Enterprise Building

Enterprise Building, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Butler Bros.
Life Span: 1895-Present
Location: 616 W. Fulton
Fulton, Desplaines, Jefferson & Wayman Streets
Architect: John M. Van Osdel II

Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1899

Sears, Roebuck & Co

Lakeside Business Directory of the City of Chicago, 1904
Sears, Roebuck & Co Richard W Sears pres; Julius Rosenfeld v pres and treas; Albert H. Loeb sec; supply house Fulton ne cor Desplaines

INTRODCTION
Richard Sears first moved his mail order company from Minneapolis to Chicago in late March 1887. The R.W. Sears Watch Company occupied a building at 55 Dearborn Street, north of Randolph Street. Sears returned to Chicago in 1892 by opening an office on West Van Buren just east of Halsted. Shortly after this he moved the offices into a five story building at 173-175 West Adams Street just east of Halsted.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. outgrew that building and the company constructed a building on land owned by the Enterprise, Power, Light and Heat Co. building at the corners of Fulton, Des Plaines and Wayman Streets. The Company occupied the building on March 17, 1896. Repeated expansions and remodels of this building occurred over the next 6 years.

Chicago Tribune, December 30, 1894

G. S. Abbott & Co., has leased for J. J. Flanders, the architect, to Sears, Roebuck & Co., the building Nos. 173 and 175 West Adams street for a term of five years at practically $5,000 a year, with an option of five years longer at the same rent. The building is just being completed. It os five stories and basement high and fronts 50 feet with a depth of 190.—

Chicago Tribune, July 21, 1895

Recent Realty Sales and Leases.
Coffeen & Co., representing a syndicate, have leased from John C. Spry the property
at the northeast corner of Fulton and Desplaines streets, running through to Wayman
street on the north. The property is 100x 170 feet and the lease is taken for ninety-nine years at $12,000 a year, or 6 per cent upon a capitalization of $200,000. It is the intention of the lessees to improve this with a six-story manufacturing building, which will cost $100,000 and which will be known as the Enterprise Block.

Chicago Chronicle, July 26, 1895

Building Permits.
The following permits for buildings to cost $1,000 or more were issued yesterday:
M. D. Coffeen, 6-story and basement brick factory, 73 to 89 Desplaines st….$60,000.

Chicago Chronicle, August 11, 1895

Architect John M. Van Osdel has prepared plans and is letting contracts for a manufacturing building at the northeast corner of Desplaines and Fulton streets. It will be six stories and basement high, have red, pressed brick front, with stone and terra cotta trimming, and will cost, with machinery and boilers, about $100,000. Its dimensions are 170×110 feet. M. D. Coffeen is the owner.

Chicago Tribune, March 29, 1898

The Enterprise, Power, Light and Heat company yesterday took out a permit to build a seven-story and basement brick side addition to 82, 84, and 86 Fulton avenue, to cost $150,000.

Chicago Tribune, May 1, 1898

The construction of a large addition to the plant of the Enterprise Power, Light, and Heat company at the northeast corner of Desplaines and Fulton streets will be begun soon. Architect J. M. Van Osdel has completed the plans and specifications at a cost of $150,000, and bids are being received. The contracts, it is announced, will consist of a frontage of sixty feet in Fulton street, being 82 to 86, and, as the structure will be L shaped, a depth in Wayman street of 120 feet. The exterior will be red pressed brick and stone, and will conform to the present building. The interior will be equipped with automatic sprinklers, steam heat, and ten electric elevators. The building will be completed by September, and will then be occupied by Sears, Roebuck & Co., who have the entire present structure as well.

Chicago Tribune, September 11, 1898

John C. Spry has sold the property at the northeast corner of Fulton and Desplaines streets, with all improvements, to Michael D. Coffeen for $220,000. The transfer, recorded yesterday, is subject to a lease to Mr. Coffeen dated April 30, 1895, and running for ninety-nine years, and also to incumbrances placed on the leasehold interest. The Enterprise Poser, Light and Heat company quit claims the property to Mr. Coffeen for $50,000. Mr. Coffeen and wife filed a mortgage in the Recorder’s office yesterday on the above property to secure a loan of $215,000 for twenty years at 5 per cent in favor of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance company. It is stipulated that the property is to be kept insured for $260,000 during the term and that $10,000 or more may be paid on the principal any interest paying day after ten years from date. The property is 170.8×170 feet in area. A quitclaim of the property to Mr. Spry by the American Trust and Savings Bank as trustee and executor of the estate of John R. Russell for $85,000 was also recorded.

