Rees Coach House Moving on October 1st; Main House Scheduled for Early November

Rees Coach House Ready to Move on 10/1 (via Curbed Chi)

There has been a lot of interest in the moving of the historic Rees home in prep for the building of the DePaul arena.  Unfortunately it was slightly delayed.  We received notification yesterday about some developments (From the Metropolitan Pier and Expo Authority - MPEA - press release):

The three-story Harriet Rees House and its two-story coach house on the 2100 block of South Prairie Avenue moving one city block (400 feet) to 2017 S. Prairie Ave.

Currently, the coach house has been lifted from its foundation and loaded onto massive dollies in preparation for this move.

The coach house weighs 187 tons (374,000 pounds), and will be wheeled down Prairie Avenue to its new location. The coach house relocation—the first of two moves—provides an opportunity to see close-up what it will take to accomplish the highly anticipated move of the main house in early November. At almost three times longer, three times taller, and four times heavier than the coach house, the Rees House will be one of heaviest residential buildings ever moved in the United States.

The details:

WHEN and WHERE:
· 8am to 4pm, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 (Optimal viewing of the coach house move will occur between 8:00am and 12:00pm)
o 7:00am-7:30am: Construction crew members clear and prepare the street; security personnel secure the corners of Prairie and 21st and Prairie and Cullerton.
o 8am: Mounted on six automated dollies, the coach house begins moving slowly down Prairie Avenue.
o 12:30pm-4pm: The coach house reaches its final site and is positioned over its new slab foundation. · The move will start at 2110 S. Prairie Avenue and end at 2017 S. Prairie Avenue.

As more details emerge for the November move we will let you know.  Below is an image from Curbed Chicago of the actual Rees House preparing for the move:

Mac Kelly's Brings Quick and Healthy Options to S. Michigan

We were excited, but wanted to stay reserved when it came to Mac Kellys Greens N' Things opening up at 1347 S. Michigan.  Their menu looked different and promising, but many menus have in the past.

Well we finally went and would confidently say it exceeded our expectations.  It's not gourmet, but it does provide a ton of healthy, quick dishes and from what we could tell the ingredients were all very fresh.  They definitely provide a unique offering in the neighborhood.

Throughout the city places like Protein Bar and Freshii seem to be popping up left and right.  If you like those places, chance are you will like the Sloop's version of Mac Kelly's (which tends to be more streamlined than the Loop version).  While the menu might not be as robust or trying to be as trendy it was pretty appetizing to us.

Since we're on the quinoa kick, we opted for the "Rapture Bowl" which consisted of organic quinoa, goat cheese avocado, mushrooms, spinach, red peppers, tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette and baked chicken:

We also opted for the "signature dressing" because it sounded amazing:

We also tried the "Teriyaki Twist" bowl which was rice noodles (which they were out of so had brown rice instead), green onions, cucumber, edamame, carrots, broccoli, sesame seeds and teryiaki sauce with steak.

To top it off we split the "Passion Smoothie" which had pineapple, mango, orange, strawberries and yogurt.  We watched intently as she made it and wow did the ingredients look fresh and wow did it taste fresh.

The woman working the counter was very nice.  While there are counters to eat on, this is more a take out type of place, which is nice, because if you need something healthy and quickly (which isn't easy to find in the Sloop) this fills that void.

We will be going back soon.  If you haven't been we suggest you try it out!

Shots Around the Sloop: Tailgating

(Hat tip: Ash!)

Meet Darla, A Darling 5-Month-Old Hound Mix

Sloopin is proud to work with The Anti-Cruelty Society and the PetSmart Charities Everyday Adoption Center (EAC) in the South Loop (1101 S. Canal) to help bring awareness to their adoption program.  Every month we will be posting about a local animal who could use a home.

This week please meet Darla:

Meet Darla, a 5-month-old hound mix! Darla is a darling active and playful young pup. She will need lots of supervision, patience, and love in her new home due to her adolescent age. We recommend obedience training, house training, and socialization to help her become a well-mannered adult dog. Come introduce yourself to this cutie-pie today and see if she is your match!

The Anti-Cruelty Society, Chicago’s oldest and largest animal welfare organization, opened up the South Loop satellite location in 2013! So far they have adopted close to an impressive 1,000 cat, dogs, puppies and kittens.

The EAC has room for 42 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. The 2,075 square foot facility includes kennels for dogs of all sizes, a cat adoption center, play areas for dogs waiting to find a home and an area for adopters and pets to hold meet-and-greets. More info on the EAC and the animals available can be found here.

