Old Chicago Main Post Office Explained

Old Chicago Main Post Office
Coordinates:41.8756°N -87.6388°W
Location:Chicago, Illinois
Address:433 West Van Buren Street
Architecture Firm:Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
Embedded:
Embed:yes
United States Post Office—Chicago
Coordinates:41.8761°N -87.6386°W
Architect:Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
Architecture:Classical Revival, Art Deco
Added:August 16, 2001
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:01000868

The Old Chicago Main Post Office is a nine-story-tall office building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, U.S. The building was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and built in 1921. The structure of the building was expanded greatly in 1932 to serve Chicago's great volume of postal business, increased significantly by the mail-order businesses of Montgomery Ward (the largest retailer in the United States) and of Sears (its competitor). The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

In 1997, the post office moved to a modern processing center nearby and the building was sold by the U.S. Postal Service for redevelopment in 2009. After an extensive restoration project, the Old Post Office became home to many corporate offices including Ferrara Candy Company, PepsiCo, Cisco Systems, Uber, CBOE, Home Chef, Vizient, Inc., and more.[2]

History

The original 1922 structure was a brick-sided mail terminal building, sited just east of the main building that spans the Eisenhower Expressway as it turns into Ida B. Wells Drive. Major expansion in 1932 added a total of nine floors for more than, or 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m²), of floorspace. Its footprint, as initially designed, would have blocked the proposed Congress Parkway extension; as a compromise, a hole for the Parkway was reserved in the base of the Post Office and utilized twenty years later.[3] Competitors Montgomery Ward and Sears combined to make Chicago "the nation's mail-order capital". (Montgomery Ward, which became the largest retailer in the United States in the late 1930s, was eventually passed by Sears, and then was purchased and merged.) In 1966, the Main Chicago Post Office came to a halt when a logjam of 10 million pieces of mail clogged the system for nearly a week.[4] With Chicago rated worst in postal deliveries, a new Main Post Office to be located right across Harrison Street was proposed. In 1997, the old building was vacated in favor of the new, modernized facility. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.[5]

A February 2006 report by the General Accounting Office stated, that it cost the government $2 million a year to maintain the retired building.[6] On June 9, 2009, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the postal service was placing the post office on the auction block. Held on August 27 and conducted by Rick Levin & Associates Inc., the auction raised $40 million, which was well over the opening bid of $300,000.[7] [8] The buyer was reported to be English real estate developer Bill Davies,[9] [10] who led International Properties Developments (IPD).[11] While Davies missed an October 10, 2009 deadline to close the deal, he finally acquired the building on October 21, 2009, paying about $17 million.[12]

Redevelopment plan, 2011–2014

See main article: Old Chicago Main Post Office Twin Towers.

Old Chicago Main Post Office Phase II
Status:CANCELED
Building Type:Supertall skyscraper
Cost:$3.5 billion
Location:Chicago, Illinois
Address:West Ida B. Wells Drive and South Canal Street,433 West Van Buren
Location Country:United States
Roof:2000feet
Floor Count:9
Floor Area:16e6ft2
Architect:Booth Hansen
Developer:International Property Developers
References:[13]

The Old Chicago Main Post Office Redevelopment was an approved 20acres project on a lot located along the Chicago River on the southwest side of Downtown Chicago, Illinois to be constructed in phases over a period of one decade that would have included the renovation of the building as well as residential, retail, entertainment and office space. The plan included several towers, the tallest one being a proposed 120-story mixed use twin tower skyscraper to stand about 2000feet high to the roof, which would have made it the tallest building in the United States,[14] over 500feet taller than the Willis Tower, containing office, residential, and hotel space. It would also have included two 60-story residential towers as well as a 40-story hotel. All the buildings in the development were to be connected via a ground-level complex[15] that would have been built over the Chicago River and the Eisenhower Expressway.[16] More specifically, it was exactly one year and nine months after acquiring the post office property from the Postal Service when Davies unveiled his plan for the Post Office on July 21, 2011. The proposal, which involved three other properties besides the 14-story Post Office, was broken down into three phases pending the required $3.5 billion in funding:

The whole $3.5 billion plan was submitted to the Chicago City Council and the Planning Commission for approval the same day it was released to the public. Only funding for Phase 1 had been secured as of July 21, 2011.[17] [18] The proposal was sent to the Chicago City Commission in July 2011 for approval, which was expected to be a several-month process. The project had an estimated cost of $3.5 billion and the potential to create 12,000 jobs.[19] Some critics opposed the proposal, calling it old-fashioned and suburban and an unrealistic pipe dream, as it was largely car oriented (12,000 parking spaces and free parking) with shopping mall style retail.[20]

