Old being turned into new in the West Loop’s Igoe Building.

I just read from Skyscraperpage’s ’spyguy’ that the Igoe Building, located at 600 W. Van Buren Street in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, is being renovated…but for office or residential?!  When researching the background of the name, either the Igoe Building was named after a printer or was named after James T. Igoe, a former U.S. representative who was as Chicago’s city clerk from 1917 - 1923 and was later chairman of the executive committee of Chicago.  For the past year, whenever I’ve gone past this building, I’ve thought the the Igoe Building would make a great loft condo building because of the massive windows but we’ll see.  The 285,900 square foot former industrial turned loft office building already has a Panera Bread opening up on the ground floor.

Plans for a fully renovated Igoe Building.

Current look of the Igoe Building.

Huge retail transformation for Presidential Towers in the West Loop!

Retail leases launch Presidential Towers redevelopment

By Eddie Baeb, Aug. 12, 2009

(Crain’s) — A health club and a trendy breakfast restaurant have signed leases to become the first new retail tenants at Presidential Towers in the West Loop, paving the way for a major redevelopment to take place beginning later this year.

Chicago-based Fitness Formula Ltd. has leased 52,043 square feet that will be spread over two levels along Clinton Street, where a glass-enclosed, three-story atrium will be built to replace a loading dock there now.

The restaurant Yolk has leased 4,200 square feet just south of the new gym that will also front Clinton between Madison and Monroe streets.

A big thanks to ChicagoRealEstateDaily.com for the article.  I am 110% for this project and only wish it could start construction earlier than they’re saying.  Right now, the Presidential Towers retail and parking podium is a huge, blank, brick wall and is basically an indoor mall but now, this will make it so the storefronts are facing the outside…the more modern version of a mall. 

Check out the full article by clicking HERE!

 

Renovation brings a JW Marriott hotel into a Daniel Burnham designed building in the Loop.

Slated for a June 2010 opening, a new JW Marriott Chicago will be located at 151 West Adams Street in a converted Daniel Burnham designed bank building after a lengthy $369M restoration.  When finished, the JW Marriott Chicago will include 609 large guestrooms, 125 luxury suites, two ballrooms, and 48,000 square feet of meeting and event space.  Included in the newly renovated building is a 20,000 square foot spa which is an amenity not usually found in most Loop hotels. 

I’m excited for the JW Marriott Chicago to be finished for a couple reasons.  First, I am always a huge proponent of the smart re-use of an old and historically significant building especially when many are being torn down without much thought.  Secondly, this part of the Loop becomes a ghost town after 5pm.  With the W Hotel – City Center right across the street at 172 West Adams Street, I am hoping more restaurants and shops will choose to move here and stay open longer.