Renovated Old Post Office building unveiled ahead of Uber, businesses moving in
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Decades of decay will now be a memory as the Old Post Office begins a new life.
After an $800 million investment and years of redevelopment, the Old Main Post Office has been transformed. The iconic building has been restored on a grand scale with modern features.
"Spectacular...exceeds expectations and the expectation was really high," said Ferrara Candy CEO Todd Siwak.
Built in 1921 to serve Chicago's greatest volume of postal business, it was ultimately vacated in the 90s, turning into a rundown eye sore spanning the Eisenhower Expressway. But now it has some high profile tenants breathing new life into history.
"We leveled and polished the concrete floors, how we put over 2,100 new windows in this building...polished all the marble," said Sheryl Schulze of Gensler Global Architecture. "It's a story that's a project of a lifetime."
The three-block footprint building is a behemoth. The interior now includes a 28,000 square foot fitness center, lounges, offices and a food hall will eventually extend outside ultimately becoming part of the Chicago Riverwalk and there's more.
"But we do have what you can't see today is a three and a half acre park coming on the roof and that's where can you find that. That's bigger than 95 percent of all city parks," said Brian Whiting of Telos Group LLC.
Two-thirds of the building's 2.5 million square feet are leased to big companies like Uber and Walgreens. Ferrara Candy Company occupies 77,000 square feet. The CEO strategically re-located 400 employees here in hopes of attracting hundreds more.
"When we toured this originally, the vision was really eloquently conveyed to us," Siwak said. "However, the building had animals in it," Siwak said. "Today...we feel like it was certainly worth the risk and we couldn't be any more excited to be here."
The front lobby is now completely restored. Two weddings have already been booked for this space. Meanwhile the building officially opens November 1.
