Hotel Florence P3

The Hotel Florence and the Hotel Florence Annex are located in the Pullman Historic District on the south side of Chicago. The Hotel Florence was built in 1881 as a 50-room hotel, cost $100,000 to build, and was designed by Solon Spencer Beman. The Hotel Florence Annex is a major addition to the Hotel Florence that was built in 1914. They are located just south of the former Car Works at the intersection of 111th Street and St. Lawrence Avenue, and were placed on the National Register of Historic Placed in 1969. The State of Illinois purchased both structures in 1991.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is looking for a developer-led team to enter into a public-private partnership for the development, restoration, and operation of the Historic Hotel Florence and Hotel Florence Annex located within the Pullman State Historic Site in Chicago, Illinois.

• IDNR has been granted this authority by the Reimagining Hotel Florence Act (20 ILCS3407/45-1) 
• P3 agreement is to rehabilitate, restore, renovate, maintain, and operate the hotel for a term of 75 years. 
  • At the discretion of the parties, the P3 could also include portions of the Pullman Factory (North Factory Wing, Rear Erecting Shop, train car display building, and the ADVANCE passenger rail car).
• This selection is for the developer/operator, the design team, and the construction team. No other selections/procurements of services relating to the development of the Hotel Florence and Annex are expected after this procurement. 
  • Additional selections for other P3 opportunities for the Pullman Factory may be made at some point in the future, if they are not included in this P3 selection.
• Selection will be based on qualifications, experience, project plan and budget, and BEP participation and past performance.

IDNR will publish to the IDNR website a Request for Solicitations (RFS) on or after Feb. 15, 2025. Responses are anticipated to be due in late May to early June 2025. Notification of the successful team is anticipated to be around September 2025.

• Open the site to be used by the public and reactivate the site.
• Provide an economic asset to the greater Pullman community.
• Leverage $21 million in State of Illinois funding.
• Provide for the long-term restoration and preservation of the Hotel Florence and Hotel Florence Annex, including correction of deferred maintenance items. 

RFS responses will be received via the Capital Development Board’s (CDB) e-Builder Bidding Program. An e-Builder account is required to submit a response to this Request for Solicitation. Accounts are free but must be set up in advance. Please allow adequate time for this request before the solicitation deadline. Go online to start the process.