Lululemon Officially Opens Today at Roosevelt Collection

A representative from Lululemon reached out and let us know some news many in the Sloop are probably pretty excited about:

A new addition coming to the South Loop this Friday, September 26th is going to be lululemon! We open at 10am at the Roosevelt Collection and could not be more excited to join this incredible community. Store Manager Stacey Searle and her team have spent the last 5 months sweating at studios and gyms in the area and connecting with the community. They have a ton of fun things planned for the opening weekend and the celebration is culminating at their Grand Opening Party- A Collection of Friends. I have attached the invite for the October 2nd music and food fest and would love for you to join us. Please see the attached invitation for more details!

Nice to have them in the neighborhood!

Business counter is up-to-date.

Free Museum Day in the Sloop this Saturday (9/27)!

DNAinfo has the scoop on some free museum day:

Eleven Chicago museums will offer free admission Saturday, including the Adler Planetarium, Chicago History Museum and DuSable Museum of African American History. 

The event is part of Museum Day Live!, a national free museum day from Smithsonian Magazine. Each person who registers online here will receive two free tickets to one museum.

In the Sloop, the Adler Planetarium (1300 S. Lake Shore Drive), Glessner House Museum (1800 S. Priaire) and Clark House Museum (1827 S. Indiana Ave) are participating.

Click here to register to get your tickets.

On The Route Bicycles Moves from Michigan Ave to Dearborn

A reader writes:

The bike shop at 728 s dearborn finally opened up this week. Just in time for the winter.

As a reminder, the On The Route Bicycles moved from 1130 S. Michigan and to their new digs on Dearborn.

Best of luck to them!

(Hat tip:  BT!)

Happy Chinese Kitchen Build-out Underway at East Cermak

A reader writes:

Spotted this new sign had popped up over the weekend on the unit between Relax Massage and McCormick Market on the 300 block of E Cermak. Obviously a Chinese eatery of some description although it wasn't possible to tell yet if it's eat-in or takeout only.

(Hat tip:  DN!)

Hand and Stone Massage Opening at 1130 S. Michigan

A reader writes:

Hand and Stone massage opening soon at 1130 S Michigan. The space that used to be the grocery and has been empty for years. Sign going up, i know the owner. It is the first of this brand in Illinois. Chain out of Philly. Will offer massage memberships and a few other services.

This is the retail space just south of Yolk on Michigan Ave and from what we can tell is different than the other massage business (Elements Massage) that we posted about last week that is opening at 1160 S. Michigan.

Apparently there is a lot of demand for massages on Michigan avenue...

(Hat tip:  GS!)

Burlington Coat Factory Opens at The Maxwell; Shred 415 Opens at Roosevelt Collection

To follow-up from our post last week there are apparently some more openings we missed at the Maxwell (Canal & Taylor) and Roosevelt Collection (150 W. Roosevelt).

According to their website and some readers, Burlington Coat Factor is open!  It's getting cold...go get a coat.

In other retail news, Shred 415 has apparently been burning calories at Roosevelt Collection since August:

Roosevelt Collection is proud to welcome the 6th outpost of the ever-popular Shred415. Acclaimed as one of the best workouts by Chicago Magazine and a must try for “cult fitness” by Vogue, the Shred415 doors were opened by fitness experts Bonnie Micheli and Tracy Roemer in April 2011 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Since 2011, Shred415 has opened five additional studios, including one in Old Town, Wicker Park, Chicago’s North Shore and St. Louis, MO. The new studio in Chicago’s South Loop will offer Shred415’s one-of-a-kind high intensity interval training workout in heart-pounding, sweat-infused, 60-minute group fitness class.

Donate Food and Clothing to South Loop Community Church

If you're like us this cool weather has us reorganizing our closet.  If you have some old stuff you're trying to get rid of a frequent Sloopin contributor has a great suggestion:

South Loop Community Church, (“SLCC”) located at 1347 South State is collecting food and clothing to give out to those in need. Many of us are switching out our summer clothes for our winter clothes right about now and you are bound to come across some winter clothes you no longer need, PLEASE donate those to SLCC. They accept all clean clothes for men, women and children. They are in need of larger sizes but accept anything clean!!  

FOOD DONATIONS are also needed. SLCC distributes food every Saturday between 9-11 a.m., serving about 85-100 walk ins every week. Please donate any non-perishable food items to SLCC by contacting them (566-9076) and dropping it off there or by dropping your donations off at Overflow Coffee Bar or Urban Re-Mix. Volunteers are also needed for Saturdays distributions.  

