The mystery over who put up an igloo in the median of a busy downtown street has been solved.
David Sudler, 58, says he’s the man behind the house made of ice blocks on Wacker Drive, about a block east of Michigan Avenue. And he did it without any help, he says.
Sudler, who lives in a nearby high-rise, used ice he cleared from the streets, sidewalks and intersections—where people could slip and fall—to build the igloo. In addition to helping out pedestrians, he said he also wanted to draw attention to the surrounding buildings and businesses that fail to clear the ice for pedestrians.
“I didn’t want people falling. I started chopping the ice up and decided to cut it into squares and rectangles. I’d move it at night when there was less traffic and it was safer,” Sudler said. “I sort of felt like an elf.”
And yes, he enjoys creating a bit of a spectacle.
“I like doing things that make people say, ‘Ooooo, how did that happen? Where did that come from?’ ” Sudler said with a chuckle.
Sudler, a retired boilermaker, began cutting and hauling the ice blocks to the intersection during the days and nights following New Year’s Eve. When a picture of the igloo first surfaced Tuesday on Reddit, some speculated that it was the work of a homeless man, but Sudler confirmed that he lives in an apartment at Columbus and Wacker drives—the same intersection where the igloo went up.
This week, passersby, many of whom pulled out phones to get a picture, seemed intrigued by the igloo, which stood about 4 feet tall and could fit about two adults—sitting—comfortably. One man said “Only in Chicago” as he shook his head, smiled and walked by the igloo.
Just how long it will survive remains to be seen.
On Thursday, temperatures were above freezing, and the mercury was expected to hit the low to mid 40s on Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
The city of Chicago didn’t immediately respond when asked whether the igloo could remain on the median.
