Settlement in lawsuit over construction noise at Merchandise Mart

16-Jul-13 – Jackhammers, drilling into concrete, screw guns, power drills, power saws, and power grinders. It was enough to send a commercial tenant of Merchandise Mart to Circuit Court to seek relief.

Allscripts Healthcare, LLC, which leases 47,194 square feet on floors 19-20, said in an injunction filed on May 22 that its employees “have been unable to concentrate” because of “dozens of construction workers using all manner of power tools” generating “a tremendous amount of noise and vibration.”

A tenant since 2004, Allscripts said it has a lease that prohibits Merchandise Mart from doing construction work that interferes with the healthcare management company’s ability to conduct business during normal hours. They say they were told the work would not be completed until next year.

An agreement was reached on June 11 to establish a protocol for addressing alleged construction noise. Any work involving penetration into the building will be done before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Certain power tools will not be used on the 19th floor directly below Allscripts. Merchandise Mart agreed to monitor construction during business hours and respond to any noise complaints.

The work is being done for Google, which has leased 500,000 square feet on floors 15-19 to put Motorola Mobility, the Libertyville company it purchased last August.