Case Digs Deep
- Mary DeMoss
- November 29, 2011
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Anyone who ever watched Will Perdue play for the Bulls could tell you that “tallest” doesn’t necessarily mean “best.” That being said, Roosevelt University’s new structure downtown is something to be marveled at both in height and quality compared to other educational structures, and it’s a marvel that Case Foundation Company is proud to have played a part in.
When completed in March of 2012, the 32-story, 469-foot-tall structure standing by the National Historic Auditorium at 425 South Wabash Street will be the second tallest university building in the country and sixth tallest in the world. This vertical campus will also hold occupancy for more than 600 students, a recreation center and dining hall to accommodate 300 people
at one time, meeting rooms for student activities, a variety of classrooms and
space for both science labs and the business college.
The new Roosevelt building will stand beside the historic Auditorium Building
completed in 1989, which was one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. Beneath the Auditorium’s iron columns and below the perimeter walls were “wedding cake” style stacked masonry blocks. The Roosevelt Building has more modern foundation-belled caissons. Case Foundation was brought in to drill rock and belled caissons (24 in all) approximately 40 feet deep around the site perimeter to protect the underpinnings of the Auditorium.