The Harold Washington Library is a topnotch facility and a new theater district at Lake Street is taking shape. The downtown environment has become attractive not only to home buyers, but also to companies in search of locations where their employees will be happy. High-tech companies especially, the new ventures dependent on a young, hip workforce, are starting to notice Chicago. Employees of the new high-tech firms like the urban milieu and cultural offerings of downtown, while the companies are drawn to the infrastructure and networking potential of the greater Loop. Many projects he reviews and designs personally, so much care and thought goes into it.
People feel so much better about the city.
It facilitates more interaction and activity on the street. There is a perception of lower crime, and it has a multiplier effect that results in real economic investment. City investment in downtown has been complemented by new institutional, entertainment and residential uses. Columbia College, the Art Institute and DePaul University all have been buying and refurbishing property. New restaurants, clubs and stores have been opening throughout the area, helping to fulfill the administration's vision of a 24-hour downtown.