CHICAGO — Friedman Properties has completed five leases totaling 107,000 square feet at the Reid Murdoch Building in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.
New tenant Smartly, an artificial intelligence-powered advertising technology company with offices around the world, signed a lease for 5,000 square feet of office space.
Storck USA, which has maintained its offices in the building since 2002, expanded from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet. Headquartered in Berlin, Storck is a confectionary producer with brands including Werther’s Original, Mamba, Riesen, merci, Knoppers and Toffifay.
The Motion Agency, an independently owned marketing agency, expanded from 20,000 to 25,000 square feet. The company’s headquarters have been located at the property since 2018.
Theater of the Mind, an immersive theatrical experience presented as part of Goodman Theatre’s centennial 2025/2026 season, signed a 19,000-square-foot lease for ground-floor retail space.
River Roast renewed its 28,000-square-foot restaurant lease. The eatery opened in 2014.
Friedman Properties recently completed a renovation that included a new tenant lounge, café, audiovisual system, two conference rooms and a fitness center. Additional upgrades included the build-out of a 5,388-square-foot speculative office suite, refreshed common areas and a lobby transformation.
Originally constructed in 1914, the Reid Murdoch Building long served as the office, warehouse and manufacturing facilities for Reid, Murdoch & Co., one of the country’s largest wholesale grocers. The building hosted traffic courts and other municipal offices for decades, following the City of Chicago’s purchase of the property in 1955.
Friedman Properties acquired the eight-story, 320,000-square-foot building in 1998 and executed a full redevelopment in 2002. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a Chicago Landmark.