| Benson & Rixon Building | |
|---|---|
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| Location | 230 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°52′43.3″N87°37′40.5″W / 41.878694°N 87.627917°W |
| Completed | 1937 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Alfred S. Alschuler |
The Benson & Rixon Building is a Streamline Moderne building in Chicago's Loop. It was designed by Alfred S. Alschuler, and was built in 1937. [1]
Men's clothing retailer Benson & Rixon purchased the property where the building stands in 1936 for $598,500. [2] The building was constructed at a cost of $375,000, and their new store opened on October 12, 1937. [3] Benson & Rixon's State Street store was previously in the Consumers Building, across Quincy Street. [4] The building was remodeled in 1958 and 1970. [1] [5] [6] Alterations in 1970 included replacing the original rounded storefront with a square one. [1] [6] In 1966, Benson-Rixon was purchased by Eagle Clothes, and the chain was phased out by February 1973. [7] The store became Leading Man Clothing. [8] [9]
In late October 1979, Cirilo McSween opened a McDonald's franchise in the building. [10] [11] It was the first African-American owned business in the State Street Mall. [10] In 1983, it was the top McDonald's restaurant in the country, in terms of gross sales. [11] The restaurant remained open until the 2010s. [1] [12] [13]
In 2005, the General Services Administration acquired the Benson & Rixon Building and neighboring buildings, using eminent domain to seize some of the properties, citing the need for increased security around the Dirksen Federal Building. [14] [15] [16] In 2012, the Benson & Rixon Building and the neighboring Bond Building were renovated. [14]