Your Weekly Motor Row Recap: College B-Ball, Auto Showrooms, Cheap Trick, Beer and Kilts

While we love reading about all things South Loop, the recent fury of Motor Row news has been exhausting and tough to parse through.  At least this allows us to search "cheap trick" on youtube and find something random (see video above).

Anyway, back to the news.  Last week, we posted an article in Crain's stating that the Cheap Trick night-club/museum and ZinZanni dinner theater concept had a major set-back.  Many (including us) assumed this meant these deals wouldn't happen.

But according to a follow-up article in the Sun-Times, the Cheap Trick concept is still a go:

Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen told the Rockford Register-Star on Thursday that the deal is "still a go" in the same spot with the provision that he is not "the [money] man." Nielsen is also a co-owner of the popular Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Wicker Park.

Frankly we have no clue what to make of this.  We're skeptical, but it's hard not to be given anything involving Motor Row these days.

Motor Row 2.0
In other news for Motor Row, there was an opinion article in the Chicago Tribune proposing that Motor Row should go back to its roots and transform into a contemporary version of the old area:

A Chicago Motor Row Showcase could offer a year-round mini-auto show. The car companies and others could use Motor Row for test-marketing of new ideas on the public.

An interesting idea, but probably not the kind of draw that would appeal to the wide variety of conventioneers who come to McCormick Place.

Maybe basketball could do the trick?
According to another article on the Tribune yesterday, DePaul has notified the United Center that they are not interested in their proposal to bring their basketball team to the west side and instead would like to pursue their own arena near McCormick Place.  While it seems like the DePaul option is getting closer, it also seems like there are going to be some more zigs and zags along the way.

Maybe scantily clad women could do the trick?
A reader writes about a "solid rumor":

I know the owner of the restaurant/bar chain, Tilted Kilt and he called me about space in Motor Row that he has been looking at, Chicago being their top market and me not being commercial broker, only residential and a neighbor of MR Entertainment district, he wanted my opinion. They are supposedly looking about adding a large venue. I will let you know when I hear more details.

Never a dull moment with Motor Row talk.  Stay tuned.

(Hat tip: BT, TL, AMR, MM!)