ALA'S current Chicago headquarters are located at adjoining buildings at 50 E. Huron and 40 E. Huron St. in the River North section.
CHICAGO—After putting its headquarters complex in River North on the market for sale last September, the American Library Association reports it has sold the buildings at 50 E. Huron and 40 E. Huron St. here.
The ALA reports that it will relocate its Chicago operations to Michigan Plaza at 225 N. Michigan Ave. in the spring of 2020. The ALS did not disclose the buyer or financial terms of the sale transaction.
ALA staff will continue to occupy the buildings on Huron until the new office buildout, designed by architecture firm NELSON, is complete. The move will provide ALA with modernized workspace, including enhanced meeting space, the association states.
"We are thrilled that, after many years of study, research, and discussion, the transfer of a valuable real estate to ALA's endowment fund is at last complete," ALA president Wanda Brown says. "Of course, it is bittersweet to be leaving our home of so many decades. But ALA is focused on the future and is optimistic about all that it holds."
Dedicated in 1963, the building at 50 E. Huron served ALA for nearly two decades before the association built an extension in the parking lot it owned next door. In 1981, the building at 40 E. Huron opened for business. The two connected buildings have housed the association's staff since then.
"50 E. Huron is a landmark in the library world," says ALA executive director Mary W. Ghikas. "We've heard from our members that visiting is a kind of pilgrimage. However, the spirit of ALA does not reside at any fixed address. We look forward to carrying on our work on behalf of librarians, library workers and libraries in our new home on Michigan Avenue."
Cushman & Wakefield worked on the sale of the ALA headquarters buildings. Last September, the ALA announced it had listed the complex for sale and was exploring the Chicago real estate market for new space.
Since February of 2018, ALA worked with Cushman & Wakefield to examine its headquarters facilities. A Workplace Assessment and Scenario Analysis found the current headquarters configuration—on multiple floors in two buildings—makes collaboration difficult and potentially stymies innovation and that moving to a more efficient workspace would reduce occupancy costs.
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John Jordan
John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.
