Englewood Construction has been named general contractor for two Chicago-area projects: the conversion of a former meatpacking building in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood for future commercial use, and the construction of a new 6,000-square-foot retail building in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
“We pride ourselves on being a national firm that’s active in markets across the country, but it’s always rewarding to come back to our Chicago roots and put our expertise to work for local clients,” said Bill Di Santo, president of Lemont, Illinois-based Englewood Construction. “Both of these projects are partnerships with developers that have great reputations and deep portfolios here in Chicago, and we’re excited to expand our relationships with both of them.”
In Chicago’s burgeoning Fulton Market District, Englewood Construction was selected by entrepreneur Aiman Humadieh for the renovation of a former meatpacking building at 1107 W. Fulton Street. Englewood is collaborating with the development team to finalize designs for the project, which will entail converting the 19,000-square-foot, four-story building for future retail, restaurant or office space. Construction is expected to begin summer of 2019.
“There’s incredible demand for new commercial space in Fulton Market, and our firm is taking a foothold by starting our second project in the district, in addition to being in planning stages for several others,” said Di Santo. “With this project, it’s exciting to be involved early-on in determining how the property will be positioned to best appeal to potential tenants that are drawn to this area. We’re also bringing our construction perspective to the design and planning process, which is especially helpful in a renovation that involves making significant structural improvements as well as reconfiguring and adding to the existing building.”
Major components of the project include replacing the building’s façade, which was removed due to structural concerns, with a new façade that honors the original design and reflects the culture of the Fulton Market district, as well as adding a rooftop deck. The adaptive reuse of this historic building will also entail retrofitting the entire structural system, including removing and elevating floor plates in order to entirely reconfigure the interior to accommodate a variety of tenants. Additionally, Englewood will rebuild all mechanical and electrical infrastructure and install all new vertical transportation.
In Uptown, Englewood Construction also has been chosen as the general contractor for the construction of a new 6,000-square-foot retail center at 4407 N. Clarendon Avenue. The project, which is part of the development plans for the neighboring Eight Eleven Uptown residential tower, is a joint venture between Harlem Irving Company and JDL Development. Chicago-based OKW Architects, Inc. is the project architect. Construction is expected to begin this spring, with a target completion date in late summer.
“This project is a great fit for us as it pairs our experience navigating ground-up construction in a high-traffic Chicago location, with our vast experience in the retail arena, which spans everything from shopping center development to construction of stand-alone big-box stores to tenant space build-outs at traditional shopping malls,” said Di Santo. “We’re also calling on our experience in green building techniques to ensure the retail center meets the LEED requirements set forth by the overall development plans for the site.”
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