| 350 North Orleans | |
|---|---|
 350 North Orleans sits at a juncture in the Chicago River known as Wolf Point. Among the buildings and structures shown are (left to right) Left Bank at K Station (300 North Canal), 333 North Canal, Kinzie Street railroad bridge, 350 North Orleans, Merchandise Mart, 300 North LaSalle, Franklin Street Bridge and part of 333 Wacker Drive. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Mixed |
| Location | 350 North Orleans Street Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°53′16″N 87°38′14″W / 41.887726°N 87.637263°W |
| Construction started | 1976 |
| Completed | 1977 |
| Opening | November 6, 1976 (Grand Opening January 22, 1977) |
| Owner | The Blackstone Group |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 24 |
| Floor area | 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2)[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
350 North Orleans (formerly known as River North Point) is the official name of the 24-floor multipurpose building located in the River North community area of Chicago, at the intersection of the North Branch and the Main Branch of the Chicago River.[2] It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.[3] In 1988, Helmut Jahn designed an enclosed pedestrian walking bridge over Orleans Street connecting the building to Merchandise Mart.[3][4] Originally built to serve as the world's largest wholesale buying center for the clothing industry, the building has more commonly known by several other names including River North Point, The Apparel Mart, and the Chicago Apparel Center. The building opened on November 6, 1976.[5]
The property was formerly owned by Marshall Field who sold it to Joseph P. Kennedy and the building's grand opening was attended by the entire Kennedy family. The family owned the land upon which the building was constructed for over 50 years. After the building was constructed in 1976, it remained in the family for over 20 years, but was sold to Vornado Realty Trust in 1998 as part of a larger $625 million ($1,168.3 million today) transaction including Merchandise Mart and several other properties.[6] Shorenstein Realty Services purchased the building in 2012 and subsequently sold to The Blackstone Group in 2015.
- ^ Ziemba, Stanley (June 25, 1998). "3 corporate leases boost Mart Bell training facilities to occupy 142,000 square feet". Chicago Tribune. p. 4. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Chicago Apparel Center". Glass Steel and Stone. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ a b "History of the Mart". merchandisemart.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
- ^ "Apparel Center". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Mateja, James (November 5, 1976). "Wolf Point Center Opens Saturday". Chicago Tribune. p. C9. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kennedy Family Selling Merchandise Mart To Vornado Realty". Chicago Tribune. January 26, 1998. p. 3.