HISTORY & ABOUT US
HISTORY
A century ago, the Monroe Building took its place among Chicago's elite office properties, alongside the Rookery, Marquette, Monadnock and Santa Fe buildings. Architect Holabird & Roche gave the Monroe Building distinctive gables, mirroring its design for the University Club across the street. Together the buildings created a striking gateway from Michigan Avenue into the Loop.
The Monroe Building's dramatic lobby featured tile work by acclaimed Rookwood Pottery of Cincinnati, then one of the largest woman-owned businesses in the country. Premier tenants, including its own designers, gravitated to the building. A stream of artists and architects — among them Frank Lloyd Wright— took loft space under the gables.
Classic form, modern function.
Just in time for its centennial, the Monroe Building has undergone a faithful restoration led by a committed new owner. This classic building enters a new century with a full complement of the features tenants want most:
- Unobstructed lake, park and city views
- All new building, security and IT systems, HVAC, electric and plumbing
- A full-service data center with server hosting
- Indoor bike storage
- New fitness center and conference facilities
- Discounted parking adjacent to the building
- Convenient access to public transportation
- Coming Fall 2026 - an Amenity floor for tenants
Rediscover the Monroe Building, the newest piece of Chicago history.
Epic Restoration
Like many historic office structures, the Monroe Building went through renovations that buried much of its original design detail. But the sands of time reversed when J&J ARNACO acquired the property in 2006. The new owner — a major tenant in the building — launched an epic restoration. Beneath layers of drywall and bronze panels, the restoration team found wrought iron elevator grilles and rare decorative tile work by Rookwood Pottery still intact. Historic photos and architectural drawings helped replicate missing transom grilles and original lighting fixtures. Remarkably, the restoration team includes some of the companies involved with the building's original construction, including Holabird & Root, successor firm to the original architect; Rookwood Pottery, which created the decorative tile work found throughout the building; and Ludowici Tile, which made the original Spanish tile roof. Together, they helped restore this lost gem of Chicago architecture to its original luster.