The Old Post Office announced the completion of The Meadow, the highly anticipated 3.5-acre rooftop park on its 13th story. The outdoor experience stretches the entirety of the building—three city blocks long and one city block wide—and showcases a basketball court, native plantings, a bistro and bar area, running/walking track and other features.
“There is no other space like The Meadow in Chicago or even in the rest of the United States,” said Brian Whiting, CEO and president of The Telos Group, LLC. “The space speaks for itself. We’ve created an urban oasis that complements the unrivaled tenant amenity package that The Old Post Office offers.”
The rooftop park is a milestone achievement for the 2.5-million-square-foot restoration and repositioning project—the largest of its kind in the United States. The reimagined Old Post Office opened in November 2019, with 80 percent of the building leased within 18 months to tenants including Uber, Walgreens, Ferrara Candy Co., HomeChef and Cboe.
“The Meadow represents a timely launch of next-generation tenant amenities, presenting an evolved standard in offering workers access to ample outdoor space that allows for multiple modes of use. Access to daylight, outdoor air and contact with nature is no longer an option, it’s an expectation,” said Sheryl Schulze, principal and global repositioning and landlord services leader at Gensler. “The rooftop park is designed to offer tenants choice in spaces to meet, exercise, entertain or to simply relax and enjoy our iconic Chicago skyline in a verdant setting.”
Designed by Gensler and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects with BEAR Construction as general contractor, the rooftop park provides tenants with a variety of health and wellness experiences in the midst of natural elements, creating an unparalleled greenspace experience lofted high above Ida B. Wells Drive at the gateway to Chicago.
“Completing the rooftop at The Old Post Office was an incredible construction feat,” said Dennis Hill, vice president at BEAR Construction. “We built six acres of rooftop space, including the 3.5-acres of amenity space with 22,000 square feet of concrete pavers, 288 truckloads of topsoil, 5,000 cubic yards of geo foam fill and more than 35,000 plants. This stunning and expansive outdoor amenity took precision in planning and execution to deliver exactly as envisioned.”
The completion of the rooftop marks the final delivery of the tenant amenities which include an 18,000-square-foot fitness center; tenant lounge and bar; The Vault, a speakeasy-style hidden bar; The Library, a quiet, heads-down workspace, as well as an ample conferencing center. Upcoming for The Old Post Office is a creative district, featuring a food hall and music venue, that will function as a public centerpiece for the building and spill out into the greater Loop beyond.
