Old Post Office Mixed-Use Redevelopment

V3 worked on the repositioning of the existing 2,500,000-square-foot Old Post Office bounded by Van Buren, Canal and Harrison Streets along the Chicago River, and bisected by the Eisenhower Expressway.

Design services have varied greatly. Early services focused on access to and into the building. V3 assisted in verifying permit status of existing driveways and also renewing permits by providing the required documentation.

V3 provided construction documents for two new water services to provide adequate flow to accommodate the new use of the building. One of the services required extensive coordination with the City due to the size and age of the existing watermain. Due to the multitude of utilities that needed to be crossed while avoiding the bridge abutments and upper street level columns, V3 worked closely with the water department to route the second service.

V3 provided design development, construction documents and construction administration for the renovation of the east plaza adjacent to Van Buren to provide a space for pedestrian leisure while maintaining truck access to the loading areas.

Under a separate contract, V3 provided engineering services associated with the removal of the existing west plaza and coordinated with the structural design team for the new deck as well as the landscape architect. Additional coordination was required with the new Union Station/BMO Tower design team to finalize the design and timing of the intersection improvements.

• The project included TIF funding due to the viaduct replacement.

• The old signal for the Van Buren exit was removed by CDOT when the intersection was reconfigured, therefore additional studies were performed to determine the feasibility of exiting the plaza safely onto Canal Street for the northern portion of the west plaza. This was a challenge due to the grade change on Canal, maintaining clearances below for Amtrak as well as the high volume of car and bus traffic on Canal.

• The driveway serving the southern portion of the west plaza is located at the signalized intersection of Canal/Harrison/Congress Parkway Service Road. As part of the improvements, V3 worked with the design team to locate a right out (northbound) exit onto Canal Street. Similar constraints were considered as the northern portion of the plaza. Additionally, the existing driveway was then tuned into a right-in only to minimize the potential conflicts at the intersection.