Mallers Building

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Maller’s Building
Life Span: 1912-Present
Location: SE corner Wabash and Madison
Architect: C. A. Eckstorm

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1914

Mallers Bldg.

Lord & Thomas

Polk’s Chicago Numerical Street and Avenue Directory, 1928
Mallers Building 5 S Wabash

Illinois Bell White Pages, 1964
Mallers Bldg 67 E Madison…346-6156

Chicago Tribune, July 2, 1911

NEW WABASH AVENUE SKYSCRAPER.
The new Mallers building, which will occupy the site of the old Continental hotel at the southeast corner of Wabash avenue and Madison street, will be one of the most imposing structures in the downtown district. It will be twenty-one stories high with a frontage of 97½ feet on Wabash and 172 feet, on Madison and will cost around $1,500,000. The exterior will be of white enamel terra cotta and the building will be completed May 1, 1912. Architect C. A. Eckstorm, who designed the building, is supervising its construction.

1922 Chicago Central Business and Office Directory

MALLERS BUILDING
5 S. Wabash Avenue
This modern building is located at the southeast corner of Wabash Avenue and Madison Street in the heart of the business district and convenient to the financial center. Madison Street being the main artery east and west, this is the choicest location now available for stores and offices; 172 feet frontage—Madison Street; 97½ feet frontage—Wabash Avenue; 21 stories.

Exterior—White enamel terra cotta.
Interior—Mahogany trimming—mosaic floors—Vermont marble wainscot.

The exceptional light on four sides, with provision for permanent light from the southeast and the large area in floor space, with eleven high speed elevators, makes this space ideal for large as well as small offices, as each room has outside exposure.

Chicago Tribune, March 2, 1924

NEW FUR CENTER ESTABLISHED IN MALLERS BLDG.
Sixteen Firms to Move from Palmer House.
Leases were signed yesterday which Leases moves Chicago’s fur center from the Palmer house to the the southeast corner of Madison and Wabash—the Mallers building.

Sixteen big fur concerns of New York and Chicago, all members of the Associated Fur Industries of Chicago, have leased for five years at an aggregate rental of $162,000 the entire north side of the Mallers building on the seventh and eighth floors.

In Palmer House for Years.
These concerns all have been established for many years in the Palmer house, where they maintained their Chicago Headquarters.

“This is the first attempt, I believe,” said L. Johannesen, associated with John B. Mallers Jr., managers of the building, in negotiating the leases, “made by concerns of this kind to get away from a hotel sample room.

Acted Collectively.
“Each firm occupies an individual unit in the Mallers building, but they acted collectively in making these leases, which is a feature, inasmuch as they are competitors and handling the same line of merchandise, furs, and skins.”

The firms moving to the Mallers building from the Palmer house are: J. Hendler, Bach Fur Co., Inc.; Reisaptel & Bornstein, J. M. Maier, S. Silberman & Sons, Paul Stern, M. A. Wedees company, Max Friedman, and the Dernburg Fur company, all of Chicago; the Mercantile Fur corporation, Speer Fur corporation, N. Sobel, Inc.; Charles S. Porter, Inc.; Cantor & Angel, Inc.; Gitler & Co., Inc., and G. Gaudig & Blum corporation, all of New York.

Chicago Tribune, May 18, 1969

Mallers Building Is Sold
Further proof that the real estate industry is betting on the bright future of Wabash avenue was given earlier this month when the Mallers building at the southeast corner of Madison street and Wabash avenue was sold for $2,325,000.

The top bidders, Hugh C. Michels Sr. and Hugh C. Michels Jr., real estate investors and developers; and Peer Pedersen, attorney, were forced to raise their first offer in the face of competition from large real estate firms and investment trusts.

Predicted as Key Property
“The building will be a key property when the elevated tracks are removed and the Monroe street subway is built,” Michels said. “And it will benefit from the proposed developments over the Illinois Central railroad property, to the east of us.”

The purchase of the leasehold of the building included an option to buy the site for the period of 1978 thru 1983 for 1.8 million dollars or slightly more than $100 a square foot.

Erected in 1912
The 21-story office building was erected by John B. Mallers in 1912 from plans by C. A. Eckstrom, a well known architect of the time.

Mallers had leased the land, site of the former Continental hotel, for 90 years at $50,000 annual rent in 1915; the Marshall Field estate bought The 16,712-square-foot site for $1,233,000 and sold ‘it to the Mallers Building trust in 1940 for $720,000, or $48 a square foot.

The building was sold to Transcontinental Realty corporation in 1958. The Levi Z. Leiter estate bought the property in 1964 and was the seller to the Michels group.

Chicago Tribune, November 23, 2003

The Jewelers Center is the jewelry epicenter of the Midwest
Since 1912 The Jewelers Center at the Mallers Building, 5 S. Wabash Ave., has been a fixture of the jewelry industry in Chicago. With its art deco styling and unique terra cotta design it stands the test of time, like the jewelers who reside there. On the southeast corner of Madison Street and Wabash Avenue the dominating Jewelry Center sign marks the entrance to the location of fabulous riches.

The Mallers Building has been the home of the Midwest’s largest concentration of wholesale and retail jewelers since 1921. Since 1992 The Jewelers Center has undergone two major restorations to further enhance its style and mystique. Both the operators of the building and the city of Chicago have shown great respect for the Mallers Building, which led to its inclusion on the list of city properties that have achieved the esteemed landmark status as part of the Jewelers Row District. The Mallers Building is the anchor for this landmark district. It is the jewelry industry’s epicenter in the Midwest—if “5 South” is mentioned anywhere in the world of jewelers, people know and respect it.

With more than 185 jewelers in one location it’s hard to imagine not finding the treasure of a lifetime from jewelers specializing in rare diamonds, colored gemstones, fine watches, platinum and gold jewelry, and unique designer pieces. One can literally spend hours shopping all the independently owned shops in search of that one special piece of jewelry. Some of the other amenities of the building include a U.S. Post Office, armored carrier services, valet parking and concierge services.

When you are shopping at The Jewelers Center, you may also indulge at a restaurant with strong ties to Chicago and storied traditions—the famous Mallers Deli on the third floor, which has been for many decades a shopper’s favorite. The soon-to-be-opened Pizano’s Italian restaurant is another option.

Another aspect of The Jewelers Center that sets it apart form the rest of the industry is the Independent Gemological Lab on the premises. The lab will grade diamonds and gemstones on site for color, cut and quality and then issue certificates which are accepted in the jewelry, insurance and banking industries.

Consumers who appreciate uniquely finished jewelry or like to deal with boutique-type jewelers who have a longstanding tradition of craftsmanship love to shop at The Jewelers Center. Customers also appreciate how the pricing always stays competitive among the shopkeepers from the natural competition the building fosters—with the savings passed on to the customers. According to Jay Richman, president of Spectrum Properties Group, the owner and operator of the building, the people who work at The Jewelers Center truly know the industry better than anyone else. These businesses are passed down from generation to generation and they have the knowledge and respect for jewelry that is unmatched.

The Mallers Building is open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. When you stop by the building, do not forget to pick up a brochure form the concierge desk. It will act as your roadmap to the bevy of services provided at The Jewelers Center. There are additional Sunday hours on the four weekends before Christmas. More information can be gathered from the Web site, www.jewelerscenter.com.

Come on by and shop where the jewelers shop, The Jewelers Center at the Mallers Building, or call (312) 853-2057. The Jewelers Center is the jewelry epicenter of the Midwest.

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