CHICAGO—Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. recently selected J.C. Anderson, Inc. to complete a multi-phased renovation for the Merchandise Mart at 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza in Chicago, the latest step in the iconic building's transformation into a home for tech firms like Yelp Inc. and Motorola Mobility.
"The Merchandise Mart has changed over the last few years from a building for showroom tenants into an office hub for tech-based tenants," William Burfeind, vice president of J.C. Anderson, Inc., tells GlobeSt.com, and it needs the types of amenities tech employees expect. The company's senior staff has completed multiple projects at the Merchandise Mart over the past 15 years, and this has "been a key interest of ours."
J.C. Anderson will reconfigure the layout of the existing food court to provide more seating, an abundance of natural light and new finishes. The most extensive renovations will include the installation of a grand staircase in the main lobby and creating a 2nd floor bar and restaurant area. The building will remain fully functional during construction, which will begin in the fourth quarter.
Most recently, the firm completed a 50,300 square foot build-out at the Merchandise Mart for Yelp. The build-out for Yelp, completed in January 2015, included the addition of a café, conference rooms, a training room, game/entertainment space, a genius bar as well as open work areas to create a more collaborative office environment.
Burfeind adds that he is seeing more building owners in River North and throughout the rest of the CBD launch repositioning efforts meant to increase their buildings' appeal to the growing tech workforce. "Our overall revenue is growing so this is certainly a trend that is good for us." About 30% of the company's revenue comes from building services contracts.
Burfeind and project executive Anthony Douglas will lead the construction team for J.C. Anderson. A+I from New York and Valerio Dewalt Train Associates are providing the architectural services.
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Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
