(Above) Main lobby of The Old Chicago Main Post Office, built in 1921, expanded in 1932, and renovated more recently in 2019. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

By Steven Dahlman

15-Sep-23 – Two repurposed downtown buildings have won awards for adaptive reuse from Landmarks Illinois.

Tribune Tower and The Old Chicago Main Post Office are among eight winners of this year’s Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards, announced on September 12.

Tribune Tower, located in Streeterville, was once the home of the Chicago Tribune and is now a 162-unit residential building. The Old Chicago Main Post Office, the largest adaptive reuse project in the nation, transformed the abandoned former post office in the Loop into an Art Deco retail and office space. (Left) Upper floors of Tribune Tower from roof of Wrigley Building in 2006.

“Our 2023 award winners illustrate the incredibly creative ways people are saving our state’s historic places and promoting our cultural heritage,” said Bonnie McDonald (right), President/CEO of Landmarks Illinois.

“As we have seen over the 30 years of our awards program, preservation has a lasting impact on our Illinois communities. When we save and reuse a historic building or bring attention to stories from our past, the entire community benefits. Economies grow, pride of place increases, and places that have stood as an anchor in neighborhoods for generations are reborn to serve residents and visitors in new, exciting ways,” said McDonald.

An awards ceremony is scheduled for October 27 at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture located at 2936 North Southport Avenue in Chicago.

More info: Landmarks Illinois