The Old Chicago Post Office

After sitting vacant for almost two decades and becoming an eye-sore and an impending danger to public safety, Chicago’s Old Post Office was brought back to life in a $1.2 billion renovation, the largest and most ambitious historic redevelopment in the United States.

• Phase One of the project was to address a court order filed by the City of Chicago, requiring nearly $140 million in work to ensure that the building was not an imminent danger to the public or the commuters who relied on the 40 train tracks and the Eisenhower Expressway located below the massive structure.
• Phase Two of the project featured over $125 million in complete replacement of the building’s water, mechanical and electrical infrastructure, along with a $10 million renovation of the Historic Lobby to garner interest in the building as a corporate destination.
• Additional phases included Chicago’s largest corporate fitness center, a state-of-the-art conferencing center for 30 – 500 guests, a library, a tenant lounge with a full commercial bar, bocce and pool tables, an indoor parking garage and over 4 acres of newly constructed outdoor space on the expansive roof.
• The roof, dubbed The Meadow, features a regulation basketball court, two heated paddle tennis courts, a covered bar and seating area and a 1/4 mile jogging path, in addition to over 50 species of native plantings. At ground level, From Here On is Chicago’s most eclectic food hall, with seating along the Northeast Plaza along the Chicago River.
• BEAR Construction Company was the prime General Contractor and directly managed over 30 contracts valued in excess of $450 million, as well as multiple owner contracts totaling an additional $200 million.