Blue Star to Relaunch Former CPS Building as 'The National'

After buying the former Chicago Public Schools headquarters building at 125 South Clark last year for a mere $28 million, Blue Star Properties is preparing to relaunch the building as a high-end office building featuring both loft and modern spaces as well as a new name: The National. The 1907 building designed by the legendary Daniel Burnham but hasn't gotten much love since CPS moved in ages ago. Blue Star is spending millions on a rehab project to modernize the interior of the building to provide the amenities that commercial tenants are looking for, from higher ceilings to high-speed fiber and even the seemingly-required rooftop deck.

At the ground floor, an open-floor marketplace restaurant is planned to feature food and drinks from local vendors in an Eataly-esque setting, which could definitely pump some new energy into the sleepy area of South Clark Street in the Loop. Blue Star Properties is a local firm with a growing portfolio of classic buildings given modern renovations, similar to Sterling Bay, which was co-founded by Blue Star's founder Craig Golden. The National offers 507,000 rentable square feet to prospective tenants.

· The National Chicago [Blue Star Properties]
· Chicago Public Schools Unloads its Downtown HQ for $28M [Curbed Chicago]