Inter Ocean, September 18 1898

Power Plant Purchased.
M. D. Coffeen has acquired for $220,000 the grounds and plant of the Enterprise, Power, Light and Heat company, of which he was the projector. The plant is located at Desplaines and Fulton streets. Mr. Coffeen secured his title through a purchase from John Spry. Mr. Spry had purchased from the estate of John K. Russell. The company gave Mr. Coffeen a quitclaim deed to all of its interests for $50,000.

Sears Roebuck & Co., Fall 1896 Catalog, Page 756

Chicago Tribune, January 19, 1899

Circumstances point to Sears, Roebuck & Co. as the purchasers of the ground at the northwest corner of Fulton and Jefferson streets from J. Harley Bradley of the Bradley Manufacturing company. It was sold two weeks ago for $125,000, but the name of the purchaser was not given out at that time. A building is to be erected costing $200,000.

Account Book of John Van Osdel showing details of the expansion of the Enterprise Power, Light and Heat Co. in 1897-1898 at 82-96 Fulton Street.

Chicago Tribune, October 15, 1905

Sears, Roebuck & Co. Buy.
One of the interesting transactions of the week was the purchase by Sears, Roebuck & Co., from the Crane company, of 90×170 feet at the northwest corner of Fulton and Desplaines streets, 120 feet west of Desplaines, for $126,500. The property is opposite the Sears-Roebuck plant, and its purchase marks the acquirement by the latter of the entire block bounded by Fulton, Wayman, Desplaines, and Union streets.

Just what the company’s plans are in connection with this property are not known, and, according to Mr. Loeb, the manager, it has none. It is said that the original plan was to build a great warehouse covering the entire block, but, convinced that it would not be large enough for its business needs, the company is said to have abandoned the project and decided upon the great plant now in process of construction on Harvard street.

Sears Roebuck and Company Catalogue, Spring, 1898

Inter Ocean, February 11, 1906

These large manufacturing buildings were constructed by Sears, Roebuck & Company for their own use, but as they have outgrown these quarters, they wish to divide and rent same for high quality manufacturing, mercantile, and warehouse purposes. They are the most complete factory properties on the West Side, are located just one-half mile west of the city hall, and are in easy access to all freight and passenger depots and all transportation lines. The buildings front 320 feet on Fulton street with a side frontage of 170 feet on Desplaines and 170 feet on Jefferson street and a rear frontage of 320 feet on Wayman streets. These four street frontages give the buildings a total frontage of 980 feet, affording unusual opportunities for light, fire protection, shipping facilities, and advertising, as they overlook the C. M. & St. O., Pan Handle, and Chicago & Northwestern R. R. passenger tracks, and both the Desplaines and Milwaukee avenue viaducts over which all the Northwest Side surface cars pass going to and from their terminus.

The buildings are of mill construction and contain an aggregate of about 500,000 square feet of floor space and are equipped with automatic sprinklers and a most modern power plant.

Power, heat, electric light, and use of electricity will be furnished to tenants requiring this service.

Chicago Tribune, April 16, 1909

Butler Bros.’ Big Lease.
Another important event of the week was the lease by Butler Bros, of the old plant of Sears. Roebuck & Co. at Fulton and Desplaines streets, in what is said to be the largest lease ever made on the west side. The property comprises the entire block between Jefferson and Desplaines streets, Fulton and Wayman streets, 320 feet on Fulton and Wayman streets and 170 on Jefferson and Desplaines streets, improved with eight and nine story buildings, having a total floor area of 500,000 square feet. For this an annual rental of $65,000 is paid, while it is said that the lessee firm has an option to purchase. The lessors were Sears, Roebuck & Co. and George F. and John C. Spry. William L. Wallen was the broker.

The announcement of the lease aroused much interest in real estate circles, and was looked upon at first as confirming the report current about a year ago that an effort was being made to acquire the present plant of Butler Bros., extending from Lake street to about 150 feet north of Washington street on the west side of West Water street, in the interest of the Milwaukee and St. Paul road in connection with its alleged plans for a new passenger terminal.

It was declared, however, by a member of the Butler Bros, firm that the lease in no way contemplates a sale of the plant, and that the Sears, Roebuck & Co. old plant was acquired solely for much needed additional warehouse facilities.

