Announcing the 2020 Merit Awards WINNERS

Category Project
Education - WINNER University of Chicago Keller Center
University of Illinois at Chicago Engineering Innovation Building
Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125, East Building Addition
City Colleges of Chicago, Olive-Harvey College, Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) Center
Northwestern University Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center
Palos Health South Campus Redevelopment
Rush Oak Park Hospital New Emergency Department
Healthcare - WINNER VA Hines New Boiler Plant
Esperanza Health Centers
University of Chicago Medicine's River East Ambulatory Care Center
One Bennett Park
New Moms Oak Park Center and Clare Place
Residential/Hospitality - WINNER Northtown Affordable Apartments and Public Library
OffShore Chicago
KLEO Art Residences
Gillson Park - Wilmette Park District
Experience Center - Ravinia Festival
Chicago Park District Williams Park
Oswego Police Station
Commercial Construction UNDER $50M - WINNER Columbia College Chicago Student Center
Twelve01West
Commercial Construction OVER $50M - WINNER Argonne Materials Design Laboratory
American Airlines O'Hare Concourse L Stinger
McDonald's Global Headquarters
The Lincoln Common
Chicago Riverwalk Esplanade Improvements
The Audi Exchange of Highland Park
Museum of Science and Industry 2019 Exterior Repairs
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse UNDER $15M - WINNER Lincoln Park Community Services
Tied House
Aurora Arts Center
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse OVER $15M - WINNER The Old Chicago Post Office Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Project
Ritz-Carlton Chicago
311 West Monroe
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Infrastructure or Industrial Construction - WINNER Riverview Bridge
Little Company of Mary Hospital Emergency Department Air Handling Unit Upgrade
Interchange 55 Logistics Buildings A & B
Chicago Transit Authority Quincy Station Renovation
Interior Build-Out - WINNER Knoll
Allison Dining Hall - Northwestern University
LinkedIn Chicago Expansion
900 Reimagined
Holland & Knight Chicago Office

ABOUT THE CHICAGO BUILDING CONGRESS MERIT AWARDS

There is no other association activity that more perfectly defines the mission of the Chicago Building Congress than its Merit Award Program.  The Merit Awards have truly celebrated the building industry since 1956 by singling out the outstanding projects in greater Chicagoland built during the past three years.  Merit Awards are presented for construction in the following nine categories:

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Residential/Hospitality
  • Commercial Construction under $50M
  • Commercial Construction over $50M
  • Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Under $15M
  • Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Over $15M
  • Infrastructure or Industrial Construction
  • Interior Build-Out

2019 Merit Award Pictures

Merit Awards 2019

PAST MERIT AWARD WINNERS

1956  Prudential 

1957  Old Orchard Shopping Center

1958  Inland Steel

1959  Illinois State Tollway

1960  Michael Reese Hospital

1961   McCormick Place

1962  United Of America

1963  United States Gypsum

1964  Continental Plaza

1965  Central District Filtration

1966  Univ of Chicago At Chicago Circle

1967  Oak Brook Development

1968  Lake Point Tower

1969  One First National Bank

1970  McCormick Place On The Lake

1971  Woodfield Mall

1972  James Roscoe Miller Campus

1973  Sears Tower

1974  One Montgomery Ward Plaza

1975  Standard Oil (Amoco)

1976  Water Tower Place

1977  Cultural Center

1978  Academic Facility

1979  Dearborn Park

1980  New City YMCA

1981  Kroc Diagnostic Treatment Center

1982  Chicago Board Of Trade Addition

1983  333 West Wacker Drive

1984  McDonald’s Office Campus

1985

  • One Financial Place
  • Chicago Hilton And Towers

1986

  • 190 South LaSalle
  • Chicago Theatre

1987 Center For Professional Education

1988 Center For Professional Health

1989 United Terminal

1990

  • Riverway
  • North Pier Chicago

1991

  • Canal Center
  • Hotel Inter-Continental Chicago

1992

  • City Front Place
  • Harpo Studios

1993  

  • Walsh Grand Headquarters
  • Marshall Fields State Street

1994 

  • Chavez Elementary School
  • Sears Tower
  • 2000 Wacker Drive Streetscape

1995 

  • Cook County Juvenile Center
  • Finkl Urban Manufacturing
  • Chicago Commons Nia Family Center

1996 

  • Monadnock Building
  • Children’s Memorial Medical Center
  • Fourth Presbyterian Church
  • Williams Science Center Addition

1997 

  • McCormick Place Expansion
  • Calumet Deep Tunnel/Reservoir
  • CTA Green Line Renovation

1998 

  • HCSC (Blue Cross Building)
  • Chicago Terminal Radar Approach
  • Carl Schurz High School Restoration
  • Little Village Academy

1999 

  • Living Coast/Brookfield Zoo
  • Brooks Homes Modernization
  • Barat College Library
  • Elmhurst Art Museum

