San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotel & Restaurants plans to convert the historic 14-story The New York Life Building in South LaSalle St., Chicago into a four-star hotel. The $106 million project is expected to be completed by first quarter of 2016.
Ave Bradley, senior vice-president of design of Kimpto,, will be leading the renovation and design work of the building with New York-based architect Gensler and Los Angeles-based design firm Beleco, reports Rejournals.com. The building was designed by William Le Baron Jenney and constructed in 1894 with subsequent additions till 1903.
The hotel will feature 281 rooms and a restaurant and bar. While offering 9,500 sq.-ft. of retail space on the ground floor, a Library Bar adjacent to the lobby and living room is planned on the second floor. The hotel will feature more than 12,500 sq.-ft. of meeting and event space on the 14th and 15th floors as well as a top floor ballroom with expansive views of LaSalle S5.
Kimpton CEO Mike Depatie said that his firm expects to start the renovation before end of the year, according to Chicagotribune.com.
The project stands as fifth of Kimpton’s plans to renovate historic buildings into hotels in Chicago.
