Jordan Moving Inside

See the Michael Jordan statue inside a building in this artist's rendering?  Think it looks out of place?  Even if you think so, this image will become reality by the fall of 2016.

The statue is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chicago.  However, its current outdoor location on the east side of the United Center will soon be swallowed up by a new office building for Bulls and Blackhawks employees.  During construction, the Jordan statue, along with the ones of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, will be moved to the southeast corner of the arena.  Upon completion of the new building, the statues will reside in a ground-floor public atrium.

This means the current unlimited access to the statues will give way to access only when the building is open.  A Bulls spokesperson has gone on record to say the Jordan statue's popularity is in mind and efforts will be made to keep it as accessible as possible.  Details haven't been worked out yet, but fans are not being discouraged from making pilgrimages to the statue as they always have.

What saddens me about this is the Jordan statue outside the United Center is a major draw for people and it was one of the first things I remember about visiting the building.  I had quite a few pictures taken with it as a kid and I'm sure many of you did too.  For a time, Jordan himself had the rare distinction of having his own statue just outside the building he played in.  Having the statue inside during his playing days would have dampened the effect and I'm pretty sure it does now.

That outdoor location has been shown in movies and gotten plenty of attention in both Bulls and Blackhawks championship films.  Even in the most recent Bulls introduction video released this year, the attention is on that statue for a few seconds.  Heck, it's been shown in that same spot for every incarnation of that intro since the building opened in 1994.  If showing that statue is important, I'm sure they'll find some way to work around the problem in that next version, but I just don't know if it will feel right.

The current location will be greatly missed, but the United Center complex has undergone more changes this decade than it ever did before.  I suppose there are times when you have to let go of memories in the name of progress.  So get your pictures of that statue where it is while you still can.  Once that chance is gone, it's gone forever.