Let’s put the Sloopin readers together to gather food and clothing this fall and help those in our neighborhood in need!

(Hat tip: NS!)

Shots Around the Sloop: Reflection

(Hat tip:  CK!)

Submit Your Photos to the South Loop Neighbors 2014 Photo Contest

From South Loop Neighbors:

South Loop Neighbors (SLN), a neighborhood group that promotes quality of life in its namesake community, is hosting a juried photo competition and is seeking photographers to submit photographs in three categories: Students, Amateur and Professional. The theme for this year’s competition is “Life in the South Loop”. SLN defines South Loop as Jackson Blvd south to 25th St, and the Chicago River east to the lakefront. Online registration to enter photographs begins today—Monday, September 8—and ends Tuesday, October 7.  

Photographs will be displayed at The Shops at Roosevelt Collection at 150 W Roosevelt Rd on Wednesday, October 15 through Friday, October 31. A jury of professional photographers and artists will select the top three photographs in each category. Awards will be presented at a reception at Roosevelt Collection in the evening on Wednesday, October 15. Photographers will be awarded cash prizes as:  

Students
Grand prize = $250
2nd prize = $150
3rd prize = $100  

Amateur
Grand prize = $250
2nd prize = $150
3rd prize = $100  

Professional
Grand prize = $250
2nd prize = $150
3rd prize = $100  

Photographers can enter, and read the rules and regulations for the contest at: bit.ly/SLN2014PhotoShow  

Contact South Loop Neighbors board member Robin Toewe with additional questions by telephone at (312) 859-6461 or by email at photoshow@southloopneighbors.org.

Get Your New Sloopin "Hat Tip" T-Shirt!

The new Sloopin "Hat Tip" T-shirts are here and for those of you who have recently submitted tips or published posts you're now officially eligible to get your t-shirt.  If you see your initials below, please send an email to sloopin@gmail.com to let us know you're going to go to Well Future (1442 S. Michigan) to redeem your shirts:

• JI
• AL
• SV
• TM
• ES
• PB
• JR
• SS
• RW
• DN
• CK
• KP
• AB
• JG
• BH
• BK
• AshMa
• BV
• GR

If this post doesn't mean anything to you and you're like "Wha?!?!? click here for some background on the Sloopin Hat Tip program.

Thanks again for all the tips, photos, suggestions and whatnot.  Without you Sloopin wouldn't exist!

Au Bon Pain Moving into New East/West University Building on Wabash

A reader writes:

I wanted to let you know what's going on in our building at 829 S. Wabash Ave (Student Life Center).  

We're getting an Au Bon Pain! ' 

We don't have a date set for the opening, but they've told us they work pretty quickly. I can run down and take a photo if you're interested.

(Hat tip:  JI!)

Vice District Brewery Gets Some Press

A nice video about the recently opened Vice District Brewery:

It appears the PR train has left the station for Vice (which is a good thing). Various other readers have sent us some of the press they've gotten:

Or maybe this article on chicagomagazine.com:

Right now, Vice District has just six proprietary beers available (mostly the essentials, like an IPA and a brown ale), but eventually the crew will be able to have sixteen on tap at a time, and they’ll branch out into more offbeat fare. For now, the plan is to keep things community-minded, making the industrial-chic space welcoming for thirsty neighborhooders.

(Hat tip: AL & LC!)

Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl Commences Friday from 4-9pm

We're big fans of the Wabash Arts Corridor initiative and it shouldn't come as a surprise that this event has piqued our interest:

The WAC Crawl will include a stunning array of new, large-scale street and public art, an expansive cultural program ranging from the Joffrey Ballet to blues, jazz and hip-hop performances, tours of historic and new architecture, some twenty gallery openings, and special food and drink offerings from local restaurants and bars. 

The WAC Crawl in its first year was nominated by Friends of Downtown for “Best Event” as part of their 2014 “Best of Downtown” awards. In its second year, the WAC Crawl is expected to emerge as one of Chicago’s major cultural events.

The event commences tomorrow on Wabash from 4-9pm.

Be there!

Rees House Move Delayed, but Prep Work Continues

A reader writes:

My balcony faces south on 21st so I have a great view of The Rees House movement. When I got home today it looks like the coach house is up on beams and getting ready to be moved.

