CHICAGO – (Jan. 23, 2018) – Cumming, an international project management and cost consulting firm, is currently providing ongoing project monitoring on the renovation and conversion of the massive 2.5 million-square-foot Old Main Post Office into offices and other mixed-use spaces. The project’s team has now remediated and prepared a third of the building’s area, which will allow incoming tenants to take this blank canvas and make it into their own.

The iconic art deco building is currently undergoing extensive renovations, including a complete internal demolition, remediation, the installation of all new MEP and life safety systems to meet current codes, total window replacement, the installation of a new roof, and major elevator system upgrades, among numerous other modernizations.

601W Companies, a major New York City-based developer, is behind the planned overhaul of the vacant Old Main Post Office. Now, with the issuance of a new building permit for exterior facade repair and restoration well behind them, major progress can be seen as the development team works to quickly reverse the toll that years of decay took on the building.

Initially hired to produce a due diligence report for the project’s lender, Cumming provided budget costs based on the proposed renovations, and highlighted potential risks along with solutions to mitigate any potential issues before transitioning to providing overall project monitoring.

“As with any historic building, you really have to walk this delicate line between preserving the iconic beauty through specialized restoration, while at the same time introducing modernizations to make it usable for today’s business needs,” said Daniel Pomfrett, Regional Director at Cumming. “The massive redevelopment of the Old Main Post Office provides the construction and design teams with several unique challenges given that it takes up two entire city blocks, straddles two main city thoroughfares, and has been completely vacant since the mid-1990’s.”

Gensler is in charge of design and is working closely with the development team at 601W to give the Old Post Office a new life – complete with a rooftop deck and a riverfront plaza for the community. 601W Companies acquired the property from owner Bill Davies for $130 million earlier this year. The project is scheduled to be completed and ready for tenants in 2021.

Cumming specializes in the commercial, hospitality, retail, entertainment, education, healthcare, and high-end residential sectors. Experts in construction project and cost management services, Cumming’s portfolio includes a diverse array of work. The firm has more than 400 assignments underway at any given time, and has worked on projects worldwide with a collective value in excess of $150 billion.

About Cumming

Cumming is an international project and cost management firm. Since opening for business in 1996, Cumming has provided efficient and cost-effective solutions to ensure that projects in the commercial, hospitality, retail, entertainment, education, healthcare and high-end residential sectors are executed on time and within budget. Cumming provides a solutions-oriented suite of services that specifically addresses its clients’ unique challenges, thus enabling them to achieve extraordinary results. For more information, please visit www.ccorpusa.com.

Media Contact

For all media inquiries, please contact Jessica Busch by using the contact form below: