Duke Realty Corp.’s Chicago office has completed Navistar Inc.’s new corporate headquarters campus in Lisle, a project that involved the rehabilitation of 1.2 million square feet of space in interconnected buildings, new construction totaling 27,000 square feet, and overall improvements to the 87-acre site. The project, which was completed in 12 stages for phased-in occupancy over a one-year period, included remodeling all office space and lobbies, repairing and upgrading mechanical and electrical systems, refurbishing building exteriors and parking areas, landscaping and constructing lab space, a new 8,000-square-foot gallery at the main lobby and a 15,000-square-foot technology design center.
“Duke Realty is pleased that we could partner with Navistar on this significant project,” said Steve Schnur, senior vice president of Duke Realty’s Chicago operations. “Working together we were able to rehabilitate a long-vacant property and convert it into a state-of-the-art corporate campus that can efficiently accommodate Navistar’s workforce. As a result of this redevelopment project, a large number of construction jobs were created, and Navistar will remain a major employer in this market.”
To complete one of the largest and most visible construction projects in suburban Chicago in the past decade, Duke Realty also oversaw the following activities:
- Retro-commissioning of building systems, including repairs and upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems, and the installation of new building automation system;
- 40 percent of subcontractors were from the western suburbs and/or minority and women business enterprises;
- Management of 105 design professionals and subcontractors and 2,000 union tradesmen;
- Installation of new landscaping, including 600 trees and 5,000 shrubs;
- Reconfiguration and repaving of parking areas to accommodate 2,000 vehicles; and
- Recycling of existing building materials and reuse of ceilings and light fixtures.
The Navistar project began in January 2011, with completion on Jan. 15, 2012. For its work on this project, Duke Realty’s Chicago office recently received the Project of the Year award for a Rehabilitation Project by the Construction Industry Service Corp.
Jones Lang LaSalle represented Navistar in the transaction, with a team involved throughout the design and construction process.