350 West Mart Center
Encyclopedia
350 West Mart Center is the official name of the 24-floor multipurpose building located in the Near North Side
community area
of Chicago, at the intersection of the North Branch and the Main Branch of the Chicago River
. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1977, the building is located in the River North district north of the Main Branch and east of the North Branch. In 1988, Helmut Jahn
designed an enclosed pedestrian walking bridge over Orleans Street connecting the building to Merchandise Mart
. Originally built to serve as the world's largest wholesale buying center for the apparel industry, the building is more commonly known by several other names including Holiday Inn Chicago-Mart Plaza, Holiday Inn Mart, Merchandise Mart Annex, Merchandise Mart Annex Apparel Center, Apparel Mart, Chicago Apparel Center and Apparel Center. The building opened on November 6, 1976.
The property was formerly owned by Marshall Field
who sold it to Joseph P. Kennedy and the building's grand opening was attended by the entire Kennedy family
. The family owned the land upon which the building was constructed for over 50 years. After the building was constructed in 1976, it remained in the family for over 20 years, but it was sold to Vornado Realty Trust
in 1998 as part of a larger $625 million ($ million today) transaction including Merchandise Mart and several other properties. However, the family has retained its ownership interest in adjacent properties and continues to manage the Marchandise Mart business.
. In James Thompson’s original 58-block 1830 plat
of Chicago, the property upon which the building is situated is represented by what was then designated as "Block 7" and a large portion of "Block 6", both of which are located at the fork of the Chicago River. Chicago Tribune
architecture critic Blair Kamin
called the building "a concrete hulk that mars the downtown bend of the Chicago River."
When the building was constructed, it was the world's largest wholesale buying center, featuring over 1000 display showroom
s and representing over 3000 apparel lines. It was Chicago's attempt to replace New York City, where businessmen have to travel to 20 different buildings to see a comparable variety of apparel offerings, as the world's fashion center. Its completion bolstered the Merchandise Mart's claim of being the "World's Largest Wholesale Buying Center". The building was completed just as the downtown office space market recovered from the 1973–75 recession
and was part of a boom of Near North Side hotel constructions. The adjacent parking lot has over 2000 parking spaces. The grand opening ceremony on January 22, 1977 was attended by the Kennedy family, as well as Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic. The grand opening celebration included a fashion show attended by 1200 people.
The New York Times
describes the second-floor walkway as a "glass-enclosed bridge", The walkway was part of a late 1980s makeover of the adjacent buildings that occurred when NBC
moved its midwest headquarters to its own NBC Tower
. In the late 1990s, many concrete walls were replaced by windows. The building includes a 7-story light court over a swimming pool to the west. Although the Chicago building code
only requires kilos per square foot of bearing pressure for the caissons
, the Apparel Center was built with 40 ksf.
The Kennedy-Vornado transaction occurred during an urban commercial real estate recovery that also saw the Sears Tower
change hands at approximately the same time. Kennedy had purchased the property in 1945 or 1946 (depending on the source) from the Marshall Field
family. John F. Kennedy, Jr.
told a joke about Chicago that included the Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center: "In the '40s, my grandfather bought the Merchandise Mart. In the '70s, there was the Apparel Center. And in the '60s election
, my family bought 20,000 votes." Christopher G. Kennedy met his wife who is from and became involved in the Merchandise Mart Properties business, that he now presides over.
The Kennedys retained their interest in Wolf Point, the 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land between Apparel Center and the Chicago River to the south of the building with an address of 340 North Orleans. There have been numerous plans to develop the property dating back to the late 1980s. In 2007, the Kennedys planned to develop the property with three high-rises and skyscrapers according to Cesar Pelli
designs. These redevelopment plans would obstruct the view of the Apparel Center. The Wolf Point land is considered to have been the focal point of the earliest settlements in Chicago at the beginning of the 19th century.
, Joan Leslie
and Jerry Silverman
. The top ten floors are occupied by a Holiday Inn
hotel, which incorporated 527 rooms in its original design. In the early 1980s, The New York Times included the hotel among city's first-class hotels. NBC was a tenant until it moved to the NBC Tower in 1989. At about the same time that NBC moved out, both Quaker Oats and World Book moved out of their Mart facilities. The Chicago Transit Authority
, which had been a tenant of the Merchandise Mart since 1947, had facilities in the building until it decided to build its own dedicated building in 2002. Illinois Bell
moved into the Apparel Center in 1990.
Near North Side, Chicago
The Near North Side is one of 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located north and east of the Chicago River, just north of the central business district . To its east is Lake Michigan and its northern boundary is the 19th-century city limit of Chicago,...
community area
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
of Chicago, at the intersection of the North Branch and the Main Branch of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1977, the building is located in the River North district north of the Main Branch and east of the North Branch. In 1988, Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
designed an enclosed pedestrian walking bridge over Orleans Street connecting the building to Merchandise Mart
Merchandise Mart
When opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart or the Merch Mart, located in the Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, was the largest building in the world with of floor space. Previously owned by the Marshall Field family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating vendors...
. Originally built to serve as the world's largest wholesale buying center for the apparel industry, the building is more commonly known by several other names including Holiday Inn Chicago-Mart Plaza, Holiday Inn Mart, Merchandise Mart Annex, Merchandise Mart Annex Apparel Center, Apparel Mart, Chicago Apparel Center and Apparel Center. The building opened on November 6, 1976.
The property was formerly owned by Marshall Field
Marshall Field
Marshall Field was founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores.-Life and career:...
who sold it to Joseph P. Kennedy and the building's grand opening was attended by the entire Kennedy family
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
. The family owned the land upon which the building was constructed for over 50 years. After the building was constructed in 1976, it remained in the family for over 20 years, but it was sold to Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
in 1998 as part of a larger $625 million ($ million today) transaction including Merchandise Mart and several other properties. However, the family has retained its ownership interest in adjacent properties and continues to manage the Marchandise Mart business.
