Blommer Chocolate Closing Downtown Chicago Plant

Blommer Chocolate is saying a bittersweet goodbye to its long-time home in the heart of downtown Chicago.

The chocolate supplier has announced that it will shutter its River West manufacturing plant, at 600 West Kinzie Street, where it has operated for the last 85 years, Crain’s reported. Blommer will relocate its headquarters, along with its local research and development team, about a mile east to the Vornado Realty Trust-owned Merchandise Mart building.

Blommer’s departure raises questions about the future of the 5.5-acre property, which may be sold for redevelopment. The company has yet to reveal its plans for the facility.

“It was an incredibly challenging yet inevitable decision to close the Chicago plant,” Blommer COO Mark Okita told the outlet. “However, in order to propel Blommer to the next level, we must embrace progress, transformation and elevation.”

Blommer’s decision was driven by the “location and age” of the facility, coupled with increasing repair and maintenance costs that have created “production reliability issues.”

The company plans to bolster its manufacturing plants in Pennsylvania, California and Ontario, Canada, by investing $100 million over the next few years. Blommer’s research and development center is set to debut at the Merchandise Mart this fall.

The fate of the Chicago plant became uncertain after Blommer was acquired by Japanese ingredient company Fuji Oil Holding in 2018. Plus, the surrounding area has been overtaken by high-rise residential buildings in recent years, particularly in the booming Fulton Market District to the west.

Meanwhile, Blommer’s move extends a winning streak for Vornado, which owns the 4 million-square-foot Merchandise Mart. Marketing firm Interpublic Group is planning to occupy between 70,000 and 80,000 in the 25-story building, and food ordering and delivery company Grubhub is nearing a deal to sublease about 90,000 square feet from Paypal at the site.

—Quinn Donoghue