We received an email stating a rumor about a 'high-end' restaurant moving into the building back in December, but that hasn't happened yet. It's a great building, in a prominent location and in our opinion would be a great place for a restaurant or a sports bar given it's proximity to Solider Field. The only problem is that its current floor plan has a ton of square footage, but if the right tenant emerged, we're sure it could be split up if necessary.
Regardless, the new lighting looks great in our opinion (if it really is new).
22 comments:
Great location for something, but right across the street(basically) will be Lou Canellis' sports bar at 1212 S. Michigan, so of course it's a great location, but I would be aware of the competition. Wabash Tap is right there as well.
That little stretch of Roosevelt still has a bad reputation. Many of my friends who are lifetime Chicagoans still look aghast when I suggest they take the Red line to Roosevelt. I tell them its perfectly safe and always teeming with people, and they still say "no way". These are the same people who are perfectly happy to go to Printers row, or the area south of Roosevelt, as well as the big box stores further west. Their concern seems to be over this small area.
Any news on Lou Canelli's? I recall reading about it on Sloopin a while back, but I've seen no evidence of work at 1212.
with the parking lot, this property has so much potential. Whazt a great place for a grand tavern/restaurant on the scale of Kroll's but with a southside Chicago flair...
Trader Joe's! Trader Joe's! A girl can always dream, if if Corp. Is stuck in a north side rut!
If this ended up being a sports bar, I'd be there every freakin' night. How great of a spot would it be, not only for Sox fans as a quick stop on their way to the Cell (only 2 stops away), but also Bears fans on NFL game days?!? If only I had the capital, I'd do it myself.
Alderman Fioretti says the Lou Canellis bar is off the table. He said that Robert Vanenko, aka Daley's nephew was a partner in it pitching in city pension fund money until he was brought under state & federal investigation. All of Vaneko's company money is no longer available and banks aren't willing to lend for the project. Fioretti said it was a shame as it would have been a nice anchor for the neighborhood.
Also in trouble is the former US Postal Union HQ at 1411 s. Michigan, Vaneko's company had a "contract" on the building and wanted to put up a huge high-rise apartment complex there. The Union moved out and now that Vaneko's under investigation banks won't touch his company with a 100 ft pole to lend him money for an apartment complex in an oversarurated neighborhood. The alderman's office is looking into who is responsible for the upkeep of the property while it sits vacant. There have been complaints of rat problems & maintenance (fence next to Firehouse collapsed in, sinkholes in parking lot, no snow removal, etc.) while it's vacant.
Bottom line, there's a lot of prime vacant real estate in the SL that needs to be filled and the alderman needs to address it asap without getting in bed with Daley, his son or his nephew.
I hear Trader Joes is a real possibility. They are evaluating how to build a parking structure over the current parking lot.
I have a friend that works for Trader Joe's and it is not being considered for the south loop. :(
This space would be perfect for a Portillo's. The closest one is in River North. The parking lot and alley could likely be modified for a drive-thru...
Hey Folks - Help Me! TeatroZinZanni is no longer interested in Block 37 and looking for alternative sites. They need 25,000 - 35,000 sqt feet & 36-foot-high ceilings for the antique tents that house the show. Stan Fein is the producer, but I can not find a contact email for him. I emailed an alternate person - Susan Outlaw there to ask if they are looking or willing to look at the South Loop? (McCormick Place visitors, residents, SPACE/COMMERICAL BUILDINGS are the reasons to be here). I am asking if someone knows the Alderman to possibly have him send an email stating that we would be interested in having them take a look. With all of these buildings available, this is the ideal thing we need for this area NOW.
LOVE the Portillo's idea...genius.
I really don't understand why there aren't more of them in city limits with so many locations in the 'burbs.
Chipotle has a place on their website to suggest new locations: http://www.chipotle.com/#/flash/development
We should reach out to them as well as places like Portillo's, BW3's, Trader Joes etc and encourage them to move in. While I'd love more local places, anything that would fill the open spaces and add value would be nice!
The only problem with Portillo's is that I'd be there every evening on the way home!
What a BRILLIANT addition to the South Loop. I know lots of people are down on "chain" restaurants, and I'm among them, but I'll make an exception for Portillo's. Where do we write??
Wow, Portillo's WOULD be perfect for that site. They need a lot of space for all the people they pack in. The only question would be whether people would make the short trek at lunchtime.
I hate to say it, but any fast food restaurant with late hours would be taking a chance in that location which, as another person posted earlier, has a bad reputation. The problem, IMO, is that people from the hoods just west and south of the sloop (some of the worst in the entire city) all pass through that corner via public transportation (both bus and rail). The amount of panhandling, jay-walking, loitering, and gang-tagging that occurs at that intersection is sad and reflects poorly on the sloop as this corner is widely considered our hood's "front door."
Please people?!? Did you seriously recommend Portillo's, BW3's, CHIPOLTE??? You should be suspended from the board for a week! Chain "restaurant" franchises are the LAST thing the South Loop needs. That's what the suburbs are for.
We need a institution that is identified by the South Loop and represents the South Loop as a destination... not a drive thru.
Michael - I agree, but Roosevelt Row is pretty much the commercial strip for the South Loop. The area's for non-commerical should be Wabash, S. Michigan and State. I would of course prefer it to be a new sports bar if Canellis' project fell through, but I think it is ok to have an area for commercial (chain types).
To all of you hoping for a "high end" restaurant at that location: FYI, 'high end'joints wouldn't share space with a Potbelly's. Further, that space is way too large for a Chipotle. That would be the largest Chipotle on earth.
Best fit for that space would be a 'goddess and the grocer,' 'trader joes,' 'fox and oble,' etc. However, I am afraid there isn't enough of the right clientle in this hood for those retailers. There is a reason why these places are all over the north and near north sides of the city and have completely abandoned the south side.
"There is a reason why these places are all over the north and near north sides of the city and have completely abandoned the south side."
Can you enlighten us on the reason?
"There is a reason why these places are all over the north and near north sides of the city and have completely abandoned the south side."
I think many people would put Whole Foods in the same category as the stores you mentioned and there is a Whole Foods about a half mile down the street from this location. So I think it is a stretch to say that this area is “completely abandoned” by these types of places. However, I prefer Fox & Obel and would love it if one moved into this location, but I don’t really see that happening though.
I’d like to see something like Rock Bottom, preferable not a chain though, come into this space and take advantage of that roof top. Although I know that there would be some issues with the immediately surrounding buildings if the roof top was open too late. I know that was an issue that was raised when Sam’s added the roof top deck.
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