Friedman Properties completed an 80,000-square-foot lease renewal and expansion with Bartlit Beck LLP at Court House Place at 54 W. Hubbard St. in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The transaction increased the law firm’s footprint by more than 20%.
Bartlit Beck is a national law firm, headquartered at Court House Place since 1993, with expertise in high-stakes commercial litigation, intellectual property, antitrust and unfair trade practices, breach of contract, shareholder disputes and product liability. Renovations will begin soon on the additional 15,000 square feet.
Designed by architect Otto H. Matz and constructed in 1893, the Romanesque-style Court House Place is notable for its arched entry, corner tourelles, arcade windows and rusticated stone façade. Formerly serving as the Cook County criminal court, the site where Court House Place is located has hosted many infamous trials, including those for Leopold and Loeb, the Black Sox and Haymarket rioters, as well as the insanity hearings of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Additionally, many literary figures spent time in the building’s fourth-floor pressroom, including Carl Sandburg, Sherwood Anderson and reporters-turned-playwrights Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur, whose play, “The Front Page,” was inspired by their time covering trials in the building.
After acquiring the seven-story, 107,000-square-foot property in 1985, Friedman Properties executed a full redevelopment, transforming it into a modern office building while thoughtfully preserving the dramatic lobby and other historic architectural elements. A significant renovation in 2018 added a rooftop deck and dual-egress stair tower to the building that allowed for the elimination of exterior fire escapes. Other improvements at that time included updated MEP systems, modernized exterior lighting and refreshed common areas, restrooms and tenant space.
Court House Place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a Chicago landmark.
