Chicago — EQ Office, the office portfolio company owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds, has unveiled plans for Catalog, a five-story dining, retail and entertainment destination located at the base of Willis Tower in downtown Chicago.
Food hall operator Urbanspace will anchor Catalog’s food and beverage offerings, occupying more than 14,000 square feet and making the company one of the largest retailers in the building. The name Catalog is a nod to the Sears Roebuck Co., which developed and opened Willis Tower in 1973. Architecture firm Gensler is designing the space, which is scheduled to open in mid-2020. Willis Tower is set to undergo $500 million in renovations, plans for which include more than 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining and entertainment space. Tenants pre-leased to the space include Shake Shack, Sweetgreen, Luke’s Lobster and Taylor Gourmet.