CHICAGO – (Realty News Report) – Instead of framing its next Chicago office building with the typical steel, Hines will build the structure with wood – the first wood-structured office building developed in Chicago since the 1800s.
The six-story, heavy-timber building will be called T3 Goose Island.
“The environmental benefit of using wood on T3 is the equivalent to taking 966 cars off the road for a year. With timber as the structural system of the project, T3 will be one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable developments in Chicago,” Hines said in a news release.
Hines, the Houston-based real estate firm, it will develop the 270,000-SF T3 Goose Island in a joint venture with Diversified Real Estate Capital and Big Bay Realty.
Goose Island, an industrial and manufacturing hub since the 1850s, is now being reinvented as a highly desirable office location surrounded by the most affluent residential neighborhoods in Chicago. The City Council has approved a development plan for the area that includes public, pedestrian and bike-friendly transit options, and open space to take advantage of Goose Island’s natural setting on the Chicago River.
Until 2015, the T3 Goose Island site was home to Big Bay Lumber.
Hines will work with DLR Group and Michael Green Architects, the architectural team behind the firm’s prototype T3 project in Minneapolis, to design a timber-structured building in homage to the history of the site and as a market differentiator in Goose Island’s evolving neighborhood.
“Users are seeking authentic office environments that enable their culture. They want modern design, efficient operations and environmentally sensitive construction and T3 Goose Island will deliver on all of their expectations,” said Brian Atkinson, Hines managing director.
Designed for collaboration and work/life balance, T3 will offer an exceptional complement of amenities including common social areas, a shared rooftop deck, private tenant-only balconies on each floor, bike storage and repair, a modern fitness facility with locker rooms, and ground floor retail.
Surrounded by the most vibrant residential neighborhoods in Chicago, including: Bucktown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park and Old Town, Goose Island is becoming a new hub for progress, easily accessible by bike, water taxi, bus, Metra and car.
Founded by Gerald D. Hines, the Hines company is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 201 cities in 21 countries.