While the house is up, it sounds like the actual move is delayed based on a post we read on Curbed Chicago yesterday:

Alright, so the landmark Harriet Rees House has not been moved yet, but McCormick Place reps have confirmed that the expected move date will be sometime in late October or early November. A previous timeline had anticipated that the 126 year old mansion would be loaded up on a huge 29-wheel dolly and transplanted to its new home at 2017 S. Prairie Ave. last month. However, the move has been delayed, and the timeline has been updated. According to contractors Bulley & Andrews, the Rees House will be prepped for its move this week, and then next week, the foundations at its new location will be installed.

For some background on this here is an old Sloopin post.

(Hat tip: SV & NL!)

Burger Bar Build-out Underway at 1160 S. Michigan

Burger Bar just south of North Ave on Clybourn 

We have had some questions whether or not the rumored Burger Bar was in fact going to open in the Columbian at the northwest corner of Roosevelt and Michigan.

A couple readers have sent us emails on the topic:

Burger Bar is definitely coming to the Columbian. The build-out is over a month along and hopefully it will open before too long. The estimate was 4 months ….. 

The burger bar is the space north of our entrance ……. The south space I’ve heard will is the elements massage, but haven’t heard if they’re signed …. We have (2) retail spaces in our building.

Another reader wrote:

My wife snuck in and peeked at reported Burger Bar location at Columbian... Seems to be a bar restaurant under construction.

Definitely will be a nice addition to the hood!  Pretty positive yelp score (4 stars)!  Looking forward to them opening.

(Hat tip: TM & CR!)

South Loop Kidical Mass Bike Ride on September 20th

A fun event:

Mac Kelly's Greens N' Things Opens Their Doors

A reader writes:

Mac Kelly's appears to be up and running this morning.

As a reminder, HomeMade Pizza Co. closed in June at 1347 S. Michigan amid closing down their entire business.

Mac Kelly's quickly swept in and proceeded quickly with their buildout (the space isn't huge, so probably didn't require a ton of big changes).

We walked by recently and can confirm that the door is open (if the picture to the right wasn't evidence enough).

The menu looks pretty good, so we're excited to try it out.  Mac Kelly's has other locations throughout the loop so things should be running pretty smoothly out of the gate.

Best of luck to them and welcome to the Sloop!

(Hat tip:  ES & AK!)

Former Michael Reese Hospital Campus Doesn't Make the Cut for Future Obama Library

Word came out yesterday that Obama Library finalists were notified.  It looks like the proposal that was just south of the Sloop at the formed Michael Reese Hospital grounds didn't make the cut (via Chicago Tribune):

The Barack Obama Foundation began notifying rejected bidders last week. Two South Side sites — the old Michael Reese Hospital grounds in Bronzeville and the former South Works steel mill on the Southeast Side — were among those rejected. Chicago State University, which had proposed two sites on its far South Side campus, also did not make the cut.

Is this paving the way for the controversial "Chicago Casino"?  We shall see...

As a reminder, this space was purchased by the city and proposed to be the Olympic Village in Chicago's failed 2016 bid.  Since then various other ideas have been floated for the large piece of land.

(Hat tip:  PB!)

Prominent Developer Plans to Move forward with Motor Row Hotel and Retail Development

James McHugh Construction released renderings to the Tribune ahead of a Monday night meeting with South Loop residents on a planned boutique hotel in the South Loop. (James McHugh Construction)

Some more development news for Motor Row (via Chicago Tribune):

A Chicago developer is moving forward to put a boutique hotel, data center and retail in the South Loop, the final piece of a massive redevelopment in the next few years.  

James McHugh Construction officials are hoping the new plan will resolve a year-old lawsuit seeking to force the firm to sell the land to the city. Work could begin in the next few months, officials said.  

Originally, the city and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, a state-city agency known as McPier, wanted to build a 1,200-room hotel on the property as part of a proposed $600 million redevelopment of the surrounding Motor Row district into an entertainment destination. But when the contested land became tangled in litigation, McPier opted to build a Marriott Marquis a few blocks east at Cermak and Prairie Avenue. Agency officials said they hoped to find a private developer for a boutique hotel on the contested land once the lawsuit was resolved. The caveat was that the boutique hotel would have to be privately developed for the McCormick Place redevelopment project to stay on budget. 

McHugh's new offer to add a 28-story, 500-room hotel on the disputed land at Cermak and Indiana, in addition to a long-planned data center, could satisfy the city's goals, while still securing the data center McHugh has been planning.

Some big plans for this area, should be interesting as the continue to develop.  With most things down in this area, when we see it we will believe it.

(Hat tip:  JR!)

Chicago PD Filming Road and Parking Closures for 9/16 and 9/17

A reader sends us this notification:

(Hat tip:  SS!)

