Urban Innovations Aligns with North Wells Capital

444 N. Wells in River North was UI’s first building, and the once-gritty neighborhood is now one of the city’s most desirable.

CHICAGO—Urban Innovations has been one of Chicago’s pioneers in renovating loft buildings into creative office space, and after 38 years of leadership in this sector, it is ready to take a big step forward. The company has just formed a partnership with the newly launched North Wells Capital, LLC, a company that will now handle investment strategy, acquisitions, fund-raising and financial operations. Meanwhile, UI will continue to carry out the day-to-day property management functions for its 600,000 square foot portfolio of owned and managed properties.

The two companies will operate as affiliates and share office space, but operate independently. Howard Conant Jr. and chief executive officer James Fox co-founded North Wells. They chose the name as an homage to the first UI investment made by the founding family, 444 N. Wells St., a property in the now-vibrant office community of River North they still own.