Big Ten relocating headquarters to Rosemont
The village of Rosemont and the Big Ten Conference have finalized a deal that will bring the conference's headquarters, along with a conference center and interactive museum, to the village's new entertainment district by the fall of 2013.
Under the agreement, the athletic conference will construct a new three-story office building in The MB Financial Park at Rosemont, near Balmoral Avenue and the Tri-State Tollway.
“We are incredibly excited to have the Big Ten join the Rosemont community,” Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens said in a statement released today. “They will be a perfect fit for Rosemont, which has become one of the premier sports venues in the state.”
The 50,000-square-foot building will house corporate offices for the Big Ten, which currently is headquartered on Higgins Road in Park Ridge. About 40 employees are expected to work at the facility when it opens.
Visitors to the new headquarters can view a high-tech display of Big Ten history and sports highlights. The conference center will host up to 100 meetings each year for coaches, administrators, faculty and staff from the 12 schools that make up the conference.
“We feel that Rosemont is an ideal location, with its close proximity to O'Hare as well as hotels and restaurants that can serve our guests,” Big Ten Deputy Commissioner Brad Traviolia said. “We look forward to becoming active members in this outstanding community.”
Groundbreaking for the new Big Ten office building is tentatively set for late August with a move-in date as early as September 2013.
The addition of the Big Ten adds to Rosemont's sports profile, which already includes DePaul University men's basketball, Chicago Wolves hockey, the Chicago Sky WNBA franchise, the Chicago Bandits women's fast pitch softball team and Chicago Rush arena football.
The 12 members of Big Ten Conference — which includes the University of Illinois and Northwestern University — provide more than $100 million in athletic scholarship aid to more than 8,700 men and women student-athletes who compete for 25 championships, 12 for men and 13 for women. Conference institutions sponsor more than 270 teams.
The MB Financial Park at Rosemont is a new 200,000 square foot entertainment district which opened earlier this year. Venues include Five Roses Pub, King's Lanes and Lounge, Adobe Gila's Mexican restaurant, Toby Keith's “I Love This Bar & Grill,” Zanies Comedy Club, Park Tavern and Hofbrauhaus beer hall.
Real estate firm Studley, Inc. coordinated the Big Ten move to Rosemont. Studley Executive Managing Director Robert Sevim, along with Managing Director Jon Azulay, served as the Big Ten's exclusive real estate advisors and will market the current Big Ten office in Park Ridge once it is available.