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One North LaSalle Street

A stroll through Chicago's Loop is a stroll through American architectural history. This is one reason why many buildings in Chicago's downtown area have been designated as Historic Landmarks.

When a building receives landmark status, often the building façade can no longer be altered in any way that would change its original appearance. One such building that falls within this landmark category is the Art Deco treasure known as One North LaSalle. While the exterior of One North LaSalle must remain unchanged, the interior is presently undergoing a major renovation. With careful attention to preserving the beautiful Art Deco design, this building presents an excellent example of how to upgrade a building to meet today's technological needs while still preserving yesterday's artistic beauty.

Rising forty-nine stories above the corner of Madison and LaSalle, One North LaSalle has recently celebrated its 70th birthday. While its age says old, the renovation project underway is making the building operations anything but old. This classic Art Deco style building will evolve into the 21st century effortlessly, affording tenants the most advanced, technological systems available.

The history of One North LaSalle is as rich and decorative as its interior. Built in 1929, One North LaSalle was the last skyscraper erected before the Great Depression began, and remained the tallest building in Chicago until the Daley Center was built. Designed by Vitzthum and Burns, the Art Deco style followed the social mood of the 1920s while being borne out of necessity in a rapidly expanding city. Three successive offsets in the building, the defining characteristic of the art deco style, were used in the design to follow new zoning laws put in place. These laws would enable a rapidly expanding city to make maximum use of air and light in the major business areas.

The base of the building is five stories high, ultimately rising to a full 530 feet. Circling the building at the fifth floor are relief panels sculpted by Leon Hermant, depicting America's most famous explorers, LaSalle, Marquette, Columbus, Clark and Joliet, as well as the Iroquois Indians. Extending beyond, the three successive offsets each decrease in height to the recessed tower above. While Art Deco has its own distinctive style on the outside, it also established its own style in ornamental decoration, concentrating on entranceways, doors, vestibules and elevators. One North LaSalle is no exception to the Art Deco style. Upon entering the building, the visitor is greeted by a uniformed concierge, ready to direct you to your destination. Stylish green-black marble walls accented by shiny cast bronze elevator doors feature full-figured female figures symbolizing Success and Reputation, the hallmark of the LaSalle Street corridor. Intricate peacock light bracket lamps, four feet high and strategically hung four feet above the floor, provide intimate lighting through the green glass in the peacock's tail. By focusing this light on the walls and ceiling, the interior beauty of the building is showcased.

After many years of use in which the building fell into severe disrepair, MB Real Estate assumed ownership of the building and has undertaken a massive renovation project to bring One North LaSalle into the 21st century. Their goal is to modernize the building while preserving its historic design elements. This plan includes removing obsolete systems and replacing them with state-of-the-art. This means replacing steam, waste and water pipes, creating new restrooms and remodeling older ones, installing a new heating and air conditioning system, building new corridors and elevator lobbies, and installing new electrical transformers. In addition, fifteen elevators have been completely rebuilt, giving them new interiors and a new solid state system. Of fundamental importance has been the telecommunications system. To put One North LaSalle on the technology map, a telecommunications riser was installed, complete with high-speed copper phone lines, fiber optics lines and coaxial cable. Technologically speaking, the building is now ready to compete with the best there is. Office suites have been decorated with full-height mahogany doors and modern ceiling and lighting fixtures, ensuring that maximum energy efficiency is obtained. To keep the building façade as up to date as possible without violating landmark status, the building was cleaned and new lighting was installed to highlight the exterior beauty of this historical landmark.

Chief Engineer Jesse James oversees the daily operations of One North LaSalle. Along with his staff, including Kevin Regan and Dan Egan, they are responsible for making sure that all building system operations run smoothly. With the major renovation of all building systems, it would seem that there isn't much to do. But that is quite the contrary.

