Chicago
Chicago is home to many of the most powerful corporations area offices. This has made it a focal point for ISA re-development. The new corporate sponsored buildings are gradually overtaking the old city.
Whole sections of downtown Chicago have already been assimilated into the corporate vision of the future. The business District and popular nightspots have been this way for years now.
The major problem that has been facing the workers is the number of people that they find living in the old city. After many of the old buildings were either destroyed in riots or left to crumble the poorer citizens took refuge in the old exposed basements or re-built whole parts of the old era buildings. This has caused BuRelock to be called into almost every construction in the city.
Fortunately for these folk now that BuReloc are focused on containing the carbon plague and rounding up any affected children They don't have time to clear out as many of the new building sites, which is slowing the re-construction of the city.
Wrigley Field: The stadium resisted change for many decades until finally it was sold to a network 54 subsidiary Sport Illinois. The stadium has been totally re-built and is now a gleaming spectacle of modern athletics. The site also houses the Chicago museum of sport. This museum contains sporting memorabilia and a history of Sport Illinois from its beginnings as several smaller television, radio, and team companies to the merger that firs created it and finally the building of the new Wrigley Field. The stadium is popular with most families; those from the Corpzones get a discount.
Lincoln Park: In the north of the city the park has not enjoyed the re-development of the corporations. It's Zoo the oldest in America is empty and the cages and enclosures stand empty the last of the animals having died of neglect years ago. The tropical greenhouses have few of their windows left and most of the plants have gone the same way as the animals the lakeside climate killing them off. The park playing fields have also fallen into disrepair. The entire park is a shadow of its former self, the trees and plants are withered and suffering under the harsh weather and acid rain.
Sears Tower: This building was completed the same year as the collapse. After this the building fell into disrepair being used as a pirate TV station as well as a centre for many small businesses that sprung up and collapsed over the years. Now it houses the area offices of network 54. Broadcasting over the Chicago area and co-ordinating the news coverage over the country.
Chicago Board of Trade: This building once the home of trade and commerce is now home to the Chicago offices of CorpSec. The position of the building giving the offices good access to the other corporate buildings as well as being a reminder of better times (for corporate prosperity anyway).
Wrigley Building: Completed in 1924 this is one of the oldest office building still standing and now serves as the area offices for Con Ag acquired after the Wrigley company was taken over by them in the late nineteen nineties. The building is also on of the last major offices before the CorpZone runs into the outside areas, the run down Old City.
Chicago Cultural Centre: This ancient building is hone to many exhibitions including the history of American TV and radio, this also include now sections on the virtual net and some examples of the old internet, as well as many interactive Net based exhibits about everything from Dinosaurs to Entomology. The emphasis here is no longer on cultural expansion but is now more excitement and entertainment. The Centre also has a large gift shop.
Grant Park: Sitting between the end of the CorpZone and the lakefront the park has been restored to what it was like when first opened. The fountains have been repaired and the whole area is open to the residents of the Zone. The lawns are made of Astroturf and the flowers are mainly artificial but it is still one of the most pleasant areas of the city and a venue for concerts during the summer.
EBM Building: Sitting across the river from the Wrigley building this 54-storey building is the area offices for EBM.
James R Thompson Centre: This building has been restored and is one of the most popular recreation areas for the CorpZoners. The centre has everything you would expect from a modern Mall and is safely in the heart of the Zone with little chance of undesirables finding their way in.
Arasaka JHC: Formerly the John Hancock centres this building the second tallest in the city is now the home to the Arasaka area office. The building has been extensively modified and now includes areas beneath the building for training and storage.
The Loop: This is the area enclosed by the circle of the elevated train lines. This is now a monorail that runs round the CorpZone and after changing at the station continues on older trains outside to the suburbs. The area itself is home to many shops businesses and eateries.
Chicago Medical Centre: This collection o buildings is home to the local CDC offices as well as research buildings, (studying the carbon plague), the BuReloc building and the hospital itself.
The University of Illinois: The university still continues to accept students and has turned out many of the rising stars of the ISA both politically and scientifically.
Club Blue: A dance club geared up for the juves of the CorpZone. All the music is pre-selected by crowd handler programming. The system registers the mood of the crowd and adjusts the temperature sounds and lighting to modify it appropriately.
The Bean: A VR coffeehouse authentically set out circa nineteen ninety. Many groups meet up here to go on to more interesting places or to go on to the many arcades, or even the synthetic zoo.
