[3] In 1988, Helmut Jahn designed an enclosed pedestrian walking bridge over Orleans Street connecting the building to Merchandise Mart.

[8] When the building was constructed, it was the world's largest wholesale buying center, featuring over 1,000 display showrooms representing over 3,000 clothing lines.

It was Chicago's attempt to replace New York City, where businessmen have to travel to 20 different buildings to see a comparable variety of clothing as the world's fashion center.

[10] The building was completed just as the downtown office space market recovered from the 1973–75 recession and was part of a boom of Near North Side hotel constructions.

[16] The Kennedy-Vornado transaction occurred during an urban commercial real estate recovery that also saw the Sears Tower change hands at approximately the same time.

"[20] The Kennedys retained their interest in Wolf Point, the 4 acres (16,000 m2) of land between Apparel Center and the Chicago River to the south of the building with an address of 340 North Orleans.

In 2018, the entire facade (from the 3rd floor upwards) was refinished and the original brown aggregate was painted, significantly improving its image.

The facility is exclusive to 350 North Orleans tenants and offers a full range of classes (yoga, spinning, strength training) and is operated by LifeStart on behalf of the building owner.