It’s an icon, a landmark and a true beauty. Steelcase’s seven-story pyramid shaped research facility sits on 125 acres of property. It is definitely one of a kind.
When the building– located at 6100 East Paris Ave.– first opened in 1989 the cost was $111 million. In 2009, Steelcase announced it would be moving its workforce of 500 employees from the pyramid to its 44th Street location.
So, what happens now to this gem of a pyramid?
At one point there was talk of demolishing the vacated 670,000 square-foot building. Other plans included housing a specialty school.
Those plans have been abandoned as new owners enter the picture.
Land Developer Don Roger Norman of Reno, Nevada recently purchased the building for an undisclosed amount.
We had a chance to sit down with Jim Faunce, the newly appointed property manager, and Tom P. DeBoer, Broker for Colliers, Inc. to share their insights on the project.
“This is the most amazing building I have ever seen,” said Faunce who just moved here from Colorado to head the project. “I am in total awe of it.”
It’s easy to be in awe and take in the wonder of 16-foot ceilings, the only spherical compound pendulum in the world, full service cafeteria/kitchen, media production facilities, sound proof rooms, exterior balconies and miles of granite.
“We have had interest of numerous companies to lease. It is 1.5 million just to hold the building. We are working on cosmetic upgrades, monitoring the mechanical, redoing the parking lot and stabilizing the building so it runs effectively,” DeBoer explained.
That could come in with a price tag of five million.
But for everyone involved with the building, it is well worth it.
