Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. has been retained as the exclusive advisor and agent to offer for sale the 100% fee simple interest in 70 East Lake (the “Property”), a 17-story office and retail building totaling 141,593 square feet currently 63.1% leased. The Property is located mid-block between North Wabash Avenue and North Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s East Loop neighborhood and includes street-level retail frontage along Lake Street, less than a half block from the “Magnificent Mile.” Constructed in 1927, the Building reflects late-1920s Chicago architecture, combining elements of the Chicago School with Gothic Revival and early Art Deco influences, including strong vertical massing, articulated window groupings, and ornamental detailing that give the Property a distinctive and enduring presence.

Originally developed by DePaul University through the DePaul Educational Aid Society, 70 East Lake was assembled from three contiguous parcels and partially occupied by DePaul for academic, administrative, and cultural uses, including a theater hall and student social spaces. Following the Great Depression, the Building housed DePaul’s Law and Music schools until its sale in 1963 and was later redeveloped in 1983 into a modern office building with ground-floor retail. The Property also holds cultural significance as the former site of private film screenings used by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert during the early years of Sneak Previews and Siskel & Ebert.

Today, 70 East Lake offers meaningful long-term upside through a conversion to multifamily, mixed-use residential or hospitality uses. The Building’s historic construction, narrow floor plates, abundant window lines, and vertical configuration align with the characteristics commonly sought in successful office-to-residential conversions. Additionally, all but two tenants have landlord termination rights providing further conversion flexibility. Combined with its premier East Loop location—steps from transit, employment centers, cultural institutions, and Michigan Avenue—the Property presents a compelling opportunity to reposition a legacy asset into differentiated residential product.