McCormick Square - more than just conventions
To many Chicagoans and business travelers alike, McCormick Place, situated just two and a half miles southeast of Chicago's illustrious City Center, State and Madison, is a place most visited or more aptly, most known for, world class meeting and convention space.
The likes of which is one of the largest and most grand gathering spaces in the country and longtime home for some of some of the largest conventions in the world. From citywide annual medical conferences like Radiological Society of North America and American Society of Clinical Oncology, to biannual citywide manufacturing conferences like International Manufacturing Technology Show, to one of the most renowned legacy shows, the Chicago Auto Show and the National Restaurant Show, McCormick Place sees them all.
However for those who don't frequent the area, or at the very least, haven't been to a show in a couple years, you just might not recognize it these days. Many will certainly recall their McCormick Place for its traditional footprint.
Starting in the east, sitting prominently on the shores of Lake Michigan after having risen from the ashes of the tragic fire of 1967, is the Lakeside Center. The iconic black steel structure with flat roof. A short walk west across a sky bridge and over Chicago's famed Lake Shore Drive, sits the North Building, opened in 1987. Opened in 1996 and connected via the multilevel Grand Concourse complete with water features, lounge areas, and dining options, is the largest of McCormick Place's exhibit spaces, the South Building. Further west yet, and also connected via Sky Bridge, this time spanning South Martin Luther King Drive, is the newest exhibit and meeting space, the West Building, opening its doors in 2007.
This impressive group of structures comprises nearly 2.7 million square feet of exhibit and meeting space, per the McCormick Place website. To meet the demand for guest rooms near the convention center, as well as to augment the already impressive meeting space, the Hyatt Regency McCormick was opened in 1998.
This gave conventioneers easy access to the conferences they attended. And for a long time this was the only large scale, full service hotel within miles of facility. Until now that is. And we're back … your McCormick Place history lesson is now complete, and fortunately, there is no quiz.
Enter McCormick Square. A walk down 2203 South King Drive is transformational! A short walk from the main entrance or quick tunnel through the "habit trail" will bring you to the new Marriott Marquis Hotel! An impressive glass structure rising up 39 floors from the area's industrial landscape, the hotel's sleek linear lighting outline can be seen for miles! Boasting over 1,200 guest rooms, 93,000 square feet of event space, as well convenient and elegant dining options, it's quickly booking up with excited travelers.
Continuing the McCormick Square expansion to the north, and also conveniently connected by sky walk is the new Wintrust Arena! A beautiful multipurpose arena style space with up to 10,300 seats depending upon the nature of the gathering. As the official home for DePaul Blue Demon Basketball, this amazing and new facility is already hosting large general sessions with top talent to major concerts and performances. With the lion's share of its southern facade being glass, with the balance being a 16' high by 60' long LED wall, McCormick Place has never shined so bright.
These amazing additions to McCormick Square are just the tip of the iceberg for this area of the city.
• Tony Sansone is a contributing writer for the Daily Herald Business Ledger.