Monroe Plaza, the twin office towers at 200 and 230 W. Monroe Street in Chicago’s West Loop, added over 125,000 square feet of new leasing in the past six months. The property, which is owned by Hallandale Beach, Florida-based Accesso, also introduced Loft 18, a half-floor tenant lounge and conference center in the western tower.
The new leases included AIDS Foundation’s 33,349 square feet, Risk Connect leasing 20,000 square feet, 11,673 square feet to Dialysis Center and RTM Engineering leasing over 5,000 square feet in the 23-story 200 W. Monroe. Next door at the 29-story 230 W. Monroe, the law firm of Sweeney and Sharkey leased 6,000 square feet, financial services firm Falkenberg leased 4,000 square feet, management consulting firm Point B leased over 5,000 square feet and accounting firm Smith & Cull leased nearly 5,000 square feet, among several smaller tenants.
“We’re seeing more influx of tenants from the suburbs and even with new developments hitting the market, we feel the positive absorption figures should continue,” said Paul Einum, Chicago’s director of asset management for Accesso. “The Loop has been pretty hot and we don’t expect it to wane.”
Accesso recently dedicated the remainder of the 18th floor in 230 W. Monroe to a new, 10,000-square-foot tenant lounge called Loft 18. Designed by Earles Architects and Associates, the contemporary lounge and conference center is reserved for tenants and employees of both buildings. Features include up-to-the-moment AV equipment, an 85-inch LED screen in the conference room, a 14-foot fire feature, board room, kitchen area, game room and huddle space.
The lounge shares the floor with a 7,000-square-foot, Peloton-equipped fitness center with locker rooms and showers that is also reserved exclusively for Monroe Plaza tenants and their employees. Last year, Accesso introduced a Wi-Fi-equipped exterior park between the two buildings which has become a favored hideaway for Loop laptoppers to think and work.
Cushman & Wakefield’s Loop downtown agency rep team, headed by Andrea Saewitz and including Mark Baby and Ben Cleveland, is the leasing agent for Monroe Plaza.
