On Point

Map of Chicago circa 1833 David Rumsy Map collection/public domain.

At the confluence of the Chicago River’s three branches is Wolf Point. Located in the heart of what is now the city’s downtown area, Wolf Point has been considered Chicago’s first gathering spot since the early 19th century, making this historic peninsula-like piece of land an important part of the city from its beginnings.

Once the social center of frontier Chicago for a lively mix of Native Americans, French Canadian fur traders and New England pioneers, it was here in the early 1800s that river settlers established Chicago’s first tavern, hotel, drug store, church, theater company and the first bridges across the Chicago River. Although there are numerous stories on how Wolf Point got its name, it has been said to come from a Native American chief whose name translated to Wolf.

Originally located on the west bank of the river at the fork, by the 1830s, the Wolf Point area and settlement had grown up around the river-fork. By 1857, the site of Wolf Point tavern was being used as a lumberyard, and was home to the Fulton Elevator, one of Chicago’s earliest grain elevators.

As the city grew, so did Wolf Point’s importance. In 1917, the city adopted the municipal device of Chicago. This familiar icon, consisting of a Y-shape inscribed inside of a circle, represents the north, south and main branches of the Chicago River as they come together at Wolf Point. Used officially by the City of Chicago and unofficially by various agencies and companies associated with the city, the Y-shaped symbol can be found throughout the city on bridges, buildings and infrastructure.

This prominent property on the north bank of the river was sold from department store giant Marshall Field to American businessman Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. after World War II. Under-developed for a long time, today, Wolf Point refers to a plot of land on the north bank at the fork that is owned by the Kennedy family.

I sat down recently with Chris Kennedy, chair of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises Inc., to talk about the redevelopment of Wolf Point and the newly-completed Wolf Point East multifamily development located on a four-acre riverfront land parcel near the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Julie Jonlich Your grandfather (Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.) purchased the property in 1945/46 from Marshall Field. What was he thinking when he bought Wolf Point? What initially attracted him to the property? Chris Kennedy He had been the ambassador to the Court of St. James, England, and I think he had a clear view that after World War II, the country would remain free from the grip of the Great Depression, and that it would enjoy great prosperity—that Chicago was uniquely positioned as the transportation center of the country. With the interstate system and most railroads traveling through Chicago in the great inland port, and that building the Merchandise Mart, and the land around it would become incredibly valuable over the next few decades. So, I think he was playing the long game, and had great faith in the country at that time.

Chicago Municipal Device

Julie Jonlich You and your family are active stewards of the land. What has that been like, and what does the future hold? Chris Kennedy There were any number of opportunities in the '70s, the '80s, the '90s [and] the first decade of this century to develop the land, and none of it seemed right to us. We also have a long view—our grandfather taught us that. It was our belief that if we waited and did the right thing, that the vagaries of the economy, the tax considerations, the zoning issues, that none of that would matter if we did something great and important for the City of Chicago. I think we waited, and as a result, we have a project that we can be proud of and our children can be proud of. And I hope they’ll continue to hold on to it for their lifetimes as well. Julie Jonlich What inspired you? Where did you start with the Wolf Point redevelopment idea? Chris Kennedy View eastward from Wolf Point, circa 1885 - Chicago History Museum The Merchandise Mart was built as the largest building in the world. It’s their firm "embraces filled with showrooms of manufacturers from different industries from “He did not think his children’s job was to simply make money and enjoy a life of leisure. He wanted the civic responsibility of tall buildings... designing architecture that all across the globe. We ran about 90 trade shows, them active and involved in the communities they contributes to the cities in which they are built." many in the mart, some were part of—whether that was Boston, New York What do you think? of them in other locations all around the United or the country itself. And he sacrificed and his Chris Kennedy States. And when you see all those industries children sacrificed for this country.” “I think Fred Clarke and his firm have designed at work, you realize that the manufacturers, the - Chris Kennedy on his grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. the defining building in 20 different cities around retailers that succeed in And we thought, 'What happens if we measure the world, and probably that cut-throat environment are the ones that our decisions and ourselves by being the best at nobody has given more thought to the role focus on being the best at what they do. I what we do? Let’s decide who the best architect of a skyscraper in a community. His buildings think we took what we saw in those markets is, and pick that architect and get out of the have been known for being some of the tallest and applied them as best [as] we could to way. Let’s choose the best landscape designer, in the world at the time they were constructed. development. and let them choose and get out of their way, But that’s not really what he talks about. He’s and so forth.' I think that’s what we’ve done. very civic-minded. He understands culture and When you bring all the community, and the effect on humanity— of those individual the human scale and what we respond to entities, each of which as individuals. It isn’t awe and shock: it’s are dedicated to be the welcoming and humanity that drives his best at what they do at design. That makes it a pleasant place to walk their craft together in into. one place, you create Certainly when you’re across the river, you’re something special. struck by the gracefulness and enormity of Julie Jonlich the building. But when you walk into the Architect Fred Clarke building, it’s not overpowering. That lobby of Pelli Clark Pelli may be incredible, but the scale down at the has said, “Chicago furniture level and the lighting and where the is rediscovering its trim points exist, help reinforce this notion river…its civic nature, that it’s a human scale that’s very different openness, welcoming than just having a large empty box. And I think

Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in London in March quality,” and that Fred Clarke’s vision around doing something 1938 with his wife Rose (his left) and his children Kathleen, Continued on page 42

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“We need to see ourselves as something bigger than individuals—that land that exists is part of a block, and that block that exists is part of a street, and that street is part of a city, that city, that neighborhood is part of a great state and our country, too. And somehow in every decision that we make, we need to contribute for all of those things to make ourselves proud of the accomplishments that we make our life's work.”

Wolf Point East interior

Photography by Pawel Dmytrow; image courtesy of Luxury Living Chicago Realty

Continued from page 39

for humanity, something that we react to at a human level, rather than at a city-amazement level, is really genius. Julie Jonlich The building (WPE) is a series of offset planes, landing lightly within a park, with its stepped profile being the same at the bottom as it is at the top. If it were turned upside down, its profile would be the same—a rich connection to Burnham’s grid system in Chicago. What inspired the planes? Chris Kennedy One of the things that is the reward for working with genius is this: you end up doing things that are counterintuitive; you end up doing things that would have never occurred; you end up doing things that are great, that are, let’s say, visionary, but beyond the horizon; and that’s what occurred with Wolf Point. The notion of giving up the retail space on the lower levels of the building—that would be crazy talk in a regular development; that’s often the most valuable part of the building. [In] some buildings, their retail footprint accounts for more than the value of the entire upper floors, and Fred was able to convince us that we should do something great for the city, and that we would be rewarded in doing that in ways that we could not expect. He thought that if we gave up the retail, we would get greater value on the upper floors, and people would flock to be a part of something that was set in a park and not above a mall. That’s hard to swallow, but when you’re dealing with someone that great, they can be convincing. They can share their vision, their experience, their lifetime of incredible works, and form what we’re doing in Chicago, and I think that’s what happened with Fred Clarke. Julie Jonlich What’s your favorite aspect of the redevelopment? Chris Kennedy I think there’s really nowhere else you can live directly on the river, without you and Wacker Drive between you and the river, or other buildings between you and the river. I’ve spent my whole 35 years in Chicago working along the river, but never this close—never where I felt like I could reach out my window and touch it. Certainly if you had a tennis ball, you could drop it in the water from our building. And that notion that we’re tied to the water, the lake and the river, the environment is that proximate—that we haven’t abandoned it as we’ve moved into the city—that nature continues to form our lives—that we can have it all, in the sense that we can have a dense community and nature too. I think that’s the great riddle of mankind in this century: how can we all be together without abandoning our planet? And Fred has found a way to do that in Chicago. Julie Jonlich What do you think your grandfather Joseph would be most proud of with the way things turned out? Chris Kennedy For his own family, his own wealth, I think he had a very human and community-oriented vision for what those great assets should do. He did not think his children’s job was to simply make money and enjoy a life of leisure. He wanted them active and involved in the communities they were part of—whether that was Boston, New York or the country itself. And he sacrificed and his children sacrificed for this country. I think in some ways, Wolf Point is a testament to that legacy—that notion that we need to see ourselves as something bigger than individuals—that land that exists is part of a block, and that block that exists is part of a street, and that street is part of a city, that city, that neighborhood is part of a great state and our country, too. And somehow in every decision that we make, we need to contribute for all of those things to make ourselves proud of the accomplishments that we make our life's work, and I think he would see what has occurred on Wolf Point as part of that legacy. I think one thing about Wolf Point that’s really interesting to me is the notion that it exists on that peninsula. It is part of the city, but also apart. It gives people a little bit of an oasis where they can still be a part of the city. I think the people that move into Wolf Point look for ways to participate in the greater community, and we hope that notion of involvement will be a part of the building people’s lives forever. 