OAK BROOK, ILL. — Skender has broken ground on the transformation of the former McDonald’s corporate campus in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook. The 250,000-square-foot buildout will serve as the new headquarters of Ace Hardware. The project at 2915 Jorie Blvd. will consist of open workstations, 150 conference rooms, 12 cafes and a variety of collaboration spaces and amenities. Originally built in the 1970s and designed by Dirk Lohan, grandson of famed architect Mies van der Rohe, the campus consists of three buildings on more than 80 acres. The campus has sat empty since 2019, when the fast food giant moved its headquarters to Chicago’s Fulton Market. The renovation project will reuse and retain many of the main building’s original architectural elements, including a large atrium in the center. The first floor of the parking garage will be converted into an amenity suite that includes a fitness center, conference center, multi-purpose room and large cafeteria. Completion is slated for mid-to-late 2023. In addition to Skender, the project team includes CBRE Design Collective as architect and Environmental Systems Design Inc. as engineer.
