2230 S. Michigan Ave. and 2233 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago IL 60616

Historic building in the motor row district of the south loop

Size: 104,000 square feet

Acquisition Date: 2003 - SOLD

At the time of acquisition, 2230 S. Michigan Ave. had been vacant for over 40 years. Originally constructed in 1922, the Alfred S. Alschuler designed building is a part two-story, part three-story, multi-tenant edifice. The building was completely occupied by four strong commercial tenants within 18 months of completion.

We conducted a complete historic renovation that stretches a full block from Michigan Avenue to Wabash Avenue in 2003 and 2004, which included gutting the Spanish revival style building and extensive environmental remediation.

Known as the Marmon building, the property was the first automotive showroom outside of Detroit. In the early 1900s, many well-known car manufacturers housed their vehicles in palatial showrooms on Chicago’s famous Motor Row. These showrooms created a unique form of commercial architecture, the significance of which is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

With its historical and architectural significance, we recognized an opportunity to utilize several of our areas of expertise: historic preservation, adaptive reuse and an understanding of retailers’ natural path of progress.

The building was sold in 2014 to a prominent Chicago preservationist.

Awards:

• 2004 Chicago Association of Realtor's Good Neighbor Award for contributions to Chicago area communities
• 2004 City of Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence for Façade Restoration/Adaptive Reuse; PDF