Historic Building Goes into Complete Rehab

The North American Building, a 1913 Holabird & Roche structure in Chicago, is undergoing a $28 million transformation into a mixed-use condominium and retail shopping center. General contractor James McHugh Construction and developers Keith Giles, Jerry Karlik, and Bill Warman expect to complete rehabilitation of the 19-story, 256,000-sf building by spring 2006. It will reopen as Metropolis Condominiums. The plan includes retail space on the first floor, a parking garage on three sub-basement levels, restored terra-cotta cladding on the first 12 stories of its streetfront façades, and replacement of its large windows to meet modern standards.