“Another project that’s converting office space into residences is coming to the Loop after getting the City Council’s approval Thursday.

“The Pittsfield Building, a Chicago landmark known for its art deco design, will turn unused office space into 214 residential units, which will add to the 228 apartments already there.

“The overhaul of the high-rise at 55 E. Washington St. is being led by the building’s owner, Tom Liravongsa, who is documenting it on Instagram under the name Skyscraper Guy. Liravongsa, an investor from Michigan, bought 30 of the building’s 40 floors through a 2023 foreclosure sale, Crain’s reported.

“The redevelopment will ‘retrofit the building, including repairing the facade. There’s been a scaffolding around Washington and Wabash surrounding this building for about a decade,’ zoning attorney Rolando Acosta told alderpeople Tuesday. (Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 9/25/25)

At the top of the building, the uppermost four floors within the building’s crown will be converted into an observatory with multiple levels of viewing space, an outdoor terrace space, and a cafe/bar for visitors.

To allow for the $160 million project, the developer is seeking to rezone from DR-10 to DX-16 with an overall Planned Development. With City Council approval secured, the site will be rezoned, and the developer can move forward with permitting and construction. The developer plans to begin construction in Q4 2025 and wrap up by Q4 2027. (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 10/6/25)

Preservation Chicago has long been concerned about the Pittsfield Building as it suffered through years of vacancy, legal complications, foreclosure, and deferred maintenance. We’re thrilled about the current adaptive reuse effort lead by Tom Liravongsa to breathe vibrancy back into this important Chicago Landmark and we’ve testified multiple times in support.

Read the full story at Block Club Chicago and Urbanize Chicago

• Plan To Convert Pittsfield Building Offices Into Apartments Gets City Council OK, The art deco skyscraper in the Loop will gain 214 apartments, an observation deck and a rooftop café while preserving historical details, Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 9/25/25
• City Council approves Pittsfield Building redevelopment; 214 apartments and an observatory will be added at 55 E. Washington, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 10/6/25
• Chicago landmark Pittsfield Building went viral on TikTok. Meet the guy who made it happen, Tom Liravongsa — or as social media knows him, Tom the Skyscraper Guy — has racked up millions of views on videos about the 38-story tower that he purchased in 2023, Mariah Rush, Chicago Sun-Times, 5/30/25
• TikTok is obsessed with this investor who bought 30 floors of a Chicago skyscraper; Real estate investor Tom Liravongsa is documenting his ambitious renovation of a historic tower—floor by floor, Eve Upton-Clark, Fast Company, 4/18/25
• Investor pitches office-to-residential conversion for Pittsfield Building, Rachel Herzog, Crain’s Chicago Business, 3/11/25