The city’s oldest high-rise commercial bank building was designated as an official Chicago landmark by City Council today.

At the time of its completion in 1907, the Commercial National Bank Building at 125 S. Clark St. was the second most expensive office building constructed in Chicago. Designed by D. H. Burnham & Co., the 18-story structure is an early example of the Classical Revival architectural style with a tripartite configuration that was standard for tall commercial buildings of the time. The firm was headed by Daniel H. Burnham, one of Chicago’s most nationally prominent architects during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The building features a colonnaded base ornamented with medallions depicting snake entwined torches and lion masks. The upper floors are clad in terra cotta and white granite.

The 500,000-square-foot building was sold in 1912 to Commonwealth Edison. More recently, it served as the central office for Chicago Public Schools.

Currently vacant, the building was purchased in 2015 for $29 million by Blue Star Properties Inc., which is implementing a $21 million commercial rehabilitation project. The work will be supported by Cook County’s Class L property tax incentive program, which lowers the tax rate on designated landmarks undergoing significant rehabilitation. Total tax savings will be approximately $13.9 million over the next 12 years.

The landmark designation and Class L incentive were recommended by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in October 2015.

# # #