The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-05-17
New Project for Chicago's Great Central
Market to Cost s3OOO0 OOO-Involves
the Greatest Single Development
of Air Rights in the West.
Foremost Manufacturers, Wholesalers and Importers
Will Be Housed Under One Roof in New Whole
sale Dstrict Inbound and Outbound Freight
Station Ground Floor of Building;
Club in Tower for Nations Merchants

Chicago, Especially Chicago is to
have gigantic Merchandise Mart
housed in its own building, which
will be twice the size of the largest
business building in the world. This
mammoth structure, two city blocks
In length, Is to % stories high, is
planned for the service and conven-
fence of merchandise buyers of the
United States and to achieve for Chi
cago a still greater prestige as a
Great Central Market, it was de-
clared today. 1t will cost $4,000 900.
Construction will begin Immediately.
The project will be the largest
single development of air rights. The
property of the new building exeept
for caissons begins % feet above
datum
The big business of the country
Is now done mainly in concentrated
market places, as evidenced by the
Garment Center and Cotton Goods
Center in New York City, automobile
rows in all leading cities, financial
buildings, and the Furniture Mart in
Chicago, where more than 700 furni-
ture manufacturers show their prod
ucts side by side, in the most modern
manner and under ideal conditions.
Business men have learned that the
nearer they are to the centers of these
market places, the greater is their
opportunity for volume and profit.
The establishment of the Merchan-
disc Mart is dramatic DEVELOPMENT
In the program to make Chicago the
Great Central Market, movement
which the Chicago Association of Com
MERGE started a number of years AGO
and a goal toward which it has been
devoting its energies continuously
ever since, under the leadership of
Its Foreign and Domestic Commerce
committee.
Located on River Front.
This great Mart, which will house
sales quarters and merchandise dis
plays of several hundred of the conn
try's foremost manufacturers. whole
salers and importers, will be located
in the rapidly developing new river
district, and will occupy a distinctly
conspicuous position Just across the
river from Wacker Drive at Wells
street, where the southern facade of
the structure will be visible for
blocks. The site was formerly that of
the Chicago and North Western Rail-
way Company's passenger station. The
building will extend 724 feet on Kin
zie street, SIT feet on the river front
and 324 feet on Wells street, with
diagonal frontage facing Orleans and
FRANKLIN streets 1t will be set back
from the river about so feet to ac-
commodate broad upper level drive
extending from Wells to Franklin. The
main entrance of the building will
race the river and the drive.
The Merchandise Mart will have
total Hoor space of about 100000 |
square feet as compared with slight
ly less than 100000 square feet
which is the floor area of the Furni-
ture Mart the next largest building.
Each of the eighteen main floors will
have an area of more than 200 600
square feet
Within the walls OF this huge
edifice the retail merchants of the
United States, Canada and foreign
will be able to see under
one roof, hundreds Of lines of the
worlds best merchandise. The manu-.
lecturers exhibits will include tex
tiles, ready-to-wear. toys, Iaces, gloves.
corsets, millinery, silverware glass.
rugs, knit goods, hosiery, shoes, mems
wear. fancy goods, sport goods, art and
antiques, iewelry, trunks, toilet articles.
house furnishings, office equipment and
scores of other merchandise displays