Chicago Architecture Info

226 West Jackson

Location

226 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois
United States

Photographs

Facts

Formerly
  • City Colleges of Chicago Headquarters
  • The National War Agencies Building
  • Chicago and Northwestern Railway Office Building
Address 226 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60606
Neighborhood The Loop
Built 1904 - 1905
Type
  • Hotel
  • Retail
Floors 14
Property size 17,400 square feet
Building size 185,000 square feet
Developer The Chicago and Northwestern Railway
Architecture firm Frost and Granger
General contractor The George A. Fuller Company

Notes

  • This was the headquarters of the Chicago and North Western Railway until 1929, when it moved to 400 West Madison Street, then known as the Chicago Daily News Building. This was next door to its largest terminal.
  • This building's west and south façades are light grey granite.
  • This building's east and north façades are cream-colored brick with terra cotta accents.
  • This building's window frames and spandrels are cast iron, created by the Winslow Brothers Company.
  • The building's main entrance is flanked by a pair of oversized Doric columns.
  • Charles Frost, one of the partners in the architecture firm selected to design this building, was the son-in-law of Marvin Hughitt, the president of the railroad that had the building built.
  • This building has a light well on its east side.
  • The decorative cast ironwork was designed by the Winslow Brothers Company.

Timeline

1929 The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, for whom this building was built, moved out. The building remained mostly vacant for more than a decade.
1942 The War Department leased this entire building.
1978 This building was purchased by the City of Chicago for use as the headquarters of the City Colleges of Chicago.
January 2018 City Colleges of Chicago announced a plan to redevelop this building into apartments.
September 2019 Crain's Chicago Business reported that Phoenix Development Group paid $32,700,000 for this building.
October 2019 A plan was floated to turn this building in a 135 room Hilton Garden Inn and a 214 room Canopy by Hilton hotel. Crain's Chicago Business reported that the redevelopment would cost $100,000,000.
February, 2020 The Commission on Chicago Landmarks recommended this building be named a city landmark.

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