An elegant, 25,000-square-foot food hall at 900 North Michigan Shops in Chicago opened in time for the 2018 holiday shopping season. Construction on the ambitious project began less than a year earlier, with design still underway. DMA led a hard-working team of architects, designers, engineers, and contractors to accomplish the transformation of space on the ground, fifth and sixth floors of the building. Curated and operated by Brendan Sodikoff’s Hogsalt Hospitality, Aster Hall features sixteen unique food and beverage vendors, among them, Small Cheval, Green Street Smoked Meats, 3 Greens Market and Doughnut Vault.

DMA managed a tight budget and schedule that included a value engineering process and long lead times for custom, high-end fixtures and materials. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural systems required enhancements to support the new food use, which also entailed an expansive custom kitchen built to exacting specifications. Situated on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile in the heart of the Gold Coast neighborhood, Aster Hall opened to high customer interest and serves as a gathering place for area residents and visitors.