{"id":6409,"date":"2017-03-09T09:40:46","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T09:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialcafe.com\/blog\/?p=6409"},"modified":"2026-06-03T11:12:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T08:12:54","slug":"chicago-river-point-tower-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialcafe.com\/blog\/chicago-river-point-tower-opening\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Mayor Cuts Red Ribbon at River Point"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building on Faith<\/h2>\n

River Point is officially open for business! Chicago<\/a>‘s “grand statement of optimism, strength and power,” as Mayor Emanuel called it at the ceremony on Tuesday, has been a long time in the making. The sculptural new office tower designed by architectural firm Pickard Chilton was first proposed in 2007 by\u00a0Ivanho\u00e9 Cambridge and co-investor and developer Hines.<\/p>\n

\"location

River Point location (PropertyShark parcel map)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The ambitious design set out to fit a 45-story, 900,000-square-foot office tower on a long vacant lot that stretched along the L tracks at Canal and Lake streets. Construction was stalled by the ensuing recession and the building only broke ground in January 2013.<\/p>\n

According to Mayor Emanuel’s 2012 statements, this development was to be the largest real estate project in five years to be launched on the Chicago office market<\/a>, at a time when no other office tower projects were in the works. Reportedly<\/a> constructed without any leasing commitments, the property at 444 West Lake Street was built “as a vote of confidence in the city.”<\/p>\n

When announcing the development, Hines expressed great confidence in both the Ivanho\u00e9 Cambridge partnership and Chicago’s potential for recovery and growth:<\/p>\n

\u201cRiver Point will drive strong enthusiasm in the next-generation real estate product market and will be a striking addition to Chicago\u2019s much-loved and world-renowned architectural character. Ivanho\u00e9 Cambridge\u2019s formidable commitment to this development and the city of Chicago today is a beacon for economic recovery.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait<\/h2>\n
\"riverfront

333 W. Wacker Drive (Yardi Matrix)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In December 2015, the tower finally topped out at 52 stories and 1.1 million square feet. The building was\u00a0pre-certified LEED Gold and bringing it to life did not sacrifice function for form, nor the other way around. The inviting 1.5-acre waterfront plaza is a land bridge built on top of the Amtrak and Metra tracks, on which passenger trains still run. According to the Chicago Tribune<\/a>, some of the building’s steel columns had to lean inward to avoid hitting the tracks. Dramatizing the angled wall that follows the tilt of these columns resulted in the tower’s distinctive tall parabolic arch at the base.<\/p>\n

According to DNA Info Chicago<\/em>, River Point is now 85% occupied. It offers generous column-free spaces, a conference center, a fitness center and 150 parking spaces. Not least, the state-of-the-art, sound-attenuating, floor-to-ceiling glass makes for well-lit spaces and outstanding 360\u00b0<\/b> views.<\/p>\n

\"river

River Point office tower (Yardi Matrix)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Looking for the perfect space for your business? Head over to CommercialCafe<\/a> and start your search!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Building on Faith River Point is officially open for business! Chicago‘s “grand statement of optimism, strength and power,” as Mayor Emanuel called it at the ceremony on Tuesday, has been a long time in the making. The sculptural new office tower designed by architectural firm Pickard Chilton was first proposed in 2007 by\u00a0Ivanho\u00e9 Cambridge and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":6410,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[37,38,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commercial-real-estate-news","category-deals","category-office","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChicago Mayor Cuts Red Ribbon at River Point - CommercialCafe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Chicago's new top class office tower is officially open for business. 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