Willis Tower Earns WiredScore’s Platinum Certification for Excellent Connectivity
CHICAGO – Whether they are uploading, downloading or streaming content, the more than 16,000 people who work and visit Willis Tower each day have reason to celebrate. Willis Tower has earned a coveted Platinum-level Wired Certification from WiredScore for being one of the nation’s “most cutting-edge connected buildings.” WiredScore’s Wired Certification program is the nation’s preeminent program that rates and recognizes the infrastructure, technology and connectivity of office buildings.
In the 2018 report, WiredScore gave Willis Tower, which is owned/managed by Equity Office, a portfolio company owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds, high marks for providing its tenants with access to nine internet service providers. This includes fiber optic connections, providing users with the fastest internet speeds available. In addition, Willis Tower has multiple internet access points leading into the building itself, which reduces the likelihood of internet slowdowns or outages. Along with its superior internet connectivity, WiredScore recognized Willis Tower’s cellphone technology. The building is equipped with a distributed antenna system, providing workers and visitors with better cellphone service throughout the building.
“We want to ensure our tenant customers have a space for greatness and the resources they need to compete and lead,” said David Moore, Senior Vice President and Portfolio Director at Equity Office. “With the Willis Tower reimagination, we’re providing tenants and employees with engaging communal areas, and the WiredScore designation demonstrates our commitment to also provide the critical infrastructure that can often go unnoticed.”
The WiredScore recognition comes in the midst of the largest renovation in Willis Tower’s 43-year history. In early 2017, Equity Office and Blackstone revealed a $500 million renovation plan to take place through 2020. The project will include more than 300,000 square feet of new retail space, 150,000 square feet for new tenant use, a 30,000-square-foot outdoor deck and garden, as well as dining and entertainment space at the base of the building.
WiredScore began rating commercial buildings for connectivity in 2013. Wired Certification is an official set of standards developed and approved by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the WiredScore Connectivity Advisory Committee consisting of leaders from tech, telecom and real estate firms. Willis Tower was first recognized for its superior connectivity in 2016.
About Equity Office
The Equity Office portfolio, encompassing approximately 58 million square feet of Class A office space throughout the U.S., is rich with signature properties in the nation’s leading gateway markets. The company focuses heavily on meeting the current trends and changing strategic needs of companies and our chosen markets. We rely on a connected coalition of informed and market sensitive regional leadership groups made up of seasoned real estate professionals who keenly understand the nuances of their individual markets. With an average tenure of over 25 years in the real estate industry, our regional leaders also head teams with deep experience across the board from investment and asset management, to property management, development and construction. Our regional operations draw on the financial power and legendary prestige of one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the nation. As an affiliate of Blackstone, a pre-eminent global asset manager providing significant financial strength and long-term stability, we are extremely well capitalized. Please visit www.equityoffice.com for more information.
About Willis Tower
Located at 233 S. Wacker Drive in the heart of downtown Chicago, Willis Tower is an urban destination and state-of-the art workplace that welcomes prominent businesses ranging from law firms to large airline corporations to insurance companies. Standing 1,450 feet and 110 stories tall, Willis Tower has the region’s most breathtaking views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Willis Tower’s Skydeck attracts more than 1.7 million visitors each year with its inviting hospitality and memorable experiences, all under one roof. In early 2017, Blackstone and Equity Office announced plans for the biggest restorative transformation project in the building’s 43-year history. The $500 million renovation project now underway will add more than 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining and entertainment space at the base of the tower, 150,000 square feet of new tenant amenity spaces, and a 30,000 square-foot outdoor deck and garden. Willis Tower was recently named to the Illinois Council of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois’ 200 Great Places list. For more information, visit www.WillisTower.com.
