Illinois Center facts for kids
Illinois Center is a special area in downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. It's a "mixed-use" development, meaning it has a mix of homes, offices, shops, and other buildings. You can find it just east of Michigan Avenue.
What makes Illinois Center really unique is its streets. Most streets in Chicago have two levels: one for regular traffic and another lower level for service vehicles like delivery trucks. But in Illinois Center, the streets have three levels! There's an upper level for local traffic, a middle level for cars passing through, and a lowest level just for service vehicles. This helps keep traffic flowing smoothly.
History of Illinois Center
Illinois Center was built on land that used to be a big railroad yard for the Illinois Central Railroad. This means trains used to store and sort their cars here.
The very first building in Illinois Center was One Illinois Center. It was designed by a famous architect named Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and finished in 1970.
At first, only the western part of the old rail yards was built up. For a while, the eastern part was even turned into a temporary golf course on the lowest level where the trains used to be! Now, that golf course area has become a beautiful park. It's surrounded by many tall buildings and is part of a neighborhood called Lakeshore East.
Exploring the Area
The Illinois Center area is made up of four main blocks, plus a large section to the east.
- Western Border: To the west, you'll find Michigan Avenue, which has two levels.
- Rising Streets: Just east of Michigan Avenue, the upper street level rises even higher to become a third level. You can get onto this higher level from the west side of Illinois Center or from the east end of Upper Wacker Drive.
- Main Streets: Important streets like Stetson Avenue and Columbus Drive run north and south. Streets like Lake Street, South Water Street, and Wacker Drive run east and west. Randolph Street is just south of the main part and forms the southern edge of the eastern section.
All these streets have at least some parts with three levels. This clever design helps manage all the cars and trucks in a busy city like Chicago.
Buildings and Transportation
In the southern part of Illinois Center, you'll find Millennium Station. This is a train station where the Metra Electric Lines and the South Shore Line trains end their journeys. It's located between Michigan and Stetson Avenues.
Some very well-known buildings are also located near Illinois Center, just south of the main area. These include One Prudential Plaza, Two Prudential Plaza, and the Aon Center. These are all impressive skyscrapers that are part of Chicago's famous skyline.
Images for kids
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Illinois Center from above.
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Buildings along the Chicago River near Illinois Center.
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The old Illinois Central Railroad freight terminal in 1943, with famous Chicago buildings in the background.
