One of Chicago’s finest examples of mid-century architecture was designated an official City of Chicago landmark today by City Council.

The Essex Inn building, noted for its boxy, glass-and-aluminum clad exterior, helped establish the age of the Modern and International architecture in Chicago when it was completed in 1961 at 800 S. Michigan Ave. Designed by A. Epstein and Sons, the building featured 285 guest rooms, the first outdoor swimming pool along Michigan Avenue, a restaurant, and cocktail lounge.

In addition to its contemporary design and modern amenities, the hotel’s success with tourists and business travelers was partly driven by recent improvements in public infrastructure, including an expanded Lake Shore Drive and growing interstate highway system, as well as the construction of the McCormick Place convention center.

Essex Hotel Owner LLC, which purchased the 14-story structure in 2014, will use the Class L incentive to help offset the $30.2 million cost of rehabbing the mid-century modern building into a 273-room, four-star hotel.

Improvements will include facade repairs, mechanical system upgrades, installation of fire protection systems, new reconfigured bathrooms, and a green roof.  

The Class L incentive, which encourages the preservation and rehabilitation of landmark structures, will reduce property taxes on the building by $10 million over the next 12 years.  

An estimated 150 construction and 175 permanent jobs will be created by the project. The work is expected to be completed by the summer of 2019.  

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