James McHugh Construction Co. has started work on the new McDonald’s headquarters on the site of the former Harpo Studios in the West Loop.
The official ground-breaking for the nine story, 600,000 sq. ft. building was on Dec. 6. The overall project value is estimated at $250 million, though the initial building permit issued on Nov. 7 was for “partial foundation to include caissons, secand wall, earth retention system and lower level basement slab only.”
According to the building permit, the owner is 110 N. Carpenter, LLC., (an entity established by Sterling Bay developers) at the address 1040 W. Randoph St. Gensler senior associate Thomas Braham is listed as the architect.
In July, Sterling Bay representatives presented the plans to the community. Neighbours of West Loop reported then:
“The first floor would contain 60,000 sq. ft. of retail broken down into four sections, the largest of which (30,000 sq. ft.) is located near the corner of Carpenter and Randolph. No restaurant is currently planned for the building, but a health club is expected. Hamburger University is expected to be located on the second floor of the building along Washington.
“Most of the roof is a green roof, with a terrace around much of the conference center that makes up the top floor. The terrace would be located along parts of the north and east sides of the building.
“A 2,700 sq. ft. plaza, set back 30 ft. from Aberdeen, would be located at ground level near the corner of Washington and Aberdeen. There would be a 15 ft setback between the curb and building façade along Randolph and along Washington Streets and a 13.5 ft. setback along Aberdeen and Carpenter. Plantings would line the property along the roadway.”
“We are breaking ground to bring an iconic American brand back to Chicago – the most American of American cities,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company like McDonald’s – or a tech startup with a handful of employees – companies big and small recognize that Chicago is a great place to do business.”
