CHICAGO — Friedman Properties has completed reconstruction of the riverwalk at the Reid Murdoch Building in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Together with renovations at River Roast, the forthcoming opening of The Carlyle Club and prior ground-level improvements, the updates represent approximately $15 million in recent investment at the property, which features a 300-foot riverwalk connecting Clark Street to LaSalle Drive.
The latest renovation nearly doubled the width of the previous riverwalk and introduced a series of 10-foot-tall double doors in the south elevation, creating new opportunities for outdoor dining and improving pedestrian circulation. The work also included new precast piers, railings, lighting, integrated planters and improved access from the river level for visitors arriving by boat.
Coinciding with the redevelopment of the riverwalk, operator Levy Restaurants has completed renovations of River Roast, the 28,000-square-foot riverfront venue located in the building. The restaurant’s main event space, which has been rebranded RR Events, now features a new riverside entrance with a curved grand staircase, dual-sided bars and upgraded lighting fixtures, furniture, flooring and tableware. The renovation also added Corner Roast, a new coffee concept with its own entrance.
Friedman also closed a lease with The Carlyle Club, scheduled to open at the Reid Murdoch Building in September. Developed by Group LV Hospitality, The Carlyle Club will feature classic American fare and a curated drink menu. Occupying an 8,200-square-foot space, the restaurant has capacity for over 250 patrons in main and private dining rooms, a sushi bar and a 62-seat cocktail bar.
The restaurants are joined at the building by “Theater of the Mind,” an experiential installation co-created by musician and artist David Byrne that debuted in March. Over the past year, Friedman completed interior renovations at the building to support office tenants.
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 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.