Nike Pop-Up Store Robbed!

A reader sent this to us last week (sorry for the delay).  Ugh:

The Nike pop up store caught my eye this morning because of the new red make-over. It was 8:30 in the morning, so I was surprised to see that it appeared to be open. I walked in - and the place looked empty. A police officer told me the place had been robbed! 5 guys broke in overnight and cleared the place out - see attached pictures, including broken window. Between this, Bullchick's and the Chase bank - for some reason this stretch on Wabash is a robbery hot spot. Hopefully they catch these guys...

(Hat tip: RW!)

Nordstrom Rack and Banana Republic Open on Roosevelt Shopping Corridor

Nordstrom Rack Ad on Roosevelt CTA Platform

More and more retailers are officially opening up their doors on (or just off) the Roosevelt Road shopping corridor.  Two of the more high profile and well respected national retailers, Nordstrom Rack and Banana Republic are officially open.

Nordstrom Rack opened at the Maxwell on the corner of Canal and Taylor.  They join Pier 1 Imports, Dick's Sporting Goods, T.J. Maxx, Men's Warehouse, Potbelly's, and Noodles and Company as other retailers to join this development.

Banana Republic opened at Roosevelt Collection.  They join Loft, Haberdash, Z Gallerie, H&M, R.O.C. Fleet Feet, Bridgeport Coffee among others to open their doors at this development.  Lululemon, Victoria' Secret and various other retailers and restaurants are in the process of their build-out at Roosevelt Collection.

In our eyes, it appears that we've reached that critical mass of shopping retailers in the neighborhood.  If you can't find what you need on Roosevelt road chance are you aren't trying or you have expensive tastes (since very few of these retailers could be considered "high-end").

(Hat tip:  DN and SH!) 

Shots Around the Sloop: Big Sky

(Hat tip: CK!)

2nd Ward and Former Sloop Alderman Fioretti Throws Hat into Mayoral Race

We knew that Alderman Fioretti got drawn out of our neighborhood during the recent gerrymandering process for Chicago wards, so we knew he wouldn't be "representing" us much longer.  However, he made a big announcement this morning which if successful means he could be representing us and many others in Chicago (via Chicago Tribune):

As he sat recently on a stage under bright lights waiting to do a television interview, Ald. Bob Fioretti tugged on his necktie, the knot neatly propped up by a tie bar under his collar. He adjusted his earpiece, and a producer asked him if he was ready.  

"I'm not just ready," he responded, "I'm Fioretti."  

Now the 2nd Ward alderman, who has spent the past three years as Rahm Emanuel's harshest and most frequent City Council critic, is ready to announce Saturday that he will challenge the mayor in the Feb. 24 city election.  

"I've made the decision I'm going to run for mayor of this city," Fioretti told the Tribune. "We can no longer afford a mayor who has been divisive, who has turned his back on a lot of our communities. We need someone who can unite and realize the struggles of our people."

The quote about being "Fioretti" is slightly cheesy, but gave us a good chuckle.  Maybe he's testing out his campaign slogan - "Chicago is Fioretti for Change"

Anyway, Fioretti flirted with the idea of running for mayor in 2010, so the fact that he's throwing his hat into the ring isn't super surprising.

It seems like a long shot to us that Fioretti could win, but it's probably a good time to give it a shot.  Rahm Emmanuel has a higher profile locally, nationally and internationally but recent polls have suggested that hiss ratings are falling fast in Chicago - which is obviously critical since Chicagoans are the ones who are either going to reelect him or not.

Fioretti has been one of the few aldermen who have been continually critical of Rahm, so he seems like a natural opponent.  The slightly more high-profile local candidate that has been rumored to be considering a run as well is Karen Lewis, the Chicago Teachers Union President, who infamously was a thorn in the mayors side during the teachers strike in 2012.

Anyway, best of luck to Bob!

He's done well for us in the Sloop so we're excited to see his campaign and what his agenda will be.  We did read on WGN that he is supposed to be running on:

His agenda is expected to include a one-percent commuter tax, an elected school board and a $15-an-hour minimum wage. He’s also expected to campaign for reopening the mental health clinics that Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed and support the hiring of at least 500 additional police.

This may also explain why Rahm was supposedly shaking hands in the South Loop on Friday:

Did you see/hear anything about Mayor Rahm Emanuel thanking people at the Roosevelt station today? I actually got to walk up and shake his hand.

Oh politics...you're so silly sometimes....

(Hat tip: KP & NS!)

