South Loop's AV Chicago transforming former Maywood armory into office, event space

Event production company AV Chicago is moving from the South Loop to suburban Maywood, where it will expand its footprint and transform a former military armory.

AV Chicago held a groundbreaking event with local officials on Thursday to kickstart the redevelopment.

The event company is spending upward of $4 million on the project, AV Chicago co-owner and co-President Justin Frick said. Property records show an affiliate of AV Chicago purchased the former armory for $1.2 million in December.

“It allows a lot of room for expansion,” Frick said.

The property, at 50 Madison St., dates back to the 1920s. It was built in 1923 as a Moose Lodge clubhouse and automobile camping ground, aimed at club members who wanted to spend the night in the suburbs rather than the city.

The facility was used by the Illinois National Guard 33rd Tank Company in the 1940s, when 122 men were inducted and served in the 192nd Tank Battalion in the Philippines. It’s also been home to Saltzman Printers and Reuse Depot.

Under AV Chicago, the building will be renovated to include offices, production space and a 7,500-square-foot event space called The Armory. The entire building spans 43,000 square feet, according to AV Chicago.

The building’s ballroom is 102 years old, and Frick said its transformation into an event space is one of the most exciting components of the project. The space — with its vaulted ceilings — will be able to accommodate events ranging from weddings to galas and theater performances. There will also be two wedding suites and dedicated catering space. The Armory’s capacity will be about 350, according to AV Chicago.

Another nod to the building’s history will be seen with its renovated lobby, which will celebrate Maywood’s soldiers and their sacrifice, according to Frick.

The redevelopment is a big step for AV Chicago, which has rented space in the South Loop for the past 13 years.

The event company has about 35 employees and expects to grow once it moves. The event industry was hit hard by the pandemic, Frick said, with about 30% of the industry’s employees exiting during that time. He said AV Chicago hopes to work alongside Maywood to create new jobs and bring the company's headcount into the 40s. It’s also exploring new internship opportunities with schools like Proviso East High School, located across the street.

Andrew Brode, AV Chicago co-president and co-owner, said it does a lot of events in Chicago, but the company is outgrowing its South Loop office.He said it needed a new home with room for expansion and an active labor market.

While working on a project in Maywood, someone had suggested looking into the former armory as a potential office.

“Not too long after, we found ourselves taking a tour of the place,” Brode said. “Obviously, the building needs some love, but we could see the vision of what this would be for not only our company, but also our neighborhood and our staff.”

Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker said bringing new life to 50 Madison St. has been on the village’s radar since before he took office in 2021. Booker was a village trustee for two years before he was elected mayor.

Booker welcomed the new event space and workforce development that the project will bring, along with new property taxes for the village.

“This is more than just the AV company coming together,” Booker said. “This is a new partnership coming on board that I could not be more happy to say we're bringing to the village of Maywood.”

AV Chicago partnered with Maywood; West Regional Enterprise Zone; Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development to acquire the building, according to AV Chicago. The company also secured state incentives for the project.

AV Chicago anticipates occupying the building in late 2025, or early 2026.