In May 2013, the architectural firm Antunovich Associates created a new proposal on the site featuring a 1000-foot skyscraper (with a 2,000 foot tower in their 2nd phase).[21] Other potential uses included a casino and/or entertainment complex.[22] [23] The city voted and approved the plan July 18, 2013.[24]

On June 18, 2014, Bill Davies announced the formation of a $500 million joint venture with Sterling Bay Companies for phase I of the redevelopment.[25] [26] On July 18, Sterling announced a new relationship with J.P. Morgan Asset Management, which gave them access to new financial resources.[27] However, Davies never found sufficient financing. In December 2014, Davies canceled the project and put the post office building up for sale.[28] Davies proposed an ambitious redevelopment plan that was never realized; on May 13, 2016, the building was sold by Davies, who died the next day.[29]

2016 sale and reconstruction

In February 2016, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel pressed for development of the site, threatening to take possession of the building by use of eminent domain. In March, the city's Department of Planning and Development issued an RFP seeking bids due June 10 for redevelopment of the site. Later that week, it was announced that the Old Chicago Post Office would be sold to 601W, a New York City-based real estate company which owns Chicago's Aon Center and One Prudential Plaza buildings.[30] Davies had been in negotiations to sell the building since May 2015.[31]

On May 13, 2016, Emanuel announced that Davies had sold the building to 601W;[32] however, Davies had died the previous week.[33] Vicky Flores, who ran the Chicago office of Davies' firm, commented: "It was really weird, the timing. Everything was signed off, and then I heard he had died. It was like he waited until everything was taken care of."[34] Gensler was hired to redesign the space into office space, with addition of a rooftop park and a riverwalk.[35] The project was supposed to cost $500 million[34] but ended up at $800 million.[36] [37] In September 2017 the post office was one of 6 sites in Chicago considered for the new Amazon "HQ2" location.[38]

In August 2019, Uber signed a 10-year lease to become the building's largest tenant, occupying .[39] The structure will also include new Chicago offices for Walgreens, occupying and housing 1,800 employees.[40] PepsiCo will relocate its Chicago office of 1,300 employees and occupy,[41] while the Ferrara Candy Company announced that it would relocate its headquarters to the Post Office building in 2019, occupying and bringing nearly 400 jobs.[42] The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago will also be a tenant.[43] After extensive renovations undertaken by 601W, the building opened to office tenants in October 2019,[44] with Walgreens[45] and Ferrara Candy becoming the first tenants.[46] Construction on the space utilized by Uber was scheduled to begin in the spring of 2020,[47] and the Uber Freight hub opened the next year.[48] [49] Within 18 months of the project's completion, four-fifths of the space had been leased, and the building had received a LEED Gold green-building certification.[50]

Tenants

The Chicago Sun-Times, in 2022, had plans to open a facility there for newspaper and WBEZ operations. A total of 6000square feet of space under lease was to be used.[51]

other tenants include:[51]

