Established in 1936, Abt Electronics is one of the nation's leading independent retailers of consumer electronics and appliances.

According to Bob Taylor, director of operations for the family-owned business, the firm has literally run out of space at its existing 130,000 sf building on Waukegan Road in north suburban Morton Grove. "Although Abt has only occupied our present Morton Grove building since 1990, we previously added 50,000 sf in 1996 and have outgrown the expanded facility just four years later. The new building has more than adequate square footage to accommodate our needs for many years, and the site is large enough to allow us to enlarge the building as necessary in the future." Construction is planned for September 2001.

Designed by Karl Heitman, president, Heitman Architects, the building's facade facing Milwaukee Avenue is distinguished by a two-story glass entry, multiple dormers, decorative carriage lights and clerestory windows. Immediately inside the foyer is Abt's 58,000-sf showroom, which connects to a columned courtyard with a two-story skylit atrium. The courtyard will contain special sales vignettes displaying state-of-the-art home entertainment and upscale kitchen products.