The Missner Group recently completed construction on the new 57,550-sf McGrath Acura of Chicago located at 1301 N. Elston Avenue.
This project represents the first Acura dealership within the City of Chicago.
Located along the North branch of the Chicago River, the site for the new McGrath Acura underwent extensive renovations. The project included the addition of a new Acura service center, parts department, and car wash. The service center features three drive-in service lanes and 21 service bays. The Missner Group also built-out seven glass-enclosed, private offices for the service manager and advisors which look out over the service area to maximize workflow and productivity.
The project also featured the construction of a 10,550-sf addition to the facility which includes a new car showroom, service reception area, and mezzanine with a catwalk. Enhancements and high-end finishes are incorporated throughout including two towers with the iconic Acura logo, a café, a television lounge with a fire place, and a “Zen room.” The two-story glass and metal paneled new car showroom is accentuated by a large skylight allowing for an abundance of natural lighting and scenic views.
The Missner Group also incorporated numerous sustainable improvements to the property including the implementation of a vegetative roof, and the utilization of permeable pavers for the parking lot. The pavers are designed to reduce the impervious area of the project and allow for storm water management in keeping with the City of Chicago’s best management practices. The pavers also serve as a walkway which extends along the Chicago River to an outdoor patio and sitting area where an ornamental fence frames the property.
Judd and Glen Missner were the principals overseeing the project. Jess Knigge was the firm’s project executive and Drue Stohr was the senior project manager. Architectural services were provided by Balay Architects. +
Related Stories
| Mar 29, 2011
City's design, transit system can ease gas costs
Some cities in the U.S. are better positioned to deal with rising gas prices than others because of their design and transit systems, according to CEOs for Cities, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to build stronger cities. The key factor: whether residents have to drive everywhere, or have other options.
| Mar 29, 2011
Chicago’s Willis Tower to become a vertical solar farm
Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) is set to become a massive solar electric plant with the installation of a pilot solar electric glass project.
| Mar 29, 2011
Read up on Amazon.com's new green HQ
Phase IV of Amazon’s new headquarters in Seattle is nearly complete. The company has built 10 of the 11 buildings planned for its new campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood, and is on-track for a 2013 grand opening.
| Mar 29, 2011
Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura wins Pritzker Architecture Prize
Portugese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, whose precisely-honed buildings reflect the influence of the late Chicago modernist Mies van der Rohe, is the 2011 winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the field's highest honor.
| Mar 25, 2011
Qatar World Cup may feature carbon-fiber ‘clouds’
Engineers at Qatar University’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering are busy developing what they believe could act as artificial “clouds,” man-made saucer-type structures suspended over a given soccer stadium, working to shield tens of thousands of spectators from suffocating summer temperatures that regularly top 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
| Mar 23, 2011
AIA adds 13 new contract documents to Documents-on-Demand service
Web-based solution adds 13 popular Architect’s Scope of Services Documents to AIA Documents-on-Demand, providing easy access to documents anytime, anywhere.
| Mar 23, 2011
After 60 years of student lobbying, new activity center opens at University of Texas
The new Student Activity Center at the University of Texas campus, Austin, is the result of almost 60 years of students lobbying for another dedicated social and cultural center on campus. The 149,000-sf facility is designed to serve as the "campus living room," and should earn a LEED Gold certification, a first for the campus.
| Mar 23, 2011
Architecture Billings Index shows nominal increase
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the February Architecture Billings Index score was 50.6, up slightly from a reading of 50.0 the previous month. This score reflects a modest increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 56.4, compared to a mark of 56.5 in December.
| Mar 22, 2011
The American National Standards Institute accredits Stantec for greenhouse gas verification
Stantec Consulting Ltd.’s Atmospheric Environment Group has been awarded accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for verification of assertions related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Scope of Accreditation is for verification of emissions and removals at the organizational level for Group 1 – General.
| Mar 22, 2011
Mayor Bloomberg unveils plans for New York City’s largest new affordable housing complex since the ’70s
Plans for Hunter’s Point South, the largest new affordable housing complex to be built in New York City since the 1970s, include new residences for 5,000 families, with more than 900 in this first phase. A development team consisting of Phipps Houses, Related Companies, and Monadnock Construction has been selected to build the residential portion of the first phase of the Queens waterfront complex, which includes two mixed-use buildings comprising more than 900 housing units and roughly 20,000 square feet of new retail space.
