600 West Chicago was built in 1901 as the Montgomery Ward catalog building. In 2001, it was repurposed as an office building and played a role in expanding the River North submarket. O'Brien says that what has really kept the property appealing since then is the ownership's commitment to adding new amenities. Construction has commenced for a rooftop deck, renovated plaza, expanded river walk and a water taxi service from the West Loop's Ogilvie Transportation Center. The building already has a significant amenity set which includes restaurants, parking, fitness facility and a dedicated shuttle service.

The plaza is already an extension of existing tenants' workspaces, where employees can take their laptops and work on projects while getting out of the office. And the rooftop deck will provide even more such opportunities. “This is not going to be some 10' by 10' platform,” says O'Brien. 600 W. Chicago has a much larger roof than most other office properties, and this deck will include a bar, fire pits, TVs, in addition to the remarkable views of the river and the skyline. “This is going to be more like a roof-top park.”

CHICAGO—The 1.49 million square foot building at 600 W. Chicago Ave. is now fully leased, another sign of the downtown office market's remarkable vitality, especially the submarket of River North, which continues to attract more than its share of creative office users. The Telos Group LLC, which handles leasing for owner Equity Commonwealth, reached the milestone after VSA Partners renewed their commitment to 600 W. Chicago with a new lease for 51,422 square feet.

“It's been a perfect match between an interesting property and an owner that gets it; one committed to keeping the property modern and current,” Jack O'Brien, executive vice president of Telos, tells GlobeSt.com. Furthermore, all of the companies in the 600 building, such as Groupon, seem to attract a young workforce that gives the building an energy and vibe that makes it even more appealing to tenants. “It's almost like a college campus; you really feel the energy.”

VSA Partners is a branding and marketing company with offices in Chicago, New York and Detroit. Their initial lease at the vast mid-rise structure along the river was signed in mid-2011. The Colliers International team of Thomas Volini and Sven Sykes represented VSA Partners. “VSA's extended commitment allows them to expand and strengthen their brand and at the same time secured high-quality space within an improving building environment given the amenities being delivered,” says Volini.

Other notable recent leasing activity includes the expansion and extension of the leases for Groupon and Lightbank Cos., the new lease and subsequent expansion with Uptake and other renewals with rEvolution, Innerworkings, Freeman Decorating and Integramed.

600 West Chicago was built in 1901 as the Montgomery Ward catalog building. In 2001, it was repurposed as an office building and played a role in expanding the River North submarket. O'Brien says that what has really kept the property appealing since then is the ownership's commitment to adding new amenities. Construction has commenced for a rooftop deck, renovated plaza, expanded river walk and a water taxi service from the West Loop's Ogilvie Transportation Center. The building already has a significant amenity set which includes restaurants, parking, fitness facility and a dedicated shuttle service.

The plaza is already an extension of existing tenants' workspaces, where employees can take their laptops and work on projects while getting out of the office. And the rooftop deck will provide even more such opportunities. “This is not going to be some 10' by 10' platform,” says O'Brien. 600 W. Chicago has a much larger roof than most other office properties, and this deck will include a bar, fire pits, TVs, in addition to the remarkable views of the river and the skyline. “This is going to be more like a roof-top park.”