Jesse and his staff handle house calls on a daily basis, ensuring the comfort of the tenants, see to it that the heating, air conditioning, and plumbing systems run flawlessly. Helping them accomplish this task is a Siemens Building Automation System. Each and every system within the building can be monitored from the computer located just near the engineering office. Inside as well as outside air temperatures can be monitored and setpoints can be changed easily to ensure the comfort of the tenants. New air handlers have been installed to coordinate with the building automation system.
A preventive maintenance program has been put in place to keep these new systems working in top shape. This includes a daily check on each piece of equipment as well as the ordinary maintenance procedures needed. Two Kewanee boilers, one rated at 350 HP and one rated at 400 HP, keep the building at a comfortable temperature. Kevin related that while only one boiler is needed at a time, both are kept on-line in the event the main boiler should fail. This precautionary measure ensures no lapse of service as the boiler is ready to service the building immediately.

While most large buildings operate on a complicated maze of piping to supply hot and cold water, One North LaSalle has simplified the process. Condensing water is fed through chilled water coils on its way to the cooling tower. To facilitate this, two variable speed water pumps rated at 125 HP alternate operation with one pump used on a standby basis. Utilizing a two-pipe system, hot and cold water feeds are regulated by a simple valving operation. When hot water is called for, a series of valves are opened and chilled water is routed through a heat exchanger, the pneumatic lines to the steam valves are opened, heat is sent to the exchanger bundle and the hot water is then sent out. Gehrke Technology has installed an automated chemical feed system to ensure that water in the cooling towers is in the best condition possible. Readings are taken on a daily basis by the engineering staff and adjustments are made accordingly. Trane 500-ton Centravac chillers complement the already impressive list of equipment under the control of Jesse and his staff.

As a note of interest, One North LaSalle was one of many buildings affected during the Great Chicago Tunnel Flood of 1991. Water entering the building at incredible speed eventually leveled out after reaching the second basement ceiling. A look at how high the ceilings actually are makes the incomprehensible event a reality. All equipment located in the basement was under water and special care needed to be taken to ensure that it all worked properly when the water was finally removed.

While visiting Jesse and his staff, The Chief Engineer had the pleasure of talking with General Manager Tracy Morgan. Handling the day-to-day operations of the building and coordinating tenant requests, Tracy's real challenge came in the form of the building's renovation. Responsible for overseeing the massive project, Tracy handled it with grace and ease. She now has this first-hand experience under her belt and did an outstanding job.

Most of the repairs at the building are contracted out. There is, however, a house electrician on staff. Jack Hannigan has been with One North LaSalle for the past five years. He works closely with the engineering department, handling daily house calls and performing necessary electrical work for the property. Currently living in Frankfort with his wife and three children, Jack loves sports of any kind, and in his spare time he enjoys coaching children's activities and fishing.

Dan Egan is the new kid on the block. Working closely with Kevin and Jesse, Dan is learning all he can from the veterans. Dan has just recently taken his City of Chicago High Pressure license exam and is anxiously awaiting the results. Residing in Mount Greenwood, Dan spends his free time doing "whatever".

Kevin Regan is the veteran of One North LaSalle. Employed here for the past ten years, Kevin is most knowledgeable regarding the equipment and the daily operations of the building. He and Jesse make a good team, with experience and knowledge being the keys to the successful operation of a building of this size. Kevin is married with three children and resides in Evergreen Park. When not at work he enjoys sports of all kinds, with his favorites being basketball, softball and golf.

Jesse is a 37-year veteran of the engineering world. Formerly employed at 36 S. State for 30 years, Jesse moved to One North LaSalle a short time ago. One of the key management qualities he brought with him was his organizational skill. Wanting to know exactly what tools are being used, Jesse incorporated a hanging board in his office with the outlined shape of every tool on it. Now a quick glance lets him know what tool is out and has not yet been returned. He also reinstated a daily log book, keeping track of all work being done and the final results. This enables the engineering department to be on top when questions need to be answered. Jesse is an avid swimmer, belonging to a 1000-mile club. Since 1983, he has devoted a minimum of 45 minutes a day, five days a week swimming to keep fit. Two grown sons, both Certified Public Accountants, help to fill in his spare time.

It is always a remarkable feat when the past can be flawlessly incorporated into the present, and ultimately the future. Chicago has taken steps to preserve its illustrious past so that future generations may know how their surroundings have been shaped. One North LaSalle takes its place among those buildings holding a past and sharing it with the future. While the outside of the building holds to the past, the inner workings of the building hold to the future. A future as bright as its surroundings.

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