NAI Hiffman Executive Vice President Aubrey Englund helps not-for-profit expand, relocate from leased space

NAI Hiffman, the Midwest’s leading independent commercial real estate firm, today announced it represented Special Olympics Illinois in its purchase of a 20,000-square-foot, single-story flex office and event space building at 2324 W. Fulton St. in the Kinzie Corridor on Chicago’s Near West Side. The sale closed Feb. 10 for $4.75 million.

Aubrey Englund, executive vice president, office services, at Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based NAI Hiffman, and Mike Lombard of Blue Star Properties represented Special Olympics Illinois in the acquisition. Matt Cowie and Larry Goldwasser of CBRE represented the seller, a local private investment group.

“Special Olympics Illinois was looking to expand its operations beyond just office space,” said Englund. “We found this beautifully renovated flex office building that offers the perfect combination of uses to meet Special Olympics Illinois’ needs, including office space for daily operations, event space to host small fundraisers or staff trainings, and warehouse space with high ceilings and easy access for loading and unloading cargo to fulfill their need for storage.”

Special Olympics Illinois will be expanding its Chicago regional office from 6,000 square feet of leased space at 820 W. Jackson Blvd. when the organization moves into the flex building this summer. Approximately 15 employees will be working at the new location.

“By moving from being a tenant to a building owner, Special Olympics Illinois will seek to obtain real estate tax exemption with a 501(c)3 status, and the money saved will be put directly into funding additional programs and services,” said Englund, who has been representing the organization since 2012. “Being a part of this process has been very exciting, especially seeing the growth of Special Olympics Illinois over the years. The organization has such a profound, positive impact on people with intellectual disabilities in the state.”

Originally constructed as a foundry, 2324 W. Fulton was transformed by Helios Construction Services in 2014 into a modern mixed-use building for its own offices. The building’s design was a collaborative effort with the late architect Brad Lynch of Brininstool + Lynch. The team worked to preserve the building’s unique features and catalyzed further redevelopment on the west end of the Kinzie Corridor. The building was also designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating many energy-efficient features such as a geothermal heating and cooling system and on-site solar generation.

In 2017, Helios Construction Services executed another renovation at the building to expand the office space with the addition of four glass-enclosed offices, meeting rooms and amenities including a lounge, gym and kitchen.

Private event venue Ovation Chicago will remain a tenant at 2324 W. Fulton. The modern industrial loft space opened in late 2014 after the initial redevelopment of the building.

Special Olympics Illinois became a client of NAI Hiffman in 2012. Englund supports the Special Olympics through fundraising, volunteering and raising awareness of the not-for-profit’s mission.

Englund works with a wide range of commercial and nonprofit companies to identify and secure the ideal office space for their needs. In addition to Special Olympics Illinois, a few of her nonprofit clients include Ray Graham Association, We Raise Foundation, DuPage Senior Citizens Council and AgeGuide. She enjoys volunteering and raising money for many of the organizations.

About NAI Hiffman:

NAI Hiffman is one of the largest independent commercial real estate services firms in the U.S., with a primary focus on metropolitan Chicago, and part of the NAI Global network. The firm provides institutional and private leasing, property management, tenant representation, capital markets, project services, research and marketing services for owners and occupiers of commercial real estate. To meet its clients’ growing needs outside of NAI Hiffman’s exclusive territory, the firm launched Hiffman National, a dedicated property solutions division, which provides property management, project services and property accounting services across the country. NAI Hiffman | Hiffman National is an award-winning company headquartered in suburban Chicago, with more than 275 employees strategically located throughout North America.

About Special Olympics Illinois:

Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit sports organization offering year-round training and competition in 18 sports to a community of more than 60,000 traditional athletes, Young Athletes, Unified partners, coaches, volunteers, and more. It strives to be a global leader in shaping a culture where people with and without intellectual disabilities are fully integrated into the community by providing year-round opportunities in competitive sports, health education, leadership and personal development.