Sullivan Center

Sullivan Center is a landmark commercial building at the intersection of South State Street and East Madison Street in Chicago's Loop. It is best known as the former Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building, the long-running downtown home of the Carson's department-store business. The building's principal sections were designed by architect Louis Sullivan for the dry-goods retailer Schlesinger & Mayer, with construction beginning in 1899 and later expansion continuing into the early twentieth century. Its highly expressive State Street corner, extensive windows, ornamental cast-iron work, terra-cotta detailing, and steel-frame construction made it one of the defining works of the Chicago School of architecture. The property's commercial history grew out of the development of Schlesinger & Mayer after the Chicago Fire of 1871. The firm's earlier stores occupied buildings at the State and Madison intersection before the owners commissioned a substantially larger replacement. Sullivan's design used a steel structural frame with post-and-lintel construction, permitting broad window openings and unusually generous daylight. The lower levels were conceived as a dramatic retail display surface, with large panes of glass presenting merchandise to pedestrians. The rounded corner entrance, elaborate metal ornament, and projecting cornice gave the building a distinctive identity in competition with neighboring downtown stores. A pedestrian bridge linking the store's second floor with the Madison/Wabash elevated station opened in 1897 after a contentious and hurried construction episode. The bridge became a conspicuous part of the store's presence in the city. The building was later expanded and altered. H. G. Selfridge & Co. briefly operated the property in 1904 after Harry Gordon Selfridge acquired it, but the building was sold to Carson Pirie Scott later that year. Daniel Burnham contributed a 1906 addition, and Holabird & Root designed a 1961 annex that added approximately 59,500 square feet of sales space. Carson Pirie Scott occupied the complex for more than a century. The department store closed after the 2006 Christmas season, with the final clearance operation ending in February 2007. The property subsequently transitioned from a primarily department-store use to a mixed commercial complex containing retail, office, educational, nonprofit, and professional tenants. Target opened a large store in the building in 2012, while other occupants have included The Chicago Community Trust, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Gensler. The Sullivan Center's preservation history is central to its present identity. It became a Chicago Landmark in 1975 and is part of the Loop Retail Historic District. A major restoration program addressed the upper facade, including reconstruction of the cornice and supporting columns at the twelfth floor. Later work beginning in 2008 restored decorative ironwork on the lower floors and rehabilitated portions of the State Street and Wabash Avenue facades. The complex is now valued both as an adaptable urban commercial property and as a major example of late-nineteenth-century American architecture.

The commercial history of Sullivan Center is rooted in the post-1871 rebuilding of Chicago. Leopold Schlesinger and David Mayer, German immigrants who had worked together before the Chicago Fire, established a dry-goods business in 1872. By 1881, Schlesinger & Mayer had moved into the Bowen Building at State and Madison. The firm gradually expanded its premises, commissioning Adler and Sullivan during the 1880s and 1890s to remodel the existing structures, add stories, improve the facade, and create a more prominent corner entrance. In 1898, the partners decided to replace the original building at the intersection with a new structure designed by Louis Sullivan. Construction began in 1899 with a nine-story section on Madison Street beside the earlier remodeled portion. The project evolved as the owners sought a larger building. In 1902 they requested a twenty-story structure, but the final scheme was reduced to twelve stories. Because the earlier Madison Street section could not carry the increased height, it remained lower while the new portion was completed in stages so that the retailer could continue operating during the busy Christmas season. Sullivan's design expressed the possibilities of steel-frame construction. A light, fire-resistant skeleton allowed broad bay-wide windows, producing what became associated with the Chicago window and bringing substantial daylight into the interiors. The facade displayed the structural rhythm of piers and spandrels, while terra-cotta bands replaced a more expensive marble treatment. The rounded State-and-Madison corner was enriched with bronze-plated cast-iron ornament. The street-level glazing also advanced a new form of retail presentation: merchandise could be displayed directly to passing pedestrians through large windows. A rooftop water tower supplied the building's sprinkler system. The store gained an additional urban connection in November 1897, when a pedestrian bridge joined its second floor to the Madison/Wabash elevated station. Although city authorities had ordered the work stopped, crews completed the bridge overnight and opened it the following day. Its ornamental metalwork and elevated access made the store recognizable from a distance and reinforced the building's role in Chicago's expanding transit-oriented retail district. Ownership and occupancy changed soon after completion. Harry Gordon Selfridge acquired the building in May 1904 and opened H. G. Selfridge & Co. there in June. The venture lasted only a short time; the property was sold in August 1904 to Carson Pirie Scott, which leased and occupied it for more than a century. Daniel Burnham completed an addition in 1906, and Carson Pirie Scott later built a southern annex designed by Holabird & Root in 1961. The building's historic appearance was altered over time. The original recessed upper-level treatment and elaborate cornice were removed or redesigned around 1948, with the twelfth floor made more consistent with the lower facade. Preservation gained formal recognition when the building became a Chicago Landmark in 1975 and was included in the Loop Retail Historic District. A major restoration campaign began in the early twenty-first century. The first phase, completed in February 2006, repaired the upper facade and recreated the twelfth-floor cornice and supporting columns. After Carson's departure in 2007, the building was repositioned as a mixed-use complex rather than a single department store. Restoration of the ornamental ironwork on the lower three floors began in 2008, covering the State Street facade and rear portions facing Wabash Avenue. The Wabash work was completed in 2009 and the State Street work in 2010, with some funding from the City of Chicago. The approximately 943,944-square-foot, three-building complex was subsequently renamed Sullivan Center. Its tenant mix expanded to include retail, offices, educational users, nonprofit organizations, and design professionals. Target committed to a large two-floor store in 2011 and opened in 2012. The building therefore continues its original commercial function while accommodating modern uses within a protected architectural shell.

