related books.Merchandise Mart Facts
-the building occupies the entire block bounded by the Chicago River (on the North), Kinzie St (on the South), Orleans St (on the West) and Wells St (on the East);
- when it opened on May 5, 1930, the Mrchandise Mart was the largest building in the entire world;
- it was initially owned by the Marshall Field family;
- the building held the title of the largest building in the world in terms of floor space until 1943 when it was surpassed by the Pentagon
- from 1945 until 1998 the Mart was owned by the Kennedy family (Joseph P Kennedy Sr bought the building in 1948 for $12.5 million);
- the Merchandise Mart hosts an average of 20,000 visitors and tenants on a daily basis;
Posted on November 10th, 2008 by c. in Other Points Of Interest Facts
