STUMPERS LXXXI

PUZZLE RELAY 
Credit: GAMES Magazine - Dec. 2007
David Rosen (adapted)

The two five-letter words below are homophones that share the letters I and R, as shown.

_ _ _ IR
_ _ IR _

Determine the two words and then use three different pairs of letters, with no letters repeated, to precede the second word, such that the six preceding letters, when properly arranged, spell out the name of a midwestern US city.

Answer:

The words are CHOIR and QUIRE (24 or 25 sheets of paper).

ACQUIRE
INQUIRE
REQUIRE - - - RACINE (Wisconsin)