Chicago Office Landmark Named BOMA Outstanding Building of the Year
Beacon Capital Partners’ capital improvements program at One North Dearborn has won The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) award in the renovated building category. The elite acknowledgment from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) recognizes excellence in building management and quality in commercial buildings.
Centrally located in the Loop district, the landmark property was originally built in the early 1900s. Rising 17 stories tall, the building incorporates nearly 900,000 square feet of Class A Chicago office space, and features expansive floor plates of 52,000 square feet. The property also includes 30,000 square feet of retail space, with major street exposure on both North Dearborn Street and West Madison Street running the length of the block between State and Dearborn streets.
The award-winning renovation integrated modern conveniences with a nod to the landmark’s historical attributes. Updated tenant amenities include a rooftop terrace and lounge that offer views of Lake Michigan and Millennium Park. The revamped rooftop also features a mural that pays homage to the building’s original tenant, the Boston Co. department store. Additionally, and in collaboration with The Best Bees Company, Beacon also ensured that rooftop space was dedicated to an organic garden and honeybee program. Beacon Capital Partners also redesigned the building entry and lobby to amplify street presence and add elegant authenticity. The lobby art program — named “America in Color” — rotates the work of contemporary artists.
Meanwhile, extensive improvements to the infrastructure have enhanced energy efficiency and building operations, as well as tenant comfort, which earned the building a LEED® Gold certification and an EnergyStar® Partner of the Year designation.
The 2020 TOBY competition featured 79 buildings from eight BOMA International regions. All entries were evaluated based on building operations, community involvement, tenant relations, site management, environmental and green policies and procedures, and more.
Beacon Capital Partners Managing Director, Greg O’Neill, said, “We are incredibly proud that the work we’ve done to successfully transform this historic building and create a modern, distinctive workplace has been recognized by BOMA at local and regional levels, culminating in the top honor of the BOMA International award. The competition for this award is fierce, and we credit our partners at MBRE for helping set One North Dearborn even further apart from our peers this year.”