Whatcha talking bout Willis (Tower)? Will you call Sears Tower by its new name?

[wndycty]

Sears Tower to be renamed for new tenant
By: Staff March 12, 2009

(Crain’s) — Sears Tower will become Willis Tower.

The insurance broker announced Thursday morning that it will move to the Sears Tower and that the building will be renamed Willis Tower.

London-based Willis Group Holdings said it will consolidate five local offices into more than 140,000 square feet in the 110-story building at 233 S. Wacker Drive. Almost 500 employees will move into the building, Willis said.

Willis said the space is costing the company $14.50 a square foot and that it is not paying extra for the naming rights.

“Having our name associated with Chicago’s most iconic structure underscores our commitment to this great city, and recognizes Chicago’s importance as a major financial hub and international business center,” Joseph J. Plumeri, chairman and CEO of Willis Group Holdings, said in a release. “We are delighted to be making this bold move and firmly establishing our leading presence in one of the nation’s biggest insurance markets, and it will be wonderful for all our associates to work under one roof.”
-snip-
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=33292

So the question is will you call Sears Tower, Willis Tower?

[tritsofme]

1. I live in the Chicago area, and this is the first I've heard of it.

So no, I don't think you will catch me referring to it as the "Willis Tower"

[wndycty]

2. Yeah the announcement was just made . . .

. . .I am sure folks will be buzzing about it later today.

[tritsofme]

12. Well even though my loyalties generally lean toward the North Side

And we have had our own naming rights issues lately, I still cannot bring myself to call that place on the South Side anything but Comiskey or maybe Sox Park.

And you'll still catch me from time to time muttering about the Stadium or the Horizon, so I don't think poor Willis stands a chance with me.

[RT Atlanta]

3. No...

I still call the building in NYC the "Pan Am Building" regardless of the insurance company's name that is at the top now. Gotta go with a little tradition now and again...

[wndycty]

4. Damn which building is that

:kick:

[RT Atlanta]

5. MetLife Bldg now

n/t

[Lost in CT]

10. You know thats funny cause I've been calling it the Met-life building for so long I forgot

it was the Pan-am building.

[wndycty]

11. Hmmmmmm

:kick:

[Captain Hilts]

6. No. It's Candlestick Park, the Pan Am Building, and the Sears Tower. nt

[marmar]

7. The Who-the-F**k-is-Willis? Tower

[Occam Bandage]

8. No. And it's Marshall Field's, not Macy's.

[liberal N proud]

9. I don't see it happening on our lifetime

[etherealtruth]

13. Natioanal Airport is still "National " to me n/t

[RT Atlanta]

14. THANK YOU!

Yes, always "National" to me too.

[Captain Hilts]

19. Yep. Name LAX after Eleanor Roosevelt. The three letter code would be ERA. nt

[etherealtruth]

21. Perhaps I would acknowledge that change ;)

[hlthe2b]

15. Right after I start referring to Washington National Airport....

as Reagan National---i.e., NEVER


As a Denverite, Mile High Stadium will always be so-- I call BS on Invesco.

[Captain Hilts]

18. Locally, the Airport is called "Reagan NAP." nt

[etherealtruth]

22. Admittedly, it has been a while since I lived in Virgina

while living there I noticed the news and media refer to it as Reagan National Airport .... but us regular "folk" referred to it solely as "National."

edit: ah, if only I could spell ...

[Captain Hilts]

23. Well, yes, most of us do call it 'National', but Reagan NAP is kind of funny. nt

[MrScorpio]

24. It was "National" when I live in Arlington

It'll be "National" when I die

[zagging]

16. I tried to get a flight to Stalingrad

But they couldn't find it on a map. So I'm going to Rhodesia instead!

All the tourist maps will call it, "Willis Towers (formerly Sears)" for a few years, then it will be called Willis Towers, and then the Google Towers. The onliest people who will care are a few locals and taxi drivers.

[mucifer]

17. The issue is that the tallest building in the USA is now not named for sears co.

but was largely bought out by a corporation from another country. I'm not a nationalist type of person. But, I think this is bad.

[TommyO]

20. They're leasing less than 4% of the building's square footage and get naming rights?

The Sears Tower has 3.8 million feet of leasable space (according to www.searstower.com), 140,000sq ft is just 3.68% of that leasable space. It's a lot of space, but not enough to lose the iconic Sears Tower name.