Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Loop data center pitched for landmarked office building

suntimes.com · 18h · first reportShare

A Chicago investor’s plan to convert part of a landmark Loop office building into a data center received its first city approval last week, a move Chicago’s leading preservationist group called “a dangerous precedent.” Igor Gabal is pitching the conversion of floors two through six of 300 W. Adams St. into a data center, with a new ComEd vault to power it. Ten backup generators would also be installed on the building’s roof. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks' Permit Review Committee approved the project on Aug. 6, though the full commission still has to green light the plan. An affiliate of Gabal purchased 300 W. Adams St. for $4 million in 2023, property records show. Gabal said during the meeting that he’s tried to find new tenants but “no one wants to lease space” in Class C buildings like the Adams Street property, especially amid a period when office vacancy rates remain elevated following the pandemic. Instead, tenants are flocking to Class A buildings, which boast modern finis