CNA Insurance
Chicago, Illinois

Built in 1972, the 1,300,000-SF CNA building was a single-tenant structure. In the past few years, the business insurer became more strategically focused, concentrating solely on property and casualty business. The result was a smaller company with 250,000-SF of rentable, vacant space in its signature red tower. CNA made the decision to reposition the building and, for the first time, open it to multiple tenants. Working with a team of experts including The John Buck Co., Leopardo Construction and Powell/Kleinschmidt architects, CNA invested $60 million in the repositioning strategy.

• A “lobby within a lobby” so that new tenants enjoy a completely separate entrance, lobby and address

• Lobby’s glass curtain wall extended 50 feet, almost all the way to the sidewalk, which added 5,000-SF to the existing 15,000-SF lobby

• Redesigned entire vertical transportation system

• New landscaping plan to piggyback with the City’s Wabash improvement plan

• Demolished third floor and built new health club and conference center

• Converted low rise floors to multi-tenant use

• Upgrade mechanical and electrical systems

[Renderings courtesy of Powell/Kleinschmidt]