In popular culture

The building was used in the filming of Batman Begins in 2004, and The Dark Knight in April 2007.[52] [53] [54] The building is seen from above in the opening credits of Candyman. In the summer of 2010, Paramount Pictures and Michael Bay filmed numerous scenes for in and around Chicago. The old Chicago Post Office's east facade was decorated as the "Department of Health and Human Services" where the Autobots were kept by the federal government in the movies. The same interior that was used for filming of the bank heist in The Dark Knight was used again for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. There were also some scattered shots from the Post Office interior used throughout the film.[55]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=01000868}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: United States Post Office—Chicago ]. National Park Service. June 20, 2025. With
  2. News: The Old Post Office: Best reuse of a historic building . December 24, 2021 . Crain's Chicago Business . October 7, 2021 . en.
  3. Web site: SkyscraperPage Forum . Forum.skyscraperpage.com . July 10, 2010.
  4. Web site: Publication 100 – The United States Postal Service An American History 1775–2006 . July 10, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090508205717/http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub100.pdf . May 8, 2009 . dead .
  5. Web site: National Register of Historical Places – ILLINOIS (IL), Cook County. nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. December 13, 2016.
  6. Web site: GAO-06-248T Federal Real Property: Excess and Underutilized Property Is an Ongoing Problem . July 10, 2010.
  7. Web site: Let the bidding begin ... . Chicago Tribune . August 27, 2009 . July 10, 2010.
  8. Web site: Lutz . Bj . Why So Seriously Expensive? . August 27, 2009 . NBC Chicago . July 10, 2010.
  9. Web site: Bartosik . Matt . Post Office Buyer May Not Deliver . NBC Chicago . September 10, 2009 . July 10, 2010.
  10. David Roeder. "High bidder defaults on deal to buy old Chicago Post Office". Chicago Sun-Times. October 14, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  11. Web site: Bentley . Chris . September 9, 2013 . Neither Snow Nor Rain . June 20, 2025 . The Architect's Newspaper.
  12. David Roeder. "Brit gets discount on old post office". Chicago Sun-Times. October 22, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  13. Web site: Skyscrapers, retail part of massive Old Post Office plan. Alby Gallun. July 21, 2011. ChicagoRealEstateDaily. July 30, 2011.
  14. News: Tallest U.S. Tower Proposed as Part of Chicago Development. Brian Louis. Bloomberg News. July 21, 2011. July 30, 2011.
  15. News: Old post office plans include hotels, skyscrapers for Chicago. Ben Meyerson. July 27, 2011. Chicago Journal. July 30, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927181546/http://www.chicagojournal.com/News/07-27-2011/Old_post_office_plans_include_hotels,_skyscrapers_for_Chicago. September 27, 2011.
  16. News: Towering old post office plan air mailed to Chicago. Don DeBat. Chicago Journal. July 27, 2011. July 31, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110927181558/http://www.chicagojournal.com/News/07-27-2011/Towering_old_post_office_plan_air_mailed_to_Chicago. September 27, 2011.
  17. News: Old Chicago post office redevelopment plan unveiled. Chicago Tribune. July 21, 2011. Alejandra Cancino, Blair Kamin. July 30, 2011.
  18. News: Old Post Office figures in mega downtown expansion plan. David Roeder. July 21, 2011. Chicago Sun-Times. July 30, 2011.
  19. Web site: Big plans for the old Chicago post office. Kate Springer, Susie An. WBEZ-FM. July 22, 2011. July 30, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110819045844/http://m.wbez.org/story/big-plans-old-chicago-post-office-89493. August 19, 2011.
  20. News: Plan for old post office: A suburban throwback, and a pipe dream. Blair Kamin. Chicago Tribune. July 24, 2011. July 30, 2011.
  21. Web site: Tribune . Chicago . Hirst . Ellen Jean . May 3, 2013 . Architects to present new plan for old Chicago post office . June 20, 2025 . Chicago Tribune.
  22. Web site: Exclusive: What's in the works for Chicago's old post office? . WGN-TV . May 8, 2013 . December 13, 2016.
  23. Web site: August 2, 2016 . Old Main Post Office: Troubled Giant on Brink of Transformation . June 20, 2025 . WTTW News.
  24. Web site: City to examine old post office rehab plan . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160314224833/http://www.gazettechicago.com/index/2013/07/city-to-examine-old-post-office-rehab-plan/ . March 14, 2016 . December 13, 2016 . Gazette Chicago.
  25. Web site: Old Main Post Office revamp gets a boost . September 16, 2014 . June 18, 2014 . . Ori, Ryan.
  26. Web site: Chicago's Old Main Post Office to be redeveloped. September 16, 2014. June 19, 2014. WLS-TV. Ori, Ryan.
  27. Web site: Sterling Bay retools old buildings, reshapes neighborhoods. September 16, 2014. July 18, 2014. Chicago Tribune. Harris, Melissa and Bob Goldsborough.
