Clubs Merge, Lease 34,000 SF at Aon Center

CHICAGO-Private club owner and operator ClubCorp has signed a 20-year lease for the entire 80th floor at the 2.5-million-sf Aon Center, 200 E. Randolph, owned by Wells Real Estate Funds. The 34,297-sf space will be home to an expanded club, the Mid-America Club, boosted by a merger with the Plaza Club from the adjacent Prudential Building and the 410 Club & Conference Center from the Wrigley Building.

The Dallas-based club owner says with the merger, the Mid-America Club will have almost 1,500 members. The company plans on spending $3 million on renovations to the new club space, including improvements to the arrival area, reception, bar, lounge, a la carte dining space, business meeting amenities and restrooms, a spokeswoman for Jones Lang LaSalle tells GlobeSt.com. Wells was represented by JLL in the deal.

“The improvements planned as part of the partnership will allow us to provide a more contemporary, vibrant and relevant club to the East Loop community,” says Dave Woodyard, senior vice president of ClubCorp. The renovations should be complete by summer, says the spokeswoman. The company also owns the Metropolitan Club at the Sears Tower, and spent $6 million in a renovation program there, the spokeswoman says.

Steve Smith, regional leasing director, and Paul Schloff, general manager of Aon Center, represented Wells. ClubCorp was represented by Studley managing director Tiffany Winne, executive vice president John Goodman and executive managing director Lisa Davidson. They would not comment on the lease terms. Average office lease rates in the East Loop are between $27.88 to $32.74, according to a Grubb & Ellis third quarter report.