Owner Friedman Properties redevelops 300-foot riverwalk as River Roast completes interior improvements and The Carlyle Club launches new dining concept

Friedman Properties, a Chicago-based real estate investment and development firm, today announced it completed reconstruction of the riverwalk at the Reid Murdoch Building in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Together with renovations at River Roast, the forthcoming opening of The Carlyle Club and prior ground-level improvements and activations, the updates represent approximately $15 million in recent investment at the landmark property.

The Reid Murdoch Building features a 300-foot riverwalk connecting Clark Street to LaSalle Drive. Friedman Properties’ latest renovation nearly doubled the width of the previous riverwalk and introduced a series of 10-foot-tall double doors in the south elevation, creating new opportunities for outdoor dining and improving pedestrian circulation. The work also included new precast piers, railings, lighting, integrated planters and improved access from the river level for visitors arriving by boat.

“Chicago’s Riverwalk has become one of the city’s signature assets because it creates a memorable destination along the water while connecting the downtown neighborhoods,” said Albert Friedman, CEO and chairman of Friedman Properties. “These enhancements strengthen one of the primary gateways into River North, ensuring the arrival experience aligns with the vibrant neighborhood beyond.”

Coinciding with the redevelopment of the riverwalk, operator Levy Restaurants has completed renovations of River Roast, the 28,000-square-foot riverfront venue located in the Reid Murdoch Building. The restaurant’s main event space, which has been rebranded RR Events, now features a new riverside entrance with a curved grand staircase, dual-sided bars and upgraded lighting fixtures, furniture, flooring, tableware and features to improve the guest experience. The renovation also added Corner Roast, a new coffee concept with its own entrance that further diversifies the building’s food and beverage lineup.

Friedman Properties also closed a lease with The Carlyle Club, scheduled to open at the Reid Murdoch Building in September. Developed by Group LV Hospitality, The Carlyle Club will feature classic American fare and a curated drink menu. Occupying an 8,200-square-foot space, the restaurant has capacity for over 250 patrons in main and private dining rooms, a sushi bar and a 62-seat cocktail bar.

The restaurants are joined at the building by “Theater of the Mind,” an experiential installation co-created by musician and artist David Byrne that debuted in March 2026. Collectively, these offerings reflect a commitment to programming the building and its riverfront in a way that supports the kind of mixed-use, activated neighborhood that draws people to River North to work, live and visit.

Over the past year, Friedman Properties has completed interior renovations at the Reid Murdoch Building to support office tenants. These include a lobby transformation, 5,388-square-foot speculative office suite and fourth-floor lounge with kitchen, flexible seating areas, conference rooms and a fitness center with locker rooms, showers and towel service.

Originally constructed in 1914, the Reid Murdoch Building long served as the office, warehouse and manufacturing facilities for Reid, Murdoch & Co., one of the country’s largest wholesale grocers. The building hosted traffic courts and other municipal offices for decades, following the city of Chicago’s purchase of the property in 1955.

Friedman Properties acquired the eight-story, 320,000-square-foot building in 1998 and executed a full redevelopment in 2002. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a Chicago landmark.

The Reid Murdoch Building’s office tenants include Fortune 500 home appliances manufacturer Whirlpool Corporation; Encyclopedia Britannica, a renowned publisher of educational and reference materials; Walton Isaacson, an independent marketing agency; Priority Sports, a professional sports management firm; and an international confectionary company that recently expanded its lease to 30,000 square feet.

About Friedman Properties:

Founded in 1970, Friedman Properties owns and operates a growing portfolio of more than 50 mixed-use properties encompassing over 5 million square feet concentrated in Chicago’s River North. Spanning the office, retail, restaurant, residential, parking, event and hospitality sectors, the firm’s diversified holdings include some of Chicago’s most iconic structures, including the Reid Murdoch Building, Courthouse Place, Tree Studios and the Medinah Temple. Friedman Properties is also recognized for leading ground-up developments that seamlessly integrate into historic neighborhoods, with such projects as the Moxy Chicago Downtown hotel and the “triplex” hospitality development at 501 N. Clark, home to Aloft, Hyatt Place and Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels, among many others. For more information, visit www.friedmanproperties.com.

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