First office tenant signs for refurbished Macy’s floors

Market research firm Numerator takes 60,000 square feet in a move from Willis Tower.

SHARE First office tenant signs for refurbished Macy’s floors
Floors eight through 14 of Macy’s State Street building, largely unused before, are being renovated to attract office users.

Market research firm Numerator is the first confirmed tenant of the repurposed upper floors of the Macy’s on State Street building.

AP file photo

The owner of the top floors of the Macy’s on State Street said Tuesday market research firm Numerator has become the first confirmed tenant of the repurposed space.

Numerator will occupy more than 60,000 square feet on the building’s 12th floor on a long-term lease, Brookfield Properties said. Floors eight through 14 of the Macy’s building, largely unused before, are being renovated to attract office users to its unusually large floors of more than 100,000 square feet.

Numerator said it will move its headquarters from Willis Tower, nearly doubling its space. The company said it plans to increase its staff at the headquarters from 250 now to more than 350 by 2022.

The overall redevelopment involves more than 700,000 square feet and is being marketed as 24 E. Washington. Brookfield, which bought the space from Macy’s for $30 million in 2018, hopes to capitalize on tech-oriented companies that like large floor layouts, a trend that also has drawn tenants to the Old Post Office.

“The building’s size and dramatic space give us design efficiency while creating an environment where people will want to gather,” said Numerator Chief Financial Officer Regan Garrett. “The location makes it easy for employees to commute anywhere in the city and beyond, and it includes a first-class building amenity package. It’s an ideal place to attract and retain the talent we need to continue to grow.”

The former Marshall Field’s building, a landmark, is famous for its clocks and atrium. Macy’s continues to operate on the lower seven floors, while the office portion is being renovated to include a fitness center, a rooftop garden and other tenant-friendly spaces. Work is expected to be done later this year.

Numerator said it has 1,600 employees globally and works with most of the Fortune 100 companies.

“Landing a company of this caliber and tech-forward style demonstrates our success in reimagining the future of this landmark building,” said Stefan Dembinski, executive vice president at Brookfield. “We are well on our way to leveraging this property’s location, stunning historic features, and its new top-tier amenities to lead the charge in the next generation of offices in Chicago.”

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