco styles, reflecting the streamlined style of the time and the “industrial might” associated with generating and supplying power to operate a system of trains and buildings.
The architects of the Union Station Power House were Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, a firm that descended from the architectural firm of Daniel Burnham. They designed many of Chicago’s most iconic buildings, including the Wrigley Building, the Field Building (both Chicago Landmarks), the Merchandise Mart, and many other notable structures, both in Chicago and across the United States.
The strong verticality of the Power House, from its linear groupings of parallel window bands to its tall chimneys, emphasize the building’s strength. Its massive cream-colored brick walls, horizontal stone banding and austere ornament create additional visual impact. Unique in form, this is a rare example of power house industrial design by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White.
THREAT:
Amtrak is the current owner of the building and has determined that this structure may no longer be necessary for its operations. Therefore, they are conducting federally mandated “Section 106 Hearings,” to determine if it may be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. However, these hearings do not rule out demolition of the structure in the future. Demolition would be an expensive option, costing millions of dollars of taxpayer funds, to create a paved asphalt parking lot adjoining the Chicago River.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Preservation Chicago recognizes the limitations of the site, with railroad tracks to the west and the South Branch of the Chicago River to the east. However, we would encourage a clever adaptive reuse of the building and site by either another service utility, like the nearby ComEd facilities, or another user. The idea of a third-party use could stimulate long-range plans for addressing the riverfront along this stretch of the South Branch and could catalyze the creation of riverfront access, riverfront green space and perhaps even a future riverwalk. This would serve as an amenity for the many nearby residents and commercial enterprises.
We believe that the Union Station Power House’s connection to Chicago’s incredible railroad and architectural history makes it a prime candidate for a Chicago Landmark Designation. A Chicago Landmark Designation for this unique building would ensure its preservation and reuse. A preservation outcome for this building would be a win-win for Chicago, Amtrak Rail Systems, and future generations of Chicagoans.
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| Eric Allix Rogers/Preservation Chicago via SunTimes |
I was surprised that Amtrak was using it as late as 2011. It would cost $13m to turn the land into a parking lot. Amtrak solicited proposals for reuse in 2018, but no ideas have been presented. "Amtrak said other issues with the building include water infiltration in the basement, its proximity to ComEd facilities and a damaged river bulkhead that will require repair." [
SunTimes]
Because of the big encolsed space, powerhouses make great event spaces (e.g.
Sears original campus) or theaters (
1869 water supply pumping station) But there is currently no public access to the area. The following sign ("Amtrak Personnel Only") confirms that the public is not supposed to go down to Lumber Street from Roosevelt Road.
But the development plans for the land across the river is supposed to include the extension of Taylor Street across the Chicago River. So they could build an elevated parking garage south of Taylor that has an entrance from Taylor. And they could build an elevated, enclosed walkway between that garage and the power house. Amtrak could use the ground floor of the garage for their parking and the upper floors could be public parking. As for the leaky basement, just don't use it.
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The twin smokestacks of the Union Station Power House, a defunct coal-fired power plant that once provided electricity to Union Station and its surrounding infrastructure, frame Willis Tower. Eric Allix Rogers/Preservation Chicago |
I quoted the SunTime's caption for the above photo because I think it is wrong. I think the purpose of this power house was to generate steam. That is, it has boilers, but no generators. Back when it was built, steam locomotives still dominated. All of the passenger cars, commuter and intercity, used steam heat. And steam radiators where common in buildings. So I presume that this power house provided steam to the coach yards as well as the Union Station buildings.
In this 1938 aerial photo, the Union Station buildings are in the upper-left corner whereas the powerhouse is near the lower-right corner. (Roosevelt Road is along the bottom.) Note that the powerhouse is several blocks south of Union Station.
In this aerial photo, the powerhouse is near the upper-right corner. Note that CB&Q (left) and Pennsy (right) has their coach yards next to and south of the powerhouse.
Today, there is still a lead to Amtrak's coach yard next to the powerhouse and...
...more coach yard tracks south of Roosevelt Road. But now the cars are heated, and cooled, with electricity. Those gantry's above the tracks hold "extension cords" to power the coaches when they are parked.
In this photo we can see there used to be pipes along the south side of the old Taylor Street viaduct. I presume one of them was a steam pipe that delivered steam to the Union Station buildings.
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Phil Gosney commented on the fourth photo of Marty's share
Here is GN Dining Car 1254, named Lake Minnetonka, also in the green Pre Merger livery, on the Empire Builder in Chicago on Sept 28, 1968. Photo by Gary Zeitler. |
Here is a closeup of the pipes. The proximity of the pipes to the viaduct explains why I can't find the pipes in the 1938 aerial photo. The resolution of the aerial photo is not good enough to show it.
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| Digital zoom of the above photo |
I've seen photos of a pipe going across the railyard by itself. They were probably taken after this Taylor Street viaduct was torn down. Unfortunately, I can't find any of those photos right now.
Update:
Although site access remains an issue, Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago tells Curbed that he could see the structure repurposed. Its proximity to electric and fiber optic infrastructure, downtown’s trading exchanges, and the cooling water of the river could make it an ideal spot for a data center, Miller says. The site’s inaccessibility would provide an extra level of security.
Miller also suggests turning the building into a refrigeration facility to cool nearby buildings, similar to the massive chilling plant at nearby 300 W. Van Buren Street. Additionally, the easy-to-spot, 115-foot-tall structure could bring in advertising revenue—if done tastefully, Miller adds.
[curbed]
Both a data center or a chilling plant would require a lot of electricity. Since ComEd has a major switch yard just north of Taylor Steet, there should be plenty of power. And ComEd should be feeding that switch yard with multiple power lines so providing a redundant supply like
the Microsoft data server building has would be easy. And the isolation of the area from the public would be an asset because it enhances security.
