DOWNTOWN — The alderman who put up Donald Trump's honorary street sign in Chicago 10 years ago has no problem taking it down now — especially since Trump started trashing Chicago.
Former Ald. Burt Natarus (42nd), who sponsored the ordinance decreeing the honorary "Trump Plaza" along North Wabash Avenue in 2006, says the controversial presidential candidate was an "absolutely different human being" when he was pitching his 98-story tower on the Chicago River.
Natarus, the city's Downtown alderman for nearly 40 years, said Trump was a "nice guy" when he met him at a Fourth of July party 15 years ago at Trump's palatial Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
His opinion has since changed.
"Especially after the negative remarks [about Chicago]," Natarus, 82, said. "Why should we honor him if he doesn't like the city?"
RELATED: Trump Likens Chicago to 'War-Torn Country' In Presidential Debate
The sign is gone after being reported stolen last week. But its days were already numbered after Natarus' successor, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), and 46 other aldermen moved to take it down in light of Trump's polarizing campaign.
When the sign disappeared last week, it was Reilly's office who reported it stolen to the police, according to the police report.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, no fan of Trump's, has an alibi for the day of the sign's theft — Yom Kippur.
"I was in synagogue," he told reporters last week.
A spokesman for the city's department of transportation, which installs and removes street signs, somewhat condemned the theft.
"We do not condone the theft of city signs, even if the subject of the honorary sign is not honorable," the spokesman, Michael Claffey, said in a statement.
Natarus served as alderman while the city set up the honorary street system in 1984. He said he approved countless honorary streets during his time on the City Council — including Secretary of State Jesse White and barkeep Butch McGuire.
And Trump.
"When he came to town then he wasn't controversial," Natarus said. "The controversy started when he started trying to repeal the [tower's condo] sales, try to do it over again."
Though he's OK with removing Trump's sign, Natarus doesn't think Chicago's honorary streets should become political. Many Republicans have honorary streets, he said.
Natarus said Trump put a "beautiful building" in the city's skyline, but has now crossed the line.
"This is the best city in the world," Natarus said. "If it wasn't so great how come all the developers are building so many buildings?"
RELATED STORIES:
Trump’s Chicago Street Sign Was Stolen, Police Say
We'll Put Back Trump's Street Sign When He Releases His Taxes, Rahm Jokes
Why Does Donald Trump Have A Chicago Street Named After Him?
Hundreds Gather Outside Trump Tower To Protest His Treatment Of Women
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
