5 MIN READ -- The Weather Bell has been a long-standing landmark in the Loop for 75 years. Now it's being restored for a different era.
So, what is the Loop Weather Bell, and what makes it so iconic?
On the northwest corner of the Rector Building at 79 W. Monroe sits the iconic weather bell. The weather bell first came into the picture in 1951, when Bell Savings & Loan Association took over the building. Employees put the weather bell sign on the building, including a clock, so passersby could see the anticipated weather and the time. The acrylic bell changed colors to alert passersby of coming weather conditions.
In the age before smartphones, this was incredibly helpful, as people couldn't rely on their personal devices to check the weather.
What do the colors mean?
In the Chicago Sun-Times' recent article on the weather bell, they shared a little rhyme former employees used to note what the different colors mean:
When Weather Bell is emerald green
No Change in temperature is foreseen
When Weather Bell is glowing red
Warmer Weather is ahead
When Weather Bell is gleaming gold
A temperature drop is foretold
When Weather Bell is in agitation
Prepare yourself for precipitation
The weather bell sign hasn't worked for years, but that's now changing.
R2 Companies, a private equity real estate firm, is working on redeveloping the Rector Building which is where the sign is located.
This redevelopment project is a $64 million residential conversion project of the Rector Building, and a small piece of this will be used to restore the Weather Bell.
Small improvements to the sign include upgrading the Bell's lighting and installing controls to enhance the weather detection capabilities.
Now, the weather bell will be renamed "Bellwether" to honor the building's new name after the restoration is complete, "The Bellwether Residences".
The next time you are at the corner of 79 W. Monroe, take a look up at the weather bell and note the color; it just might predict the forecast for the remainder of your day!
You can view the video version of this article linked here.
