350 North Clark Street

When turn of the century restaurateur, John R. Thompson, decided to build a new corporate headquarters for his growing food services company, he wanted to construct more than just a building. The building he envisioned, the John R. Thompson Building at 350 N. Clark Street, remains an elegant feature of the River North skyline that is still sought after by companies seeking to establish their own unique Chicago identities. 350 North Clark is an eight-story (plus basement and penthouse), masonry and white glazed terra cotta finished mixed-use building. Designed by prolific hometown architect, Alfred S. Alschuler, the building exemplifies the best traditions of Chicago's renowned architectural tradition. The strong geometric grid of the exterior reflects the building's structural framing but also is enlivened with ornamental garlands of fruits, vegetables and grain. The central ornamental tower gave the building a distinctive presence in the skyline, but, at the same time, it masked a rooftop water tank from public view. In another nod to the building's original use as a food distribution facility, the exterior was clad in creamy terra cotta produced by Chicago's own Northwestern Terra Cotta Company. The company would later manufacture the material for the pristine white façade of the Wrigley Building. The building underwent a complete gut rehab in 1983 - 1984 and since 2000 each floor has been entirely upgraded, including new voice data distribution and state-of-the-art electrical modifications. Soon to be vacated by long-time tenant, Mesirow Financial, the John R. Thompson Building will be available for occupancy in the first quarter of 2010.