Revamp planned for Wolf Point Holiday Inn

A Chicago developer known for turning vintage downtown buildings into hotels lines up an ambitious project for the 522-room inn, which sits atop an office building next to the future Salesforce Tower.

Murphy is leading a venture to acquire the leasehold interest in the 522-room Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza atop the office building at 350 N. Orleans St., according to sources familiar with the property. The venture is finalizing a deal to pay close to $23 million, or around $43,000 per room, for the property, with an ambitious plan to renovate and reposition it with a more upscale brand, sources said.

Perrigo breaks ground on North American HQ on Medical Mile

Perrigo broke ground on its new North American headquarters in downtown Grand Rapids on Wednesday.

The Dublin-based drug manufacturer and maker of self-care consumer products hosted its groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. with Health Innovation Partners, the real estate development joint venture between Rockford Construction/Rockford Development, Walsh Construction/Walsh Investors, Murphy Development Group and Michigan State University (MSU), which is partnering on the headquarters project.

The project is part of the growing MSU Grand Rapids Innovation Park. Construction is expected to be complete in 2022.

‘Landmark project,’ collaboration brings Perrigo headquarters to Medical Mile

Local economic development leaders have long sought to bring a global headquarters to downtown Grand Rapids, and it will soon become a reality as  Perrigo Co. plc moves its North American corporate offices to the Medical Mile.

The pharmaceutical giant will occupy three upper floors of a building in Michigan State University’s Grand Rapids Innovation Park at 430 Monroe Ave. NW in what will be a $44.8 million project. Perrigo announced plans to relocate its offices to downtown Grand Rapids on Oct. 27, the same day the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a $2 million Michigan Business Development Program grant, which was based on the anticipated creation of 170 jobs in Michigan. 

Emporis Skyscraper Awards Unveils Ten Winning Tall Projects

The annual Emporis Skyscraper Awards unveiled ten winning tall projects today with the new Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg, Russia taking the top spot this year. 

Standing 1,515 feet (462 meters) tall, the GORPROJECT & RMJM-designed headquarters for natural gas giant Gazprom is the tallest building in Russia as well as in Europe and ranks number 14 worldwide.

The Paragon in Chicago’s South Loop took the seventh spot.

Long-stalled Skokie apartment project back on track

Chicago developer John Murphy is jump-starting a stalled 12-story apartment project in downtown Skokie after securing a $38.5 million construction loan for the building.

Murphy took control of the 153-unit development at 8000 N. Lincoln Ave. at what seemed like a bad time: In April, during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. The stock market had just crashed, the economy was in lockdown and lenders were in no mood to finance big, risky real estate projects.

From history to hospitality: Storied old Cook County Hospital slated to open in July with hotels, offices, museum

The long neglected old black-and-white floor tile is no longer covered in grit and dirt, now cleaned and polished to a sheen. The water leaks are gone. A drop ceiling has been removed to reveal ornamental plaster and crown molding.

Some of the old surgical halls — their seats rusted over or covered in graffiti just last year – have been repurposed into hotel rooms, with wallpaper featuring the Chicago skyline and other Chicago-centric art.

Editorial: Cook County Hospital is a stunning trauma survivor

For most of a century starting in 1916, the massive Cook County Hospital opened its healing hallways to wave upon wave of new and often destitute Chicagoans. European immigrants came first, followed by African Americans of the Great Migration from southern states. Latino and Asian newcomers, too, received world-class care from thousands of America’s best-trained physicians.

Column: An exclusive look at the reborn Cook County Hospital: Once facing the wrecking ball, the West Side landmark is about to reemerge, beautifully remade

The renovation and reinvention of the old Cook County Hospital is a triumph of historic preservation, one that should resonate far beyond the walls of the beloved Beaux-Arts landmark on Chicago’s Near West Side.

Not only does it give new life to an ornate, more-is-more work of architecture that Cook County leaders, unconscionably, had in their demolition crosshairs 17 years ago.

Apartment Hunt: Paragon high-rise in South Loop features co-working lounge

Stroll through the co-working lounge at The Paragon apartment high-rise in the South Loop, and you feel like you’re in a library. It’s that quiet.

More than a dozen residents are spread out amid the massive space, hunched over laptop computers and smartphones. Several more are camped out behind the glass walls of private conference rooms where they hold meetings or make phone calls without disturbing anyone. Some are working in small groups, but most are engaged in individual pursuits. To read the full article click here.