Remember the Chicago Spire , uberarchitect Santiago Calatrava’s new building that was set to become the nation’s tallest? At 2000ft, it would’ve dwarfed the Willis Tower. Excitement was high (pun!), and nicknames for the twisting design abounded – The Twizzler, The Drill Bit, The Vibrator among them. Developers broke ground in 2007, but construction came screeching to a halt in late 2008 when the economy went limp and funds dried up. Now there’s a dormant 76ft-deep, 110ft-wide hole in the ground at downtown’s pricey edge. The developers vow they’ll get the money and finish the Spire. If not, it might live up to its less savory nickname: ‘The Big Screw.’
