Procore set out to find the companies, projects and individuals that stood out for their bold achievements in construction. Among the 27 outstanding finalists selected, nine were named winners of the 2023 Groundbreaker Awards. This article is the final piece in a nine-part series spotlighting each winner.
An Architectural Marvel in the Heart of Chicago
Located less than two miles from the heart of Chicago’s business district, the redevelopment of an infill site into a state-of-the-art logistics facility is the Midwest’s first modern, multi-story warehouse. The project owners, Logistics Property Company, LLC (“LPC”) understand all that encompasses delivering innovative, high-quality structures. As such, LPC stands at the forefront of visionary urban redevelopment.
The project is located at 1237 West Division Street and is comprised of 594,296 square feet of interior floor area, accommodating up to 65,952 square feet of office space with skyline views of Chicago. The building’s façade is thoughtfully designed to surpass conventional warehouse aesthetics and incorporates multi-level glazing, precast elements adorned with inset brick, and metallic highlights to complement and elevate its overall architecture. Strategically placed, it also enhances visual appeal for neighborhood residents.
The modern facility also offers unparalleled parking options, boasting a standalone parking garage, additional spaces across two external decks, and the complete roof area, ensuring ample space and traffic circulation. Additionally, it includes two loading zones for semi-trailer trucks (one at grade, and one elevated) and separate, elevated loading areas for vans and smaller trucks. This multi-level approach not only streamlines operations, but also minimizes potential bottlenecks.
Special attention was paid to making sure the docks and drive-up ramps were not street-facing but instead, are located at the back of the site. This blocks views of the loading activity to maintain focus on the building’s upgraded architecture from the surrounding roadways.
Upholding LPC’s Core Values
For LPC, community integration and positive impact are at the heart of its endeavors, and the 1237 West Division Street project showcases this commitment.
“We truly want to impact the communities in which we do business and have a beneficial outcome both for our shareholders, and the communities within which we operate. One of the great things about the project at 1237 West Division Street is that we were able to get so much local involvement. Our general contractor (a joint venture between Walsh Construction and Riteway-Huggins Construction), set up an internship program for local high school students interested in the construction trades. Much of the project labor also came from the local labor pool,” said Will Freve, LPC’s Executive Vice President and National Head of Construction.
By collaborating with local entities, the project benefited both LPC’s stakeholders and the wider construction community.
“It all starts with care. LPC not only wants to be accretive to our shareholders, but also wants to make a positive impact on the communities we work in. We want to develop a bold project that provides employment opportunities for local residents, as well as establish LPC as a credible developer of multi-story warehouse properties,” said Freve.
Setting up for Success
LPC’s commitment to creating a world-class facility is evident from its meticulous research. The company met with warehouse design teams from the East to West Coasts to gain an understanding of potential design challenges before developing its approach to 1237 West Division Street.
LPC utilized the most experienced multi-story design teams available, pulling everywhere from Seattle to New York. Additionally, it diligently combed through potential partnerships to guarantee it was working with the best companies for the job at hand, ultimately choosing:
- Walsh Construction – General Contractor
- Riteway-Huggins Construction – Joint Venture Partner with Walsh
- Ware Malcomb – Project Architect
- V3 Engineers – Project Civil Engineer
- DCI Engineers – Project Structural Engineer
Given the project’s intricacy, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration among stakeholders was crucial. Because this project started just prior to the onset of COVID-19, that challenge was compounded by the pandemic, which introduced the nuances of remote collaboration. With this in mind, it searched for a comprehensive technology solution to facilitate a smooth process, from design to closeout. LPC partnered with Procore to take on that task, which provided one central hub to collaborate, manage projects and financials, and generally streamline its processes.
LPC’s comprehensive approach ensured the project not only matched, but surpassed global standards.
“A project like this is not a typical, speculative warehouse development. This is not a commodity product, so we take a great deal of pride in knowing that we spent a lot of time in the design phase of this project to create a project that not only stands on its own in the city of Chicago, but really stands out compared to other multi-story projects across the globe,” said Freve.
Ultimately, the 1237 West Division Street project isn’t just a building it’s a testament to LPC’s unwavering commitment to excellence, community and innovation. In its pursuit of reshaping urban landscapes, LPC is undeniably setting new benchmarks for others to aspire to.
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