1. 2012Target opens in the complex

   Target opened a large two-floor store after leasing approximately 125,000 square feet.

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2. 2008Lower-level ornamental restoration begins

   Restoration began on the decorative ironwork and lower facades facing State Street and Wabash Avenue.

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3. 2007Carson's department store closes

   Carson's ended its occupancy after more than a century, allowing the complex to be repositioned for multiple uses.

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4. 2006Upper-facade restoration completed

   The first phase of a major restoration restored the upper facade and recreated the twelfth-floor cornice and supporting columns.

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5. 1975Designated a Chicago Landmark

   The building received Chicago Landmark status and became part of the Loop Retail Historic District.

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6. 1961Holabird & Root annex added

   A southern annex added approximately 59,500 square feet of sales area.

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7. 1906Daniel Burnham addition completed

   An additional section designed by Daniel Burnham expanded the complex.

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8. 1904H. G. Selfridge & Co. briefly occupies the building

   Harry Gordon Selfridge acquired the building, opened a store there, and sold the property to Carson Pirie Scott later the same year.

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9. 1899Louis Sullivan's principal building begins construction

   Construction began on the new Sullivan-designed commercial building for Schlesinger & Mayer.

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10. 1897Elevated-station pedestrian bridge opens

    A second-floor bridge connected the store to the Madison/Wabash elevated station, strengthening its visibility and transit access.

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11. 1881The retailer moves to State and Madison

    Schlesinger & Mayer relocated its dry-goods store to the Bowen Building at the State Street and Madison Street intersection.

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12. 1872Schlesinger & Mayer establish a dry-goods business

    Leopold Schlesinger and David Mayer founded the retail business that would eventually commission the Sullivan Center.

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A historically significant, architecturally distinctive mixed-use commercial property in downtown Chicago, combining preserved Louis Sullivan design with contemporary retail, office, educational, and nonprofit occupancy.

• Historic retail spaceRetail real estate1899

  The building was designed and used primarily as a department-store and general retail destination. Its expansive street-level windows, prominent corner entrance, and connection to elevated transit were integrated into the original retail experience. Contemporary retail occupancy continues this commercial function while adapting the landmark's interiors and circulation to modern tenants.

• Office and institutional spaceCommercial real estate2007

  Following Carson's departure, Sullivan Center developed into a mixed-use property with office, nonprofit, educational, and professional tenants. Reported occupants have included The Chicago Community Trust, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Gensler. This reuse extends the building's commercial life beyond department-store retail.

• Target storeRetail2012

  Target occupies approximately 125,000 square feet across two floors of the complex. The store opened in 2012 and was designed to operate within the historic building while maintaining the architectural character of the landmark. Its dark entrance treatment later became a subject of online attention and was informally called “Goth Target.”

• 2011Target leases space in Sullivan CenterM&A

  The renamed complex needed a substantial commercial occupant after Carson's departure.

  What changed. Target announced a lease for approximately 125,000 square feet distributed across two floors.

  Aftermath. Target opened in July 2012, restoring a major retail presence while the complex retained its mixed-use strategy.

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• 2008Lower-facade restoration proceedsStrategy

  After the upper-facade restoration, the building required additional work to preserve its distinctive ornamental ironwork and street-facing elevations.

  What changed. A restoration project addressed the lower three floors, including the State Street facade and rear portions facing Wabash Avenue, with some support from the City of Chicago.

  Aftermath. The Wabash facade was completed in 2009 and the State Street work in late 2010, strengthening the building's preserved architectural identity.

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• 2006Carson's occupancy is endedStrategy

  Bon-Ton Stores announced that its Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. department store would close after the 2006 Christmas season.

  What changed. The store conducted clearance sales and closed in February 2007, ending the building's single-tenant department-store era.

  Aftermath. The property was repositioned as a mixed-use commercial complex with retail, office, institutional, and professional tenants.

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• 2021Sullivan Center Target entrance attracts viral attention

  The dark exterior treatment around the Target entrance circulated widely on TikTok and received the informal nickname “Goth Target.”

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• 2012Target opens at Sullivan Center

  The new Target store opened on July 26, occupying a substantial portion of the historic building and incorporating contemporary retail design within the preserved structure.

  Product launch
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• 2011Target announces a major Sullivan Center lease

  Target announced plans to lease approximately 125,000 square feet across two floors of the former department-store complex.

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• 2007Carson's closes after more than a century of occupancy

  Following clearance sales, Carson's closed its Sullivan Center store in February, ending the building's long period as a major department-store site.

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• 2006Carson's department store announces closure of its Sullivan Center location

  Bon-Ton Stores, the parent company of Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co., announced that the department store occupying the building would close after the 2006 holiday season.

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1. Sullivan Center
2. Sullivan Center official website