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Donald Trump's Honorary Sign Taken Down Outside His Chicago Tower

By David Matthews | October 13, 2016 1:38pm | Updated on October 13, 2016 5:48pm
 The honorary
The honorary "Trump Plaza" along the Trump International Hotel & Tower is no more.
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DNAinfo/David Matthews

RIVER NORTH — The honorary "Trump Plaza" along the Trump International Hotel & Tower is no more.

The brown sign honoring the controversial developer/presidential candidate is gone from North Wabash Avenue. The sign disappeared shortly after 47 aldermen and Mayor Rahm Emanuel moved to take it down last week. 

"We'll put the sign back up when he releases his taxes," Emanuel, a Democrat and supporter of Trump opponent Hillary Clinton, joked last week.

RELATED: We'll Put Back Trump's Street Sign When He Releases His Taxes, Rahm Jokes

The sign had been up since 2006, when Trump's 98-story tower on the Chicago River was still under construction. Former Ald. Burt Natarus (42nd) and Mayor Richard M. Daley sponsored the ordinance erecting the honorary street sign, but Trump's disparaging remarks about Chicago and various groups of people on the campaign trail have recently drawn the ire of local pols. 

The honorary "Trump Plaza" near the developer's namesake tower remained until this week. [DNAinfo/David Matthews]

RELATED: Why Does Donald Trump Have A Chicago Street Named After Him?

Trump likened Chicago to a "war-torn country" in last month's presidential debate, but his comments about immigrants and women also upset local aldermen, who cited the presidential candidate's "complete disregard for civil liberties" in their proposed ordinance. 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who said in August the sign was not even on his "top 100 list of priorities," led the push last week to take the sign down. Online records show the proposed ordinance still is pending in committee. The next City Council meeting is Nov. 1.  

It's unclear what happened to the sign. A City Hall source told DNAinfo Thursday afternoon that the Chicago Department of Transportation took the sign down. When asked, Michael Claffey, a Transportation Department spokesman, said its sign shop didn't know who removed the sign.

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"We do not condone the theft of city signs, even if the subject of the honorary sign is not honorable,"  Claffey said. 

Reilly tweeted that the sign was likely stolen.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, while making an appearance at a rally for Hillary Clinton near Trump Tower, said wasn't the thief.

"Did I swipe it? I was in synagogue," Emanuel said.

It wouldn't be the first time action was taken on an honorary street sign before there was full Council approval.

Over the summer, signs went up honoring community activist Hal Baskin in Englewood after Ald. Toni Foulkes (16th) submitted an ordinance to do so. But when Ald. Anthony Beale, chairman of the Transportation Committee, found out the signs were erected before the Council signed off on it, he had city workers take them down.

Those signs cost $1,400 to install, but officials didn't say how much it cost to remove them.

A representative for the Office of Chicago's City Clerk, which monitors local legislation, said the proposed ordinance wouldn't become law till Nov. 9, barring mayoral intervention. 

Representatives for Reilly, Emanuel and Trump Tower did not immediately return messages seeking comment. 

The honorary "Trump Plaza" along the Trump International Hotel & Tower is no more. [DNAinfo/David Matthews]

 

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