62/Plumbing Engineer October 2021

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riginally built in 1921, the Old Chicago Post Office was once the largest property of its kind, processing a whopping 19 million pieces of mail each day. In fact, the building underwent a major expan- sion in 1932 to accommodate the meteoric rise of the mail-order industry, an industry where Chicago became a hub thanks to the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogs. Yet, after more than 60 years of activity, the iconic building was left vacant in 1997 and sat idle for more than two decades - that is until 601 W Cos. purchased the Chicago landmark in 2016. Now, just five years later, the Old Chicago Post Office and its $800 million renovation stands as the largest historic redevelopment in the country. Thanks to specifications from design and architectural firm Gensler and work from BEAR Construction Co., the building boasts more than 2.5 million square feet of stunning multi-use office and event space. It is home to nationally renowned tenants such as Walgreens, Uber, Cisco, PepsiCo, and more. Countless retrofit elements come along with an over- haul of this magnitude, and the restroom is certainly one By Morgan Kish

What's Old is New

The restrooms of the Old Chicago Post Office are part of a historic retrofit of the 100-year-old building.

Office tenants are returning to workplace environments and want the peace of mind that comes with touch- free fixtures. Photo: Sloan The new Old Chicago Post Office restrooms are com- pletely touch-free environments, from the faucets and soap dispensers to the flushometers. Photo: Sloan