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| 1930 architecture | |
| buildings and structures in chicago | |
| art deco buildings | |
| distribution, retailing, and wholesaling | |
| marketing | |
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The Merchandise Mart is the second largest commercial building in the world (next to the Aalsmeer Flower Auction in the Netherlands ), located in Chicago, Illinois . It opened in 1930 on the site of the Chicago And North Western Railway 's former Wells Street Station , which the railroad had abandoned in favor of the Chicago And North Western Passenger Terminal in 1911 . The Merchandise Mart was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst And White . When it opened in 1930 , its cost was reported as both $32 million and $38 million. It was built in Art Deco style. In 1945 , the Merchandise Mart was purchased by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. The building was owned by the Kennedy Family through MMPI until 1998 , when MMPI was acquired by Vornado Realty Trust for $450 million in cash and a $100-million-plus stake in Vornado. 1 Christopher Kennedy remained as President of MMPI. The Merchandise Mart has its own Station on the Chicago Transit Authority 's 'L' System , served by the Brown and Purple Lines . The station's Turnstile s are actually within the building, while the platforms themselves are connected to the east side of the building. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS REFERENCES
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