The 111 W.Wacker Experience: Designed for today's ultra luxury high-rise customer

Downtown Chicago’s reputation as an attractive residential location grew even stronger with the recent addition of OneEleven, a 60-story, ultra-luxury tower situated at the intersection of Wacker and Clark Streets on the Chicago River. The LEED Silver-certified complex represents a new standard in luxury high-rise living, offering the best in state-of-the art amenities for the contemporary urban resident.

The building occupies 965,000 square feet and features 59 above-grade floors, including commercial, parking and residential floors and four floors of additional parking, commercial space and back of house space. It also accommodates 445 parking spots for residents and the public.

“When we started construction on OneEleven, we were committed to building in a smart way that addressed issues of sustainability and energy efficiency,” said Don Biernacki, Senior Vice President, Construction, for Related Midwest, a Chicago-area developer. “We wanted to build the most efficient and effective structure possible, with the capability to provide adequate lighting and power. We also needed to ensure we could utilize the electrical technology that allowed us to offer the most up-to-date amenities to our residents. These days, many people spend a significant part of their professional lives working from home, so naturally there is a heavy focus on technology that residents can truly rely on. This is all part of our strategy to make every effort to meet the needs of today’s high-rise residential customer."

Amenities Are Top Priority

Biernacki cited a number of amenities installed in OneEleven to address customer needs. “We understand that the spaces we create must agree with how our residents live their lives today. Amenities must be functional to enhance the urban living experience.”

OneEleven uses LED-based lighting controls in residential storage areas and in other spaces to make it easier for property managers to perform maintenance duties. The lighting controls help conserve energy use. Energy pumps were installed to monitor and control the HVAC and elevator systems as well as other sophisticated equipment.

Other customer-focused, technology driven amenities include:

• A Distributed Antenna System (DAS) system to allow for the use of cell phones and smartphones, and Wifi
• Voice/Video/Internet Services
• Residential website
• A tech bar, a fully equipped tech center for emailing, blogging, emailing, etc.
• A fitness center with Internet compatible cardio fitness equipment
• A FOB based system for entrance into amenity areas
• A package delivery and alert system

Biernacki lauded the work of the electrical professionals as key to making the OneEleven residential experience a reality. “Huen Electric, one of our contractors, provided expertly trained electricians to work with us. Not only did they bring the expertise of skilled trades in the field, they also provided design and engineering capabilities throughout the building’s construction. I also want to acknowledge the work of the electrical professionals at City Lights (for street lights) and Durkin Electric (HVAC work).”

“In Chicago, we are very fortunate to work with talented, knowledgeable and hardworking tradesmen who bring passion, pride and professionalism to the job. They were knowledgeable and reliable, and enabled us to finish the project on time and on budget. We’re pretty lucky to hit three-for-three with these contractors!”