Building · riverside-plaza
Old Chicago Main Post Office
The Old Chicago Main Post Office spans the Eisenhower Expressway at the southeast edge of the West Loop. Vacant from 1995 through 2018, the Art Deco building was redeveloped 2017–2020 into Class A office and retail space, becoming one of the largest historic-building renovations in the country.
- Address
- 433 W Van Buren St, Chicago, IL 60607
- Year built
- 1921 (original) — 1932 (expansion)
- Architect
- Graham, Anderson, Probst & White
- Developer
- 601W Companies (2017–2020 renovation)
- Nearest L station
- Clinton (Blue Line)
- Historic status
- Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
- Current use
- Mixed-use office and retail (Class A)
- Official site
- 601wcompanies.com
About
The Old Post Office was built in two stages: the original 1921 building and a 1932 expansion that doubled its footprint. At its peak, the facility processed more mail than any other postal facility in the world.
After the USPS vacated in 1995, the building sat empty for over two decades. The 2017–2020 renovation by 601W Companies, with architectural design by Gensler, preserved the Art Deco interiors while adding modern office floor plates. 601W puts the building at 2.8 million square feet and lists an acquisition price of $130 million. Major tenants since reopening have included Walgreens, Uber, Cisco, and PepsiCo.
The building straddles the Eisenhower Expressway, which was driven underneath it in 1955 — an unusual feat of expressway-on-historic-building cohabitation.