The two most frequently asked questions about the building that spans two entire city blocks in Chicago are -- what is that huge structure and what is its relation to the Kennedy clan?
Encompassing 4.2 million square feet and welcoming more than three million visitors annually, the Merchandise Mart is the world's largest commercial building, the largest wholesale design center, and one of Chicago's premier international business locations. It includes the world's oldest and largest design center with 130 high-end residential showrooms featuring 2,000 lines of furniture, fabrics, floor coverings, wall coverings, and accessories covering 730,000 square feet.
And what about the Mart's Kennedy connection? In 1945, Joseph P. Kennedy purchased the Mart from Marshall Field & Company. Having been completed 14 years earlier, the Mart fulfilled Marshall Field's dream to create a single, wholesale center for the entire nation. The Mart continued to be owned and managed by the Kennedy family interests for over 50 years. In 1998, Vornado Realty Trust, a leading real estate investment trust, acquired Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. and the buildings that it manages.
Because much of the Merchandise Mart is open only to designers and their clients, tours are the primary way that the public gets to see several of the Mart's showrooms. Public tours are 90 minutes in length, and are conducted at 1:00 p.m. Mondays and Fridays throughout the year. They depart from the Mart's south lobby. With advance registration, the standard tour can be combined with one of five special presentations: decorating discussion; morning at the Mart; luncheon lecture; afternoon tea at the Mart; or a personal escort through five different showrooms conducted by a professional guide who also will give a brief history of the Mart.
The new Luxe Home Center is also open to the public and trade professionals Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, featuring the more than 20 boutiques of high-performance, high-end kitchen, bath, and building products to assist with building or remodeling projects.
The center also sponsors events and seminars throughout the year, which also are open to consumers and interior designers.
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