One Prudential Plaza

For the Prudential building in Newark, see Prudential Headquarters. For the building of the same name in Jacksonville, Florida, see Aetna Building.

One Prudential Plaza (formerly known as the Prudential Building) is a 41-story structure in Chicago completed in 1955 as the headquarters for Prudential's Mid-America company. It was the first skyscraper built in Chicago since the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Second World War. The plaza, including a second building erected in 1990, is owned by BentleyForbes and a consortium of New York investors, since the Great Recession of the early 21st century.^[1]

One Prudential Plaza
One Prudential Plaza with Two Prudential Plaza towering behind
Interactive map of One Prudential Plaza
Former names	Prudential Building
General information
Status	Completed
Location	130 E. Randolph St. Chicago, Illinois United States
Coordinates	41.8849°N 87.6233°W / 41.8849; -87.6233
Completed	1955
Height
Antenna spire	912 ft (278 m)
Roof	601 ft (183 m)
Technical details
Floor count	41
Floor area	1,762,989 ft2 (163,787.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architects	Naess & Murphy
Structural engineer	Naess & Murphy
Main contractor	George A. Fuller Co.

History of construction

The structure being built in the 1950s

The structure was significant as the first new downtown skyscraper constructed in Chicago since the Field Building, 21 years earlier and was built on air rights over the Illinois Central Railroad.^[2] It was the last building ever connected to the Chicago Tunnel Company's tunnel network. When the Prudential was finished it had the highest roof in Chicago with only the statue of Ceres on the Chicago Board of Trade higher. Its mast served as a broadcasting antenna for Chicago's WGN-TV.^[2] The architect was Naess & Murphy, a precursor to C.F. Murphy & Associates and later Murphy/Jahn Architects.^[3]

Later purchase

In May 2006, BentleyForbes, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm run by Frederick Wehba and his family, purchased One Prudential Plaza, along with its sister property, Two Prudential Plaza for $470 million.^[4]

After a default on the mortgage encumbering the towers during the Great Recession of the early 21st century, New York-based investors 601W Companies and Berkley Properties took control of the towers after investing more than $100 million in equity to recapitalize.^[5] BentleyForbes, the prior controlling owner of the towers, continues to have an interest in the owning partnership.^[6]

Tenants

in 1964

1943 view from One Prudential Plaza location

• Hillrom Corporate Headquarters^[7]
• Society of Women Engineers — Global Headquarters, 35th Floor^[8]
• American Institute of Steel Construction^[9]
• Wilson Sporting Goods^[10]
• Marketing Werks^[11]
• Cision^[12]
• Conversion Alliance^[13]
• No Limit Agency^[14]
• Chicago Federation of Labor^[15]
• McGraw Hill (Education And Test Prep Editorial)^[16]
• Vanderbilt Office Properties^[17]
• Envisionit Agency^[18]
• S&P Global Ratings^[19]
• Bowman, Barrett & Associates Inc.^[20]
• OppLoans^[21]
• Hubbard Chicago^[22]
• Painters District Council 14^[23]
• Optiver^[24]

The building was the home of the Chicago Tribune and Tribune Publishing after leaving Tribune Tower in July 2018^[25] until January, 2021.^[26]

See also

• List of buildings and structures
• List of tallest buildings in Chicago
• List of tallest buildings in the United States
• List of tallest buildings in the world
• World's tallest structures

Position in Chicago's skyline