Editing Willis Tower (section)

==== Syndicate ownership ====
In March 2004, MetLife announced that it would sell the building to a group of investors,<ref name="AP NEWS 2004">{{cite web | title=MetLife Selling Chicago's Sears Tower | website=AP NEWS | date=March 12, 2004 | url=https://apnews.com/article/ee67fc8300904659abe80fd65411caee | access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Corfman 2004">{{cite web | last=Corfman | first=Thomas A. | title=Group to buy Sears Tower for $835 million | website=Chicago Tribune | date=March 12, 2004 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-03-12-0403120203-story.html | access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref> including [[Joseph Chetrit]], [[Joseph Moinian]], [[Lloyd Goldman]], [[Joseph Cayre]], and [[Jeffrey Feil]] of New York, as well as American Landmark Properties of [[Skokie, Illinois]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 1, 2004|title=Biz Briefs|work=Chicago Sun-Times|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1527288.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026073212/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1527288.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2012|access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref> The quoted price was $840&nbsp;million, with $825&nbsp;million held in a mortgage.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 30, 2004|title=Biz Briefs|work=Chicago Sun-Times|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118314848.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026073220/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118314848.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2012|access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref> Two years later, in February 2007, the Sears Tower's owners obtained a $780&nbsp;million loan from [[UBS]].<ref name="Crain's Chicago Business 2007">{{cite web | title=Sears Tower's owners complete refinancing | website=Crain's Chicago Business | date=February 1, 2007 | url=https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20070201/CRED03/200023711/sears-tower-s-owners-complete-refinancing | access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref> At the time, UBS valued the tower at $1.2&nbsp;billion.<ref name="Diesenhouse 2007">{{cite web | last=Diesenhouse | first=Susan | title=Sears Tower: Tall bill to fill | website=Chicago Tribune | date=August 12, 2007 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-08-12-0708110027-story.html | access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Willis Tower night 2.jpg|thumb|The tower at night in 2009]]

Since 2007, the owners had considered plans for the construction of a hotel on the north side of Jackson Boulevard, between Wacker Drive and Franklin Street, close to the entrance of the observation deck, above the tower's underground parking garage. According to the tower's owners, the second building was considered in the original design. The plan was eventually cancelled as city zoning did not permit construction of such a tall building in that location.<ref>{{Cite web|first=David|last=Roeder|title=Tall order for Tower?; Sears Tower owners to press city for zoning change, subsidy to add 2nd building as part of mega-million-dollar project next to landmark|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=October 12, 2007|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8884264.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102173519/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8884264.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012|access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref> In February 2009, the owners announced they were considering a plan to paint the structure silver, an idea that was later abandoned. It was hoped that a new, silver, paint-job would "rebrand" the building and highlight its advances in energy efficiency for an estimated cost of $50&nbsp;million.<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/1448083,CST-FIN-roeder25.article "Sears Tower in silver?"], ''Chicago Sun-Times'', February 25, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217125635/http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/1448083,CST-FIN-roeder25.article |date=February 17, 2010 }}</ref>

Although Sears' [[naming rights]] expired in 2003, the building continued to be called the Sears Tower for several years, despite multiple changes in ownership. In March 2009, London-based insurance broker [[Willis Group Holdings]] agreed to lease a portion of the building and obtained the naming rights.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/mar/12/business/chi-biz-sears-tower-name-change-willis-march12 |title=Sears Tower name to change to Willis Tower |date=March 12, 2009 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419220724/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/mar/12/business/chi-biz-sears-tower-name-change-willis-march12 |archive-date=April 19, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Cullotta|first=Karen Ann|date=March 13, 2009|title=Illinois: New Name for the Sears Tower|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/us/13brfs-NEWNAMEFORTH_BRF.html|access-date=September 12, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On July 16, 2009, the building was officially renamed the Willis Tower.<ref name=podmolik/><ref name="NBC News 2009">{{cite web | title=Willis who? Sears Tower gets new name | website=NBC News | date=July 16, 2009 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna31945093 | access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref> By 2011, the building's owners were considering selling a partial ownership stake, or even the entire building, to an investor.<ref name="Jonas 2011">{{cite web | last=Jonas | first=Ilaina | title=Exclusive: Owners of former Sears Tower seek investor | website=U.S. | date=June 1, 2011 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-searstower-idUSTRE7506BJ20110601 | access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref> The next year, [[United Airlines]] announced it would move its corporate headquarters from [[77 West Wacker Drive]] to the Willis Tower.<ref name="news-gazette1" />