Binny’s Beverage Depot, Chicago, IL

Binny’s purchased the adjacent Ivanhoe Theater building to expand the existing store. This complex project included combining the two buildings into one by removing the adjacent bearing walls and adjusting the floor slab of the former theater to match the existing retail store. The main entrance was refocused from the narrow street frontage to the parking lot; the exterior façades were redesigned to provide one cohesive design; and the interior was designed to become a beverage and gourmet food superstore. The lower level, which is rumored to have been a speakeasy during prohibition, has been converted into catacomb-like wine tasting rooms. The construction process took twelve months during which the store remained in business.