With vaccinations increasing, more Chicago firms are planning their return to the office – if they aren’t already there – and putting health and safety at the forefront. When the Chicago Sun-Times was looking to do an update on back-to-office plans, Taylor Johnson pitched clients Fulton East, a newly opened office building in Fulton Market that recently announced Calamos Investments as its first tenant, and Evergreen Real Estate Group, which just completed a months-long renovation of its space in the Fulton River District. In the resulting article, Calamos CEO John Koudounis discussed why his Naperville-based firm selected Fulton East, whose health and wellness features include foot-operated elevators, advanced air purification systems and antimicrobial paints. And as an example of how firms are creatively retrofitting existing offices for post-pandemic life, Evergreen CEO Steve Rappin shared the various changes the firm has made, such as allocating more space per worker and replacing all surfaces, as well as some of the logistical challenges that remain in getting employees to the office.

Calamos Investments, based in suburban Naperville, selected Fulton East for its new Chicago office. The firm was drawn to the building’s biophilic design and high-tech wellness features, including hands-free elevators.
(Fulton East photo, left, courtesy of CoStar Group, Inc.)