Inter Ocean, August 3, 1912

A notable deal on the West Side was disclosed yesterday by its being recorded in the sale of the warehouse property at the northeast corner of Fulton and Desplaines streets by George E. Spry to Frederick W. Matthiessen of La Salle, 111., for a nominal consideration, subject to an incumbrance of $165,000. The transaction was negotiated by White & Tabor for the seller and W. A. Merigold & Co. for the purchaser. The property is 170 feet square and is occupied by a seven story ware. house structure under lease for six years to Marshall Field & Co. The buildings at Fulton and Desplaines were occupied at one time by Sears, Roebuck & Co. Mr. Spry obtained in exchange for his equity in the property the vacant property at 733-35 South Dearborn street, near Polk street, fronting fifty feet. upon which a valuation of $85,360 is placed by the board of review; thirty acres of land in Washington Heights and a tract of 160 acres at Forty-Eighth avenue and Ninety-First street.

Chicago Tribune, June 20, 1912

Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1927 (Excerpt)

Replaces 12 Present Warehouses.
Some idea of the magnitude of the proposed concentration of the Field manufacturing, storage, and wholesale departments can be gained when it is known that twelve warehouses and factories throughout Chicago are to be moved to the new building.

These properties are at Polk and the river, Polk and Ellsworth, the Pennsylvania terminal, North Pier terminal, Fulton and Desplaines, Fulton and Jefferson, 14th and Indiana, 17th and Wabash, 14 North Sangamon, 618 South Canal, 705 West Harrison, and 308 West Madison.

In addition to these is the dignified old red granite wholesale house on Adams, between Wells and Franklin, designed by H. H. Richardson, famous architect of Boston. This is owned by the Field estate and leased to the Field store.

Chicago Tribune, August 9, 1991

River West has a new neighbor. This is the opening weekend of China Club, 616 W. Fulton (312-4660400), a multi-million-dollar nightclub run by a trio of New Yorkers—Michael Barrett, Danny Fried, David Boyd—and Chicago entrepreneur Paul Stepan. The original China Club opened in New York in 1985. In 1989, a West Coast version opened in Los Angeles.

General Manager Russ Brunelli, an intense and friendly sort who bears an uncanny resemblance to actor Steven Seagal, says the club will showcase both local and national talent.

“We will not be an attitude bar,” he said. “They’ll be no pick and choose” says Brunelli, referring to the club’s admission policy. “I want people to feel comfortable.”

Weekly jam session, called ProJam, occur on Wednesday night and will feature a mix of top-rated session players, local talent and visiting national and international talent. The club’s house band, the Thunderboys, also will play Wednesday nights.

China Club features top-of-the-line sound, video and lighting systems; 20,000 square feet of space spread out over three levels; five bars, two large dance floors, a photo gallery of the work of the noted Chicago photographer Paul Natkin; a rock ‘n’ roll boutique that sells China Club merchandise as well as rock concert paraphernalia, including authorized tour jackets, t-shirts and caps; and a VIP room.

The Oriental mystique is deliberately played up. Indeed, the name derives from the large Oriental collection of co-owner Michael Barrett, a former New York City police officer. Oriental dragon kites, decorated in vibrant red and gold colors, hang from the ceiling. A small bridge overlooks a rock garden—that is, a garden decorated with electric guitars.

The centerpiece of the club, says Bunoli, promises to be the expansive dance room on the second floor. Deejays play the latest dance music but with a difference. The vocals are removed and are replaced by classic rock, funk and soul vocal tracks. So if you’re curious to find out what “Light My Fire” would sound like with a hip hop or rap beat, this is the place to be.

Chicago Tribune Advertisement, September 28, 1996

The China Club Lofts on Fulton Street is a seven-story elevator building located just steps from River North, the Loop, the Merchandise Mart, and a fitness club.

The building offers a quarry tile and marble lobby, carpeted hallays, and indoor garage parking.

The one and two level lofts have one or two bedrooms.

Unit 617 is featured as Festival Home No. 1G. The two-story unit has two bedrooms, 2½ baths, private balcony, kitchen, with granite island, and a mezzanine-level master suite. The 1,737-square-foot loft is priced from $259,800, with a monthly assessment of $220.89.

Each unit at China Club offers city views from a private deck. Standard features include brick walls, timber ceilings, ceiling heights from 14 to 20 feet, diagonal oak hardwood floors, central air conditionings, washer.dryer hookup, plus many units have private storage rooms nearby.

The terrace lofts are being added to the top floor. These newly built, two-story penthouses will have private terraces, island kitchens, and mezzanine master suites. They are priced from $184,800 to $209,800.

The developer is MCZ Development, and the marketing agent is Jameson Realty Group.

To visit China Club Lofts at 606 W. Fulton in Chicago, take Int. Hwy. 94 to Lake Street, and exit east. At Des Plaines turn north and go one block to Fulton.

Leave a Reply