Yesterday, the renovated plaza officially opened at the base of the 83-story Aon Center, located at the 200 E Randolph Street address in New Eastside. Owner 601W Companies overhauled the half-acre outdoor venue as part of a larger effort to modernize the iconic 1,136-foot supertall, whose eventual plans will include an observatory, thrill ride, and glass elevator.
This week, Chicago YIMBY stopped by the newly renovated outdoor terrace behind the Michigan Plaza office complex, which occupies two international-style buildings at 205 and 225 N Michigan Avenue in New Eastside. The roughly one-acre venue will connect to the now offer various activities, such as a putting green, a fire pit, a bocce court, and a bar. Prior to construction, the parcel offered an open plaza space with much sparser vegetation and seating.
Terrain and landscaping work is taking shape at the foot of New Eastside‘s 83-story Aon Center, where the owner 601W Companies has planned for a major overhaul of the existing plaza and entry area. Located at 200 E Randolph Street, the nearly $7 million undertaking aims to provide a new public space that will serve as a gateway to the 1,136-foot tower, while acting as an extension of the adjacent Grant Park.
Work on the new 0.8-acre Cascade Park is wrapping up as part of Lendlease and Magellan Development Group‘s Cirrus & Cascade masterplan in Lakeshore East. While the park is to be privately owned and maintained, it will be open to both residents and the public. The park slopes downward from west to east, connecting the elevated N Harbor Drive to the lower lakefront level.
Preliminary site work can be seen moving ahead for Aon Center‘s plaza renovation, situated at 200 E Randolph Street in New Eastside. The development will serve as revitalized public space and entryway to the 1,136-foot-tall Aon Center, which was originally designed by Edward Durell Stone and The Perkins and Will partnership and completed in 1974. Aon Center’s owner 601W Companies is overseeing the transformation, expected to cost roughly $6.5 million to complete.
