Principle Construction started construction on two new buildings in Chicago Heights for Morgan Li, a family-owned furniture and fixture fabricator. One of the company’s previous warehouses was destroyed by a fire in February 2023.
The project includes the construction of two buildings on the 14.5-acre site. Building A will be 237,756 square feet with 230,298 square feet of warehouse and 5,122 square feet of office space. The warehouse will have 36-foot clear height, 20 docks, and four drive-doors. The Principle team will equip the building for heavy power with a 2000 AMP 277/480V 3 Phase system.
Building B will be a 38,263-square-foot structure with 36,360 square feet of warehouse and 1,143 square feet of office. It will house a specialized paint line mechanical system for Morgan’s Li operations that requires a significant amount of coordination between MEP and the paint line contractor. Both buildings will have ESFR sprinkler systems and TPO with insulation meeting R-30 code requirements.
Principle will also create a 158-stall parking lot with four EV charging stations on site to accommodate Morgan Li employees. The site will also extend onto an adjacent railroad property pending its sale.
The building will be larger and more functional than the previous building on the site, which Morgan Li had been operating at for many years. The company acquired the building in 2022. Morgan Li makes furniture and fixtures for retailers like Adidas, Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, and Walmart. The businesses 245 employees have been working out of secondary locations in Matteson and South Holland while the new space is under construction.
Principle’s Darrin Dehmlow and Andrew Mackintosh are serving as project managers on this project. Principle’s Dave Plunkett is the superintendent. Designhaus Inc. Architecture designed the new facilities. Principle is slated to complete the construction in March 2025.