  28. News: Subscription Center . Ori. Ryan. December 4, 2014. Crain's Chicago Business. January 30, 2015.
  29. Web site: Owner of old main post office was dead when $130M sale closed. Janssen. Kim. May 17, 2016. Chicago Tribune. August 29, 2019.
  30. Web site: Shropshire . Corilyn . Janssen . Kim . March 17, 2016 . Old main post office set to sell, again . June 20, 2025 . Chicago Tribune.
  31. News: 601W Cos. Buys Old Post Office, But Questions Remain . March 18, 2016 . Brian J. Rogal . GlobeSt.com . May 15, 2016 .
  32. Web site: May 13, 2016 . City: Group buys long-vacant old Chicago post office . June 20, 2025 . The State Journal-Register.
  33. Web site: Janssen . Kim . May 17, 2016 . Owner of old main post office was dead when $130M sale closed . June 20, 2025 . Chicago Tribune.
  34. News: Day after selling city's Old Main Post Office, Bill Davies dies . May 15, 2016 . Fox 32 / Sun-Times Media Wire.
  35. News: Chicago's Old Post Office Sold to 601W Companies . Jay Koziarz . May 13, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160514113811/http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/5/13/11671350/chicagos-old-post-office-sold-601w-companies. dead. May 14, 2016.
  36. Web site: Roeder . David . July 4, 2019 . Chicago's Old Main Post Office, long a white elephant, is seeing a striking turnaround . June 20, 2025 . Chicago Sun-Times.
  37. Web site: October 21, 2019 . Old Post Office Celebrates Grand Opening Of Renovated Space After $800 Million Makeover . June 20, 2025 . CBS Chicago.
  38. News: Fran. Spielman. What Chicago site might win Amazon 'HQ2' sweepstakes? Here are 6 . . .. September 13, 2017. Chicago Sun-Times. September 14, 2017. https://archive.today/20170914130031/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/what-chicago-site-might-win-amazon-hq2-sweepstakes-heres-six/. dead.
  39. Web site: Freund . Sara . August 19, 2019 . Uber expands its headquarters at Chicago's Old Post Office . https://web.archive.org/web/20190819184444/https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/8/19/20812323/uber-old-main-post-office-chicago-downtown-office . dead . August 19, 2019 . June 20, 2025 . Curbed Chicago.
  40. Web site: Walgreens to move 1,800 jobs into new Chicago office. LaVito. Angelica. June 15, 2018. CNBC. July 6, 2018.
  41. Web site: PepsiCo's Chicago office to go from 17 floors to one, in move to ultrawide Old Post Office. Ori. Ryan. November 21, 2019. Chicago Tribune. January 22, 2020.
  42. Web site: Ferrara Candy confirms its headquarters will move to Chicago's Old Post Office. Ori. Ryan. December 13, 2018. Chicago Tribune. December 17, 2018.
  43. Web site: The Old Post Office nears opening, adds Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago as office tenant. Ori. Ryan. August 29, 2019. Chicago Tribune. August 29, 2019.
  44. Web site: Column: An exclusive look inside Chicago's Old Post Office as the nation's largest reuse project greets its first tenants this weekend. Kamin. Blair. October 17, 2019. Chicago Tribune. January 22, 2020.
  45. Web site: Roeder . David . July 4, 2019 . Chicago's Old Main Post Office, long a white elephant, is seeing a striking turnaround . June 20, 2025 . Chicago Sun-Times.
  46. Web site: Koziarz . Jay . October 21, 2019 . Chicago's Old Post Office shows off Art Deco interior as tenants arrive . https://web.archive.org/web/20191022022304/https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/10/21/20924921/old-post-office-photos-amenities-adaptive-reuse . dead . October 22, 2019 . June 20, 2025 . Curbed Chicago.
  47. Web site: Marotti . Ally . Ori . Ryan . August 19, 2019 . Uber confirms it's moving to massive space in The Old Post Office . August 29, 2019 . Chicago Tribune.
  48. Web site: October 20, 2021 . Uber Opens New Chicago Office With Space for 2,000 Employees . June 20, 2025 . Built In.
  49. Web site: Channick . Robert . October 19, 2021 . Uber opens new office in Old Post Office, making Chicago the center of growth plans for its surging freight business . June 20, 2025 . Chicago Tribune.
  50. Web site: December 23, 2020 . Chicago's Old Post Office get new zip with massive $900 million renovation . June 20, 2025 . Building Design+Construction.
  51. Web site: Roeder. David. Sun-Times, WBEZ lease space in Old Post Office. Chicago Sun-Times. June 29, 2022. December 26, 2023.
  52. http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_108134225.html
  53. Web site: Chicago Entertainment News, Local Celeb Gossip | NBC Chicago . Nbc5.com . July 10, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071015185202/http://nbc5.com/entertainment/12403161/detail.html?dl=headlineclick . October 15, 2007 . dead .
  54. http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/365570.php?contentType=4&contentId=421511
  55. Web site: Transformers Live Action Movie Blog: TF3 Chicago: More from Post Office Set. September 12, 2010. transformerslive.blogspot.com. December 13, 2016.

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