In October 1997, as Marina City laid to rest its parent, Bertrand Goldberg, the rebirth of the “city within a city” was underway.

There had been two minor fires in the still-vacant office building. The last one – on the day before Goldberg died – was caused by workers with blowtorches. But otherwise, everything was moving along well.

The office building was being gutted in preparation for a new House of Blues hotel, to complement the House of Blues venue in the complex that had been in business for about a year.

In late January 1998, AMF Bowling Inc. announced it would build a $5 million, 40,000 square foot, 32-lane bowling center at Marina City. It would be later be scaled down to 26 lanes but would open on the lower level of the former office building.

Marina City circa 1998, from across State Street.

It wasn’t until February 26, 1998 – more than two years after plans for the hotel were announced – that a company was selected to operate the hotel.

Loews Hotels, a chain of 14 hotels, based in New York, was chosen. Loews had owned and operated the Ambassador East and Ambassador West hotels in Chicago from 1965 to 1972.

Other hotel deals were being made nearby in 1998. Hotel Allegro was scheduled to open in March. Oxford House would soon be transformed into the Hotel Monaco.

Originally, the House of Blues hotel was planned as a low-end facility for younger visitors to the blues club. Over time, House of Blues Hospitality, a subsidiary of Nomura Asset Capital Corporation, decided they wanted to attract a broader clientele, including business travelers.

Despite a flamboyant lobby in an eclectic mix of styles, Jeff Lapin, president of House of Blues Hospitality, didn’t want to call it a “themed” hotel, a concept that was starting to emerge in the late 1990s.

“The problem with themes is that they go out of fashion,” he told the Chicago Tribune.

The final room count was 372. The House of Blues hotel would open in September.

New use for the skating rink

In May 1998, Smith & Wollensky opened to favorable restaurant reviews.

Executive Chef Hans Aeschbacher oversaw preparation of upscale dishes such as steak, lobster, salmon, and pastry desserts.

With 13 restaurants nationwide, The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group claims it is the largest-grossing à la carte restaurant in the U.S.

The company was founded in 1977 by Alan Stillman, who years earlier had borrowed $5,000 from his mother to start the first T.G.I. Friday’s in Manhattan.

The wooden building that replaced the skating rink was painted forest green, with white trim and latticework. The company described the interior of the restaurant as “a turn-of-the-century casual elegance, with shining brass, polished wood floors and dark wood accents.”

The design probably had admirers, but they weren’t at Bertrand Goldberg Associates. In his 1999 interview with Betty Blum, BGA architect Ben Honda called it an “ugly, monstrous thing.”

Honda says he and Goldberg fought the design and suggested alternatives, but they were told it was too far along to change.

“They gave us that ugly monstrosity there,” he said, “which is an absolute disgrace on that site.”