New York Life Insurance Building (Chicago)

The New York Life Insurance Building is a 14-story building at 39 South LaSalle Street in the Loop neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. Designed by William Le Baron Jenney, it was completed as a 12-story structure in 1894 at a cost of US$800,000. In 1898, Jenney designed a 92 ft (28 m) addition to the east of the original structure. This expanded the Monroe Street facade to 233 ft (71 m). The addition contained 13 floors and an additional floor was added to the first structure. The expansion also added an entrance on Monroe Street and enlarged the lobby. In 1903, a fourteenth floor was added bring the building to its current height.[1]

New York Life Insurance Building
(1900)
General information
StatusComplete
LocationChicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°52′53.2″N 87°37′56.2″W
Completed1894
Technical details
Floor count14
Design and construction
ArchitectWilliam Le Baron Jenney
Chicago Landmark
DesignatedJuly 26, 2006

The building is faced with brick and terra cotta trim in the classical style. Prior to the additions, a cornice and parapet encircled the top, however these were removed to accommodate the expansion. The lobby retains its white and gray marble cladding and mosaic tile floor. Light fixtures are deco and appear to be from the 1920s.[1]

The building received preliminary landmark status in 2002,[2] but in 2006, Preservation Chicago considered the building one of Chicago's most threatened.[3] In June of that year a company submitted an application to the Chicago Plan Commission including plans to renovate the structure and build 29 South LaSalle, an adjacent 51 story office building.[4][5] Later that month, the building was declared an official Chicago landmark,[6] amended in 2009.[7]

In August 2014, KHP Capital Partners announced it purchased the structure and would convert it to a 281-room Kimpton hotel that will include restaurant, meeting and retail space. The company expects the hotel to open in early 2016.[8]

  • Under construction
  • Street view from the west (2012)
  • Street view from the northwest (2011)

See also

References
  1. "Landmark Designation Report: New York Life Building" (PDF). City of Chicago. June 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  2. "LaSalle-Monroe Building". Emporis. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  3. "The New York Life Insurance Building" (PDF). Preservation Chicago. 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  4. Chicago Plan Commission Agenda for June 15, 2006, Chicago Plan Commission (2006).
  5. "Chicago commercial office space for lease, commercial property for sale, office space rental, retail real estate services, warehouse property for lease, 1031 exchange". Trade Addresses Chicago. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
  6. "New York Life Building". City of Chicago. 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  7. "Minutes of the Meeting Commission On Chicago Landmarks" (PDF). City of Chicago. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 2012-01-18.
  8. Ruminski, Bill (19 August 2014). "Kimpton plans hotel for Chicago's New York Life Building". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-21.


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