This adaptive reuse converted the Chicago Sun-Times printing plant, which had been closed since 2011, for a mega–data center on 30 acres near Chicago’s Loop.
QTS Realty Trust (owner) prefers retrofitting to new construction, a policy the jury applauded. QTS was attracted to the plant’s good structural bones, high ceilings, and reinforced floors. The owner allocated the budget over two years, giving the Building Team time to develop a plan that aligned construction with the project’s cash flow.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Honorable Mention | Chicago, Ill.
Building Team: Mortenson Construction (submitting firm, GC); QTS Realty Trust (owner); Corgan Associates (architect); AG&E Structural Engenuity (SE); Eriksson Engineering (CE); Environmental Systems Design (MEP).
Details: 317,000 sf. Construction cost: Confidential. Construction time: January 2015 to June 2016. Delivery method: CM at risk.