Luxury Condos, A Fitness Center, Indoor Pool: Chicago’s Tribune Tower Is Undergoing An Incredible Transformation

Tribune Tower, a historic Chicago structure with global significance, is undergoing a major renovation that will transform it into luxury condominiums. The neo-Gothic landmark building on the city’s Magnificent Mile was the result of a 1922 worldwide competition to create “the most beautiful building in the world.” The winning design was by New York architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, who were selected from among more than 260 entries representing 23 countries.

Tribune Tower has partial landmark status that protects most of the building’s exterior and the main lobby, including its oversized map and inscriptions with quotations exalting freedom of the press. Among the many visitors who were greeted in the lobby over the years were an impressive list of dignitaries, Hollywood celebrities, sports heroes, influential business leaders and politicians.

The iconic Chicago Tribune sign will be refurbished and re-installed on the exterior, and fragments of stones from famous sites around the world that were embedded in the facade will remain intact.

Los Angeles-based CIM Group and Chicago-based Golub & Company bought the property from Tribune Media for $240 million in 2016.  The Chicago Tribune moved to a building south of the Chicago River in 2018, ending a 93-year run in the newspaper’s namesake tower.

An impressive sales gallery in a neighboring office building allows visitors to get a feel for what life would be like at Tribune Tower Residences. The furnished model residence includes elements reminiscent of Tribune Tower’s storied past and takes advantage of views overlooking the Chicago River, Lake Michigan and the city’s skyline.   

“Tribune Tower is an iconic building and being able to adaptively reuse it into high-end condos is an unbelievable opportunity of a lifetime,” said Lee Golub, principal and executive vice president of Golub & Company, during the unveiling of the sales gallery in August.

He added, “It’s going to be a one-of-a-kind experience. We have so many different units and layouts that allow for different experiences, which is very different from when you build new. When you construct a building, you have three to five different floor plans going up the building, and it’s repetition. Here, you have 56 different floor plans.”

Tribune Tower will include 162 residences going for $700,000 to $7.6 million. Move-ins are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Golub said the mixed-use building will offer amenities that luxury buyers have come to expect. Units range from one to four bedrooms with bonus room floor plans that will include either a library or family room and library. One-bedrooms cover 1,106 to 3,149 square feet; two bedrooms, 1,612 to 2,937 square feet; three bedrooms, 2,668 to 4,040 square feet; and four-bedrooms, 3,905 to 4,345 square feet.

The design team includes architect of record Solomon Cordwell Buenz, interior architect The Gettys Group and landscape architect OLIN.

Interiors will showcase fireplaces with custom stone surrounds, distinctive 6 1/2-inch white oak quarter-sawn hardwood flooring and 10-foot or higher ceilings in select residences. Premium appliances help define the kitchens with chef-inspired products by Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele. Master bathrooms will feature marble flooring with mosaic tile inlay, deep soaking tubs and separate showers.

Residents will have access to an enviable array of amenities including a fitness center with spa amenities, driving range simulator, co-working lounge, meeting rooms, entertainment areas and event spaces with a bar and prep kitchen.

An indoor swimming pool, sun deck, terrace and grilling stations on the seventh floor will surround the Chicago Tribune sign. A communal area on the third floor toward the back of the building will showcase a one-third-acre park, solarium, kitchen, lounging and dining areas and billiard room. A dog run will be adjacent to the 250-vehicle garage.

Great views will be practically guaranteed with rooftop and courtyard terraces, French balconies and courtyard balconies. Residents and guests will be able to enjoy 360-degree views of the skyline on the 25th-floor Crown Lounge and Terrace, a designated communal lounge area for herb gardens, fire pits, a chef’s kitchen and grilling area.

Resident services will include a concierge, 24-hour doorman and front-desk personnel, on-site car wash, bicycle valet and grocery package pick up and delivery.

More information can be found at tribunetower.com. For sales inquiries, contact the sales team at 312-967-3700.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.