More on Zara Younan

Yesterday I quoted Zara Younan, who was looking to buy a building here in town from The John Buck Co. The Sun-Times has an interesting profile on Younan today and his quest to build the world's tallest building, perhaps in Chicago.

Based on this story, Younan reminds me of a restaurateur in the Chicago area from my childhood named Sam Sutter. Sam's most famous place was the King's Palace steakhouse, which, for you Chicagoans, was located on the current site of the Honda, Infiniti, Volvo, etc. dealers in Rt. 53 in Lisle. (It burned down in the 1970s.) Sam was an immigrant (from Armenia, if I recall correctly) who wore his Americanism on his sleeve. Younan reminds me of Sutter, and that is a good thing in my opinion.

My only concern? He's not the first guy whose has wanted to build the world's tallest building. The cost will be huge (to borrow a Donald Trump-ism), and the last person who tried to do this in Chicago, alas, failed. I nonetheless wish him well. People with moxie are often what make this market work.

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