As Chicago's River North area continues its transformation, the area's historic, behemoth Merchandise Mart has become a hub for high-tech businesses. The adaptive reuse success story was the largest building in the world when it opened in 1930.
Erin Chan Ding, of The New York Times, reports on the Merchandise Mart's amazing transformation - from despression-era monument of "fabric bolts and furniture," to high-tech hub. Proximity to rail transit, an abundance of parking, bike locker storage, and, most importantly, the 'energy' of the River North neighborhood, where some 7,500 tech jobs are already located, are among the factors driving the building's transformation.
Motorola Mobility is one such tech firm relocating to the Mart. "It is the third major technology company to sign a lease with the mart since December," says Ding. "With the Motorola Mobility lease - 632,000 square feet in all - the tech sector will occupy about half of the building's office space...When Motorola Mobility moves in, the building will be 95 percent occupied, up from 85 percent, the lowest occupancy rate in a decade. About 55 percent of the building will still be dedicated to showrooms."
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions