Arthur Rubloff and the Grinding Politics of Renewal in Chicago, 1947 to 1986

Abstract

Between the 1940s and 1960s, Arthur Rubloff established a formidable presence in Chicago real estate development and in the city’s urban renewal programs. And yet, not even a skilled operator like Rubloff and members of his network of business executives possessed the savvy, clout, and resources to bring all or most of their projects to a successful conclusion. Nor were the fabled Mayor Richard J. Daley and his allies in the Central Area Committee able to achieve the prerequisite unity to “renew” downtown Chicago. Rubloff surely brought greater heft and glitz to his high-priced proposals than African Americans and Puerto Ricans could muster to defend their homes and modest businesses from renewal projects. Renewal politics in downtown Chicago turned into a decades-long, grinding affair.