Historic Nichols Towers gets new life in Homan Square

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The original Sears Tower reopened Tuesday as a hub for art, culture and workforce development.

The Nichols Tower in Homan Square used to be the headquarters for Sears Roebuck. It's gone through extensive rehabs and renovations, a project that took some 25 years.

"We have a history in this city of taking the old and reinventing it for the new and the future," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Some of the new tenants include The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Free Spirit Media, which teaches disadvantage youth about media production.