I|O – Page 4 – Building The Godfrey

Our Unique Retractable Roof

You’ve likely seen the news coverage about the torrential rain, storms and tornadoes around the Illinois area. While Chicago is mostly safe, our thoughts are with those towns primarily in Central Illinois that are affected the most, including Peoria, Nashville and Washington, IL. We do find it inspiring to see how the communities came together to support and help one another.

The photo below was taken from our fourth floor space – a little wet outside from the recent rain. I|O Urban Roofscape will be approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with 10,000 square feet of lounge and event space. The exciting part is the retractable roof, which you can see is being erected in the image below. This unique design makes for unobstructed views of Chicago’s skyline.

I|O offers dramatic, south-facing skyline views, which are unobstructed due to the unique design of the retractable roof.

Fortunately, all this rain doesn’t mean “rain delay” – we’re still right on schedule for a spectacular opening in February 2014.

Stay warm and dry.

Hard Hat Tour

We’re pleased to conduct our first Hard Hat tour yesterday. The tour was led by George Jordan, area general manager, and Adam Schomaker, director of sales and marketing. Our guests included hospitality and design-focused media, Chicago media, along with the astute input from our partners.

Chris McDonough from GETTYS added great insight into the design elements and inspiration. Katie Soven, of Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, shared background on the architecture. Our hotel is owned and developed by Oxford Capital.

The tour included a first-look at our lobby, guest rooms, suites and I|O Urban Roofscape. Matthew McCahill, food and beverage director, provided background on the much-anticipated I|O. It will be the largest indoor/outdoor, all-season rooftop lounge and bar in Chicago. I|O will offer two full-service bars and lounge seating at the roofscape’s two-level fire pit, which will also serve as a beacon to guests above bustling LaSalle Street. It certainly will be a must-see and must-visit in Chicago for travelers and Chicagoans alike.

Most importantly, George Jordan said he hopes the hotel “delights” the guests.

We hosted a Hard Hat Tour with our partners and media on Oct. 29, 2013.

I|O In the News

We’re thrilled to announce that Crain’s Chicago Business has the scoop on an inside look at our one-of-a-kind urban roofscape, I|O. To view the article, please follow this link. The piece gives lots of great previews of what’s to come, including info on our future menu, a full-color photo rendering and much more. Thank you Crain’s for featuring the hottest future spot in River North!

Above: Rendering image of I|O.

Above: Beautiful southern skyline view of Chicago from I|O

I|O – Our Urban Oasis

The construction of I|O is well underway; we’re eagerly anticipating the day our swanky urban roofscape makes its big debut. Here are some progress photos thus far:

Can you spot the window washers?

I|O’s stunning unobstructed skyline view

Here they are!

And our vision to come:

From shimmering water elements and fire pits to panoramic skyline views, we conceptualized I|O to be a plush oasis of urban glamour. Whether you’re indulging in after work cocktails or planning a private event of up to 400 guests, you’ll toast to the uniqueness that is I|O. This chic 7,000 square foot urban escape is named for it’s indoor and outdoor ambiance; it’s truly the best of both worlds. For more on I|O, including details on the state-of-the-art retractable roof and more, please visit our website.