Background
The building is associated with the neighboring Merchandise Mart to its east, which it is connected to by way of an enclosed pedestrian walkway and the two buildings are sometimes jointly referred to as the Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center or Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center Annex. The building is one of four distinct properties that are known as Chicago's Mart Center complex, also known as World Trade Center Chicago: The Merchandise Mart, the Chicago Apparel Center, the Merchandise Mart ExpoCenter and Wolf PointWolf Point, Chicago
Wolf Point is the location at the confluence of the North, South and Main Branches of the Chicago River in the present day Near North Side, Loop, and Near West Side community areas of Chicago. This fork in the river is historically important in the development of early Chicago...
. In James Thompson’s original 58-block 1830 plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
of Chicago, the property upon which the building is situated is represented by what was then designated as "Block 7" and a large portion of "Block 6", both of which are located at the fork of the Chicago River. Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
architecture critic Blair Kamin
Blair Kamin
Blair Kamin is the Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic of the Chicago Tribune, a post he has held since 1992. Kamin has held other jobs at the Tribune and previously worked for The Des Moines Register. He also serves as a contributing editor of Architectural Record...
called the building "a concrete hulk that mars the downtown bend of the Chicago River."
When the building was constructed, it was the world's largest wholesale buying center, featuring over 1000 display showroom
Showroom
The word showroom has two distinct meanings including:-Marketing location:A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, such as automobiles, furniture, appliances, carpet or apparel. The World's most famous locations for a showroom are the Champs Elysees in Paris or the 5th Avenue...
s and representing over 3000 apparel lines. It was Chicago's attempt to replace New York City, where businessmen have to travel to 20 different buildings to see a comparable variety of apparel offerings, as the world's fashion center. Its completion bolstered the Merchandise Mart's claim of being the "World's Largest Wholesale Buying Center". The building was completed just as the downtown office space market recovered from the 1973–75 recession
1973–75 recession
The 1973–75 recession in the United States or 1970s recession was a period of economic stagnation in much of the Western world during the 1970s, putting an end to the general post-World War II economic boom. It differed from many previous recessions as being a stagflation, where high unemployment...
and was part of a boom of Near North Side hotel constructions. The adjacent parking lot has over 2000 parking spaces. The grand opening ceremony on January 22, 1977 was attended by the Kennedy family, as well as Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic. The grand opening celebration included a fashion show attended by 1200 people.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
describes the second-floor walkway as a "glass-enclosed bridge", The walkway was part of a late 1980s makeover of the adjacent buildings that occurred when NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
moved its midwest headquarters to its own NBC Tower
NBC Tower
The NBC Tower is an office tower on the Near north side of Chicago, Illinois, United States located at 454 North Columbus Drive in downtown Chicago's Magnificent Mile area. Completed in 1989, the 37-story building reaches a height of 627 feet...
. In the late 1990s, many concrete walls were replaced by windows. The building includes a 7-story light court over a swimming pool to the west. Although the Chicago building code
Building code
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...
only requires kilos per square foot of bearing pressure for the caissons
Deep foundation
A deep foundation is a type of foundation distinguished from shallow foundations by the depth they are embedded into the ground. There are many reasons a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, but some of the common reasons are very large design loads, a...
, the Apparel Center was built with 40 ksf.
The Kennedy-Vornado transaction occurred during an urban commercial real estate recovery that also saw the Sears Tower
Sears Tower
Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
change hands at approximately the same time. Kennedy had purchased the property in 1945 or 1946 (depending on the source) from the Marshall Field
Marshall Field
Marshall Field was founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores.-Life and career:...
family. John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
told a joke about Chicago that included the Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center: "In the '40s, my grandfather bought the Merchandise Mart. In the '70s, there was the Apparel Center. And in the '60s election
United States presidential election, 1960
The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party...
, my family bought 20,000 votes." Christopher G. Kennedy met his wife who is from and became involved in the Merchandise Mart Properties business, that he now presides over.
The Kennedys retained their interest in Wolf Point, the 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land between Apparel Center and the Chicago River to the south of the building with an address of 340 North Orleans. There have been numerous plans to develop the property dating back to the late 1980s. In 2007, the Kennedys planned to develop the property with three high-rises and skyscrapers according to Cesar Pelli
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
designs. These redevelopment plans would obstruct the view of the Apparel Center. The Wolf Point land is considered to have been the focal point of the earliest settlements in Chicago at the beginning of the 19th century.
Tenants
Among the original designer tenants were Diane von FurstenbergDiane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
, Joan Leslie
Joan Leslie
Joan Leslie is a retired American film and television actress.-Early life:Leslie was born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel in Detroit, Michigan, and raised Roman Catholic. She began performing as a singer at the age of nine as part of a vaudeville act with her two sisters; Betty and Mae Brodel...
and Jerry Silverman
Jerry Silverman
Jerry Silverman is an American folksinger, guitar teacher and author of music books. He has had over 200 books published, which have sold in the millions, including folk song collections, anthologies and method books for the guitar, banjo and fiddle. He has taught guitar to hundreds of students...
. The top ten floors are occupied by a Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
hotel, which incorporated 527 rooms in its original design. In the early 1980s, The New York Times included the hotel among city's first-class hotels. NBC was a tenant until it moved to the NBC Tower in 1989. At about the same time that NBC moved out, both Quaker Oats and World Book moved out of their Mart facilities. The Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
, which had been a tenant of the Merchandise Mart since 1947, had facilities in the building until it decided to build its own dedicated building in 2002. Illinois Bell
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
moved into the Apparel Center in 1990.
External links
- Apparel Center at Emporis.com