Cities across the country are counting on the adaptive reuse of former office buildings to help restore life to urban cores that have languished since the early days of the pandemic. 

In Chicago alone, at least 35 office conversions are underway downtown. Running the gamut from classic brick structures that date back to the city’s days as a skyscraper pioneer to modern glass-and-steel high-rises, each is unique in the design, logistics and construction challenges it presents for the teams tasked with transforming it.

The work requires a thoughtful approach from experienced contractors who understand the nuances of transforming an older building. 

“That’s why we’re sought out for adaptive reuse projects,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, a project manager with Leopardo Construction. “Our portfolio of work in this specialized area continues to grow because we’ve proved we can do successful, award-winning conversions.”

Leopardo’s adaptive reuse portfolio includes 45 Erieview Plaza Apartments, a former 16-story office building in Cleveland converted into 367 apartment units, and the expansion and conversion of a 60K SF office building into the Rush MD Anderson Cancer Center in Lisle, Illinois.

Fitzpatrick walked Bisnow through Leopardo’s recent work on a former Chicago office building. 

Bellwether For Future Conversions

Leopardo is the general contractor on the $45.7M conversion of 100K SF of office space at 79 W. Monroe St., a 14-story building in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. When completed this year, the reborn 1905-vintage building will feature 117 market-rate and affordable residential units, as well as amenities like a rooftop deck, tenant lounge and fitness center that would have been unimaginable to 79 W. Monroe’s original office tenants.  

Now known as the Bellwether Residences in honor of a lighted acrylic bell that has hung on its corner since the 1950s to inform passersby about changing weather conditions in the Windy City, the building was in many ways an ideal candidate for conversion, Fitzpatrick said.

Its location at the intersection of two major streets and near public transit will likely attract tenants who want to live close to their work downtown while taking advantage of the Loop’s restaurants, theaters and other attractions, he said. 

To compensate for the tight worksite on a busy corner, Leopardo developed a logistics plan to permit the smooth coordination of construction teams and the delivery of construction materials. A wide sidewalk on Clark Street provided enough room to set up a hoist to reach the seventh to 14th floors, where the residences are located.

The building’s interior also provided advantages for the conversion. Large floor plans allowed developer R2 Cos. to maximize the number of apartments per floor, while large window frames ensured that many units get plenty of natural light. A bank of existing elevators required little alteration to serve the needs of apartment dwellers. Plus, the original clay tile building materials, while durable, were also malleable enough to allow the team to install modern mechanical, electrical and plumbing components.

“Our time spent early on to investigate existing conditions and get inside the building saved money and time on the back end, as opposed to trying to deal with unexpected issues and modifying systems midschedule,” Fitzpatrick said.

In addition to carefully studying the building and reviewing original documents, Leopardo also benefited from in-house virtual design and construction tools that allowed it to identify potential conflicts and coordinate activities among the trades.

“Our virtual design team can evaluate and scan existing conditions and upload that into a functional model that can be coordinated directly with the architects,” he said. “We’re able to determine potential issues upfront, as opposed to dealing with them midjob.”

School Was In Session

Fitzpatrick said Leopardo’s work required “constant communication” with existing tenants: a Walgreens on the first floor of 79 W. Monroe and a public high school with more than 900 students occupying classes and offices on the second to sixth floors. Because both tenants were in continual operation, Leopardo coordinated directly with the school’s principal, building engineers and others to ensure all MEP systems remained operational. 

“We were fully transparent with them about our week-to-week schedules, alerting them to activities that could impact the lower floors,” he said. “When we do switchovers for the electrical or water systems, we have to ensure that their services are maintained.”

As residents begin to move into the newly renovated building, they will be able to take advantage of modern amenities such as bike storage and a dog wash station while appreciating original features that Leopardo maintained or restored. These include floor-to-ceiling windows, vintage office doors for many apartment entrances, and a dramatic winding staircase.

Fitzpatrick credited the preconstruction work Leopardo performed early in the project, during which it identified opportunities and potential challenges, for its ultimate success. It is a careful approach the company applies to all adaptive reuse projects, he said.

“We enjoy this kind of work,” Fitzpatrick said. “It is challenging, but it's also rewarding to see a project like this move from start to finish. It’s great to see 79 W. Monroe transformed into modern rentals in the middle of the Loop, complete with an awesome roof deck and other amenities that today’s residents expect.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Leopardo and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.