HVAC Service in Printer’s Row, Chicago

Printer’s Row was the center of Chicago’s printing and publishing trade in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its heavy timber and masonry buildings along Dearborn Street, ending at the old Dearborn Station, were converted to lofts and condos starting in the late 1970s.

The Printing House Row District was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1996, so exterior changes, including new equipment on visible walls, are reviewed as part of the building permit.

Inside, the lofts typically have heat pumps or electric air handlers with outdoor units on the roof, along with high ceilings, exposed brick and large windows.

Some of the earliest conversions are now on their second or third generation of equipment, and finding room for modern units in older mechanical closets is a common challenge.