Construction Starts on 50,000-SF Laboratory and Office Workspace at 320 N. Sangamon in Chicago’s Fulton Market

Skender, serving as general contractor, recently started construction on the interior build-out of the two-story, 50,000-square-foot lab and office space for Hazel Technologies, a USDA-funded technology company developing solutions to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. With an anticipated completion in early spring 2022, Hazel will be one of the first two tenants to move into at 320 N. Sangamon, the new 13-story Fulton Market office building developed by Tishman Speyer and Mark Goodman & Associates.

Hazel will move from its current location at University Technology Park at Illinois Tech in Bronzeville to expand its footprint as it accommodates its plans to double its local workforce to 70 people in the coming year. The build-out includes space for open research laboratory and lab support, as well as 10,000 square feet of administrative and office space and 5,000 square feet of collaboration space, including several sizes of meeting rooms, huddle rooms, and prep and tasting rooms.

Converting office space into lab space requires extra attention to detail within infrastructure customizations, such as new air handling, general exhaust and fume exhaust, new boilers, and uninterrupted power supply generators with capacity to manage all the lab equipment and technology. Multiple specialized space types are found within the lab space, including a pilot lab, dry lab, sensory lab, wet lab, engineering lab and innovation lab. Specialty equipment and finishes include 10 fume hoods, four snorkel hoods, negatively pressured lab spaces, and acid- and solvent-resistant finishes. The lab support space will include square footage for research and equipment.

“This year, we’ve seen an influx of growing lab sciences firms seeking out the conversion of office space in the city for their lab space needs,” said Jason Utah, Senior Project Manager, Skender. “Our team is excited to bring this kind of complex conversion to life for Hazel Technologies in one of Fulton Market’s newest, amenity-forward buildings at 320 N. Sangamon.”

Skender collaborated with developers Tishman Speyer and Mark Goodman & Associates, tenant representative CBRE, architect Perkins & Will and engineer Cosentini Associates on this project.