Somerset Development announced its first office lease at Bell Works Chicagoland, the transformation of the 1.65-million square foot former AT&T headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Additionally, the company announced that the property will soon welcome an outpost for Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea.
“Our first leases at Bell Works Chicagoland are so much more than just leases—they are the affirmation that this long-standing property, which was home to thousands of workers in the region, is once again alive,” said Ralph Zucker, president of Somerset Development. “From sole proprietors in our collaborative workspaces to corporate tenants in our customizable large-format spaces, we’re building a true community at Bell Works Chicagoland, and we’re thrilled to have CPA Advisors Group and Fairgrounds as foundational members of that community.”
Somerset Development recently formed a partnership with Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea, known for its stylish cafes in Bucktown, Fulton Market and the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel in Chicago. The cafe will operate a kiosk at Bell Works Chicagoland beginning in December, with plans to open a permanent Fairgrounds location with a full cocktail bar on site in early 2022.
“Bringing Fairgrounds to Bell Works Chicagoland is an incredibly exciting venture for us,” said founder and CEO of Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea, Michael Schultz. “The ‘Metroburb’ concept—combining urbanity in suburbia—offers a dynamic and vibrant environment we immediately knew we wanted to be a part of. We look forward to becoming a founding member of such a celebrated endeavor and addition to the Hoffman Estates community.”
CPA Advisors Group, a boutique full-service accounting firm, serves as the first tenant to join Bell Works Chicagoland and pioneer the budding office community at the Metroburb. CPA Advisors Group will occupy one of the property’s “ready-to-wear” office spaces at Chicagoland’s first ‘Metroburb’— a term coined to describe Somerset Development’s approach to creating a self-contained urban core in suburbia. The “ready-to-wear” pre-built designer office suites at Bell Works Chicagoland offer immediate occupancy for small-to-medium-sized business teams seeking to join the Bell Works community.
“Bell Works Chicagoland represents so much of Hoffman Estates’ appeal to residents and businesses: the ability to forge connections and build community within arms’ reach of the city,” said William McLeod, mayor of Hoffman Estates. “That the former AT&T facility will once again welcome workers through its doors is an encouraging sign for Bell Works and a milestone for Hoffman Estates as a whole.”
“Both CPA Advisors Group and Fairgrounds were attracted to the property after witnessing the unbelievable transformation that took place in Bell Works New Jersey,” said Steve Kling, principal at Colliers International. “Bell Works New Jersey has become a magnet for the brightest businesses in the region and a cultural asset for the surrounding community. Bell Works Chicagoland is an exciting reiteration of the successful Metroburb model, and is on track to follow in this same manner.”
The $200 million redevelopment plans for Bell Works Chicagoland will ultimately create an exciting, walkable, downtown-style centerpiece for the Village, complete with 1.2-million square feet of office space, 60,000 square feet of conference facilities, storage and amenities, and 60,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space.
Despite unpredicted challenges presented by COVID-19 earlier this year the interior renovations at the property continue on schedule. Construction is slated to be complete November 1st.
Originally built as the Ameritech Center in 1990, the 150-acre corporate campus and former AT&T headquarters was originally designed by Lohan Associates. Dirk Lohan, FAIA, returns to the project with design firm Wight & Company, and joins Alexander Gorlin Architects and NPZ Style + Decor, who led the reimagination of the Bell Works New Jersey Metroburb.
Colliers and The Garibaldi Group are the exclusive leasing teams marketing office space at Bell Works Chicagoland. The Colliers leasing team is composed of Steve Kling, Francis Prock and Jason Simon, all principals with Colliers International. The Garibaldi Group leasing team is composed of Jeffrey Garibaldi, Sr., president; Tara Keating, vice president and Lindsey Florio, broker support analyst.