2000  

  • Adler Planetarium/Sky Pavilion
  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  • Schaumburg Baseball Stadium
  • Goldblatt’s Building Renovation
  • Lake City Convention/Visitors Center

 

2001  

  • Pharmacia Life Sciences Building
  • Bachelor Enlisted Quarter
  • Shedd Aquarium/Amazon Rising
  • North Shore Senior Center

2002  

  • UBS Tower
  • Glenview Park Center
  • 360 North Michigan Renovation
  • Jubilee Family Resource Center

2003  

  • Homan Square Community Center
  • Levy Senior Center
  • Midwest Ctr For Green Technology
  • La Rabida Children’s Hospital

2004  

  • Soldier Field
  • Oak Park Public Library
  • York High School
  • Lookingglass Theatre

2005  

  • Lincoln Park Zoo Regenstein Center
  • Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
  • Kendall College Riverworks Camps
  • Patty Turner Senior Center

2006  

  • Conservation Of The U-505 Sub
  • Orland Park Public Library
  • Domestic Violence Court House
  • Rogers Park Montessori School

2007

  • Gary Comer Youth Center
  • Calamos Headquarters
  • LaSalle Bank Theater
  • Chicago Greenworks

2008

  • Klarchek Information Commons
  • Ravinia New Dining Facility
  • Orland Park Police Headquarters
  • SOS Children’s Village

2009

  • Trump International Hotel
  • Jewish Reconstructionist Synagogue
  • Palmer House Hilton Hotel
  • Holy Family Lutheran School

2010

  • Art Institute Of Chicago
  • Modern Wing & Nichols Bridgeway
  • Metea Valley High School
  • Uno Veterans Memorial Campus
  • Hidden Oaks Nature Center
  • S & C Electric Co Advanced Tech Crt
  • Village Of Oak Park
  • Marion & Westgate St Improvements

2011

  • 300 East Randolph
  • Chicago Botanic Garden
  • Plant Conservation Science Center
  • The Sullivan Center
  • Cast Iron Façade Restoration
  • PCC Wellness Austin Family Health
  • Exelon Solar City
  • NUPOC

2012

  • Ogden International School
  • Astellas North American Hdqrtrs
  • Camp Porter Barracks
  • III Forks Steakhouse
  • Hairpin Lofts & Arts Center
  • Old Town School Of Folk Music
  • S-K Hand Tool
  • Teen Living Programs Belfort House

2013

  • Univ of Chgo Reva & David Logan Ctr
  • Ronald McDonald House 211 E Grand
  • Monroe Building
  • LaCasa Student Dormitory
  • 31st Street Harbor
  • Silver Cross Replacement Hospital
  • Winpak Portion Packaging
  • Baker & McKenzie

2014

  • Adjustable Forms, Inc.
  • Eataly
  • Univ. of Chicago Quad Portal
  • CTA Loop Track Renewal Project
  • DePaul University Theatre School
  • Argonne Energy Sciences Bldg.
  • Genevieve & Wayne Gratz  Center
  • Back of Yards High School
  • Instituto Health Sciences Academy

2015

  • BP Emergency Services Building
  • Adler Planetarium Cosmology Gallery
  • LaRabida Children’s Hospital Ambulatory Care Ctr.
  • University of Chicago 58th St. East & West Revitalization
  • University of Chicago Saieh Hall for Economics
  • Northeastern Illinois University “El Centro Campus”Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Protein
  • OneEleven

2016

  • NewCity
  • Chinatown Branch, Chicago Public Library
  • DuPage County Health Dept. Community Center
  • Chicago Athletic Association
  • Rosewood Beach Development
  • Chicago Riverwalk Phase II
  • Amazon Sortation & Fulfillment Center
  • Confidential Technology  Project
  • Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center

2017

  • Walter Payton College Preparatory High School
  • Saia LTL Freight
  • Navy Pier Centennial Wheel
  • Zurich North America
  • Abe and Ida Cooper Center
  • Joliet Central High School Student Center Addition
  • Albert Lane Tech High School Renovation
  • River Point Tower
  • Albert Lane Tech High School Renovation

2018

  • Washington Wabash CTA Loop Elevated Station
  • Joliet Junior College City Center
  • Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep
  • Frank Lloyd Wright Unity Temple
  • IBEW Local 9, University Park Training Facility
  • Hotel EMC2
  • Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
  • Trumpf Smart Factory

2019 

  • Burbank School District 111 Luther Burbank Elementary School
  • 41st Street Pedestrian Bridge over Lake Shore Drive
  • DLA Piper
  • 412 N. Wells
  • Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Center at Richard J. Daley College
  • Holtschneider Performance Center
  • The Newberry Renovation
  • Hotel Julian

2020

  • University of Chicago Keller Center
  • VA Hines New Boiler Plant
  • Northtown Affordable Apartments and Public Library
  • Columbia College Chicago Student Center
  • Argonne Materials Design Laboratory
  • Lincoln Park Community Services
  • The Old Chicago Post Office Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Project
  • Riverview Bridge
  • Knoll