168:365 Formerly Known as Carson's. . .

Once a mecca for shoppers both near and far, Chicago's State Street has lost it's greatest retailers - first, the store formerly known as Marshall Field's (if you're local, you'll know why I won't even say the name of the current store in its place).

Then, Carson Pirie Scott - it used to live in this magnificent structure at 1 South State. The building was designed by Louis Sullivan to be the department store it was, and is a National Historic Landmark. The building is now called the Sullivan Center and is slated to become the latest craze, a "multi-use building."

The building itself is an excellent example of what came to be known as the "Chicago School" of architecture. This decorative iron scrollwork is generally credited to George Grant Elmslie, who was Sullivan's chief draftsman after Frank Lloyd Wright left the firm.

The building has stood empty since Carson's left it in 2007. The ironwork was renovated in late 2010. It really is magnificent, isn't it? They say a Target might occupy the lower floors . . . to me it's quite a comedown from Carson's.

"Bitter, Party of One, your table is ready!"

Change is hard . . .