Hiroki Plaza
Hiroki Plaza is a commercial building in Glenview.
History
The site occupied by Hiroki Plaza was once a warehouse for construction equipment. After being torn down in 1984, the blank lot was purchased by Japanese aviation mogul Hiroki Kondo and plans for a 3-story office building were made.
Intended to be the North American head office of Kondo Air, construction began in June of 1987 and completed in February of 1989. In March 1995, Hiroki Kondo was arrested and deported for insider trading and bribery in Japan. Kondo Air subsequently collapsed in September 1995. The building was purchased by South Pacific Developments the following month and was converted to accommodate multiple tenants.
Currently, Hiroki Plaza houses offices of multiple tech companies and the the consulate of Estonia in Greenfield. It retains the name of its controversial first owner to this day.
The Black Pyramid
A pyramid of black granite surrounded by a small moat is located in the building's entry courtyard. While it is presented as an art installation, no artist is credited. The pyramid was installed in January 1995 at the behest of Hiroki Kondo and was imported from Japan. Its sudden installation right before the arrest of Kondo and the folding of Kondo Air has led to speculations that the pyramid has a secret compartment containing money just in case Kondo needed to escape authorities, documents that would serve as evidence to other crimes Kondo has committed, and even Japanese artifacts that were smuggled into the United States.
During restoration work in 2005, the pyramid was discovered to be nothing more than stone clad with granite sheets. According to Hiroki Kondo's secretary at the time, it was supposed to be the base of a modern metal statue. Kondo wanted it completed within the month as he was expecting a visit from Japanese officials later that year, but due to his arrest, only the base was installed and the statue never arrived.
Tenants
- Convertis Customer Solutions Inc.
- TwitBook
- Nakahawa Solutions PLC
- SoCal Savings and Trust
- Consulate of Estonia - Greenfield
- SCDP Advertising
- Harriet Korn & Associates
- Wintour and Priestly Atelier
Facilities
- Secured, underground parking for 38 vehicles
- Bicycle parking
