ON THE WATER

On Point

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 ? 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. Map of Chicago circa 1833 David Rumsy Map collection/public domain. 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 Chicago Municipal Devicearea and settlement had grown up around the river-fork. By 1857, the site of Wolf Point This prominent property on the north bank tavern was being used as a lumberyard, and was of the river was sold from department store home to the Fulton Elevator, one of Chicago’s giant Marshall Field to American businessman earliest grain elevators. Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. after World War II. Under-developed for a long time, today, Wolf

As the city grew, so did Wolf Point’s Point refers to a plot of land on the north bank importance. In 1917, the city adopted the at the fork that is owned by the Kennedy family. municipal device of Chicago. This familiar

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.

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 The Merchandise Mart was built as the largest building in the world. It’s filled with showrooms of manufacturers from different industries from all across the globe. We ran about 90 trade shows, many in the mart, some of them in other locations all around the United States. And when you see all those industries at work, you realize that the manufacturers, the retailers that succeed in that cut-throat environment are the ones that focus on being the best at what they do. I think we took what we saw in those markets and applied them as best [as] we could to development. And we thought, 'What happens if we measure our decisions and ourselves by being the best at what we do? Let’s decide who the best architect is, and pick that architect and get out of the way. Let’s choose the best landscape designer, and let them choose and get out of their way, their firm "embraces the civic responsibility of tall buildings... designing architecture that contributes to the cities in which they are built." What do you think? Chris Kennedy “I think Fred Clarke and his firm have designed the defining building in 20 different cities around the world, and probably nobody has given more thought to the role of a skyscraper in a community. His buildings have been known for being some of the tallest in the world at the time they were constructed. But that’s not really what he talks about. He’s View eastward from Wolf Point, circa 1885 - Chicago History Museum “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.”?- Chris Kennedy on his grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. 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.”