River North Point

River North Point
River North Point sits at a juncture in the Chicago River known as Wolf Point. Among the buildings and structures shown are (left to right) Left Bank at K Station (300 North Canal), 333 North Canal, Kinzie Street railroad bridge, River North Point, Merchandise Mart, 300 North LaSalle, Franklin Street Bridge and part of 333 Wacker Drive.
General information
Type	Mixed
Location	350 North Orleans Street Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°53′16″N 87°38′14″W / 41.887726°N 87.637263°W / 41.887726; -87.637263Coordinates: 41°53′16″N 87°38′14″W / 41.887726°N 87.637263°W / 41.887726; -87.637263
Construction started	1976
Completed	1977
Opening	November 6, 1976 (Grand Opening January 22, 1977)
Owner	The Blackstone Group
Technical details
Floor count	24
Floor area	2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

River North Point (formerly 350 West Mart Center) is the official name of the 24-floor multipurpose building located in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, at the intersection of the North Branch and the Main Branch of the Chicago River. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1977, the building is located in the River North district north of the Main Branch and east of the North Branch. In 1988, Helmut Jahn designed an enclosed pedestrian walking bridge over Orleans Street connecting the building to Merchandise Mart. Originally built to serve as the world's largest wholesale buying center for the clothing industry, the building is more commonly known by several other names including 350 West Mart Center, Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North, Holiday Inn Mart, Merchandise Mart Annex, Merchandise Mart Annex Apparel Center, Apparel Mart, Chicago Apparel Center and Apparel Center. The building opened on November 6, 1976.

The property was formerly owned by Marshall Field who sold it to Joseph P. Kennedy and the building's grand opening was attended by the entire Kennedy family. The family owned the land upon which the building was constructed for over 50 years. After the building was constructed in 1976, it remained in the family for over 20 years, but it was sold to Vornado Realty Trust in 1998 as part of a larger $625 million ($918.4 million today) transaction including Merchandise Mart and several other properties. However, the family has retained its ownership interest in adjacent properties and continues to manage the Marchandise Mart business.

The building is associated with the neighboring Merchandise Mart to its east, which it is connected to by way of an enclosed pedestrian walkway and the two buildings are sometimes jointly referred to as the Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center or Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center Annex. The building is one of four distinct properties that are known as Chicago's Mart Center complex, also known as World Trade Center Chicago: The Merchandise Mart, the Chicago Apparel Center, the Merchandise Mart ExpoCenter and Wolf Point. In James Thompson’s original 58-block 1830 plat of Chicago, the property upon which the building is situated is represented by what was then designated as "Block 7" and a large portion of "Block 6", both of which are located at the fork of the Chicago River.Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin called the building "a concrete hulk that mars the downtown bend of the Chicago River."