20 North Michigan Avenue achieved LEED-EB O&M Platinum status, the highest sustainability recognition awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 20 North Michigan Avenue, managed by CBRE|U.S. Equities Realty, is the oldest building in the Midwest to attain this recognition through LEED re-certification. The 214,800 square foot property was one of the first five buildings in Chicago to earn LEED-EB O&M Gold certification, in September 2009.
CBRE|U.S. Equities Realty building management, engineering and sustainability teams collaborated with Cyclone Energy Group (CEG), making numerous capital improvements over the last two years, including state-of-the-art high-efficiency chillers and boilers, replacement of the building supply fan, the addition of variable frequency drives and a green machine that eliminates the need for chemicals to treat chiller water. These sustainable capital improvements reduced energy usage by 40% and the building won a special ASHRAE award for the design and implementation of the improvements in November 2013.
In addition to a prestigious Michigan Avenue address, the building overlooks Millennium Park, with views of Lake Michigan and the park. The structure, originally built in 1882 for Smith, Gaylord & Cross, was renovated in 1891 for Montgomery Ward to start his mail order business. Nicknamed the “Busy Beehive” in the Montgomery Ward Catalogue, 20 North Michigan Avenue served as Montgomery Ward’s headquarters warehouse and distribution facility before becoming a furniture retail outlet and warehouse for John M. Smyth Co in 1954. A private partnership lead by Robert A. Wislow and Camille Julmy purchased the building in 1983 and successfully implemented an adaptive reuse of the building from John M. Smyth’s flagship retail/warehouse into a modern office building.
Today, 20 North Michigan Avenue is home to the headquarters of ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company and houses employees of U.S. Equities Realty, now part of CBRE. Robert A. Wislow, Chairman at CBRE Chicago and co-founder of U.S. Equities with Camille Julmy, Vice Chair at CBRE Chicago, is a member on the Green Ribbon Committee, a group of civic leaders who review and assist with the implementation of Chicago’s progress in achieving the goals of Chicago’s Action Plan.