Nominate Your Favorite South Loop Business for Good Neighbor Award

A reader writes:

I’m a south looper and have a child at Old St. Mary’s. We are giving out a Good Neighbor Award to South Loop businesses at our Oktoberfest fundraiser coming up. Would you be open to posting the link to nominate your favorite South Loop business for our Good Neighbor Award? The info to nominate can be found here.

(Hat tip:  AB!)

Plan Calls for Townhouses Where Failed X/O Tower Was Proposed

Via Chicago Real Estate Daily:

Proposed renderings of X/O Towers

After one residential developer tried — and failed — to go big and tall on a South Loop site, another one is going short and small.  

A joint venture between Golub & Co. and Sandz Development Co. plans to build 62 town homes on the 1600 and 1700 blocks of South Prairie Avenue, a site where a venture led by developer Keith Giles wanted to build two glassy condominium towers during the boom.  

Neighbors rebelled against the proposed high-rises, arguing that they didn't fit in with smaller historic buildings nearby, and the property wound up in foreclosure after the condo market crashed.  

The townhomes proposed by Golub and Sandz, both based in Chicago, would reach a maximum height of 45 feet, according to an application filed with the city for a zoning change to the property. The towers proposed in 2006, called X/O, would have been 310 and 450 feet tall with 479 condos.

There was a lot of drama about the X/O towers (here is one old post that summarizes it well).  Since it's demise we've heard various rumors, but the last one we heard was a Charter school was looking at the real estate.  Seems like that didn't work.

Townhouses probably make the most sense and seem like they will fit in pretty well with the other buildings in the neighborhood.

(Hat tip:  JG!)

Peets Opening at Wabash and 8th in Three to Four Weeks?

A reader writes:

Peets S. Wabash.  They told me that they hope to open in 3-4 weeks. They were giving out free coffee just now.

As a reminder, Caribou decided to close all locations in the Chicagoland area and some would become Peets.  We found out the Sloop location at Wabash and 8th would become one back in July.

(Hat tip:  BH!)

Elements Massage Opening in The Columbian at Roosevelt and Michigan?

A reader writes:

I stumbled across this by total accident.. looks like this place is going to (or trying to) open at Michigan and Roosevelt at the Columbian. See under "South Loop" location coming soon 

http://elementsmassage.com/locations?state=IL  

Who knows! May actually happen?

Probably not what most people were hoping for in this prominent space, but at least it's something.  It seems like there are three retail spaces in the building, but we're not sure.

The bigger question in our minds is whether or not the rumored Burger Bar is still coming to The Columbian.  This rumor came out about a year ago and as of about 4 months ago word on the street was that it was still happening (in the comment section of this post).

Does anyone have any updates on either of these businesses opening at The Columbian?

(Hat tip:  BK!)

Second Presbyterian Church Being Check Out; Family Files Wrongful Death Suit

Some follow-up to the incredibly sad story last week -  a reader writes:

The church in the sloop where the horrible accident happened is now being checked out it looks like. 

I go past it everyday on my way to work. So sad!

The family has since filed a law suit:

Thirty-four-year-old Sara Bean was waiting to cross the street with her boyfriend Thursday in the 1900 block of South Michigan when a piece of stone gargoyle fell off Second Presbyterian Church.  

Her boyfriend filed the suit Monday, which seeks more than $100,000 in damages.

Our thoughts continue to go out to the family.  So sad.

(Hat tip:  AshMa!)

Condo Building Finally Moving Forward at 9th and State?

A reader writes:

I noticed today, after the Bears game, that the lot on the corner of 9th and State is now closed. Are they finally starting to build that 40 story apartment tower?

Another reader sent this picture:

As you may recall back in 2012 there were some announcements that a condo tower was going in at 9th and State.  It's pretty much been crickets since then, but it would appear something must be coming in here.

Curbed Chicago also had a post yesterday on this lot and provide some additional perspective:

We haven't heard anything conclusive, but it's hard to imagine they'd want to stop earning money from the parkers (many of which were city-owned vehicles) unless they were close to beginning construction. The most recent render of the project dates back to 2012, so what you see above might not be representative of what's actually coming, but so far the story hasn't changed that Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) is designing the 39-story, 396-unit luxury apartment building. As of 2012, about 250 parking spaces were to be included in that massive podium you see in the render. These days, overabundant parking spaces are going out of fashion, so that number may have shrunk to keep with the times.  

The empty lot currently is one of only two undeveloped parcels left on State Street north of Roosevelt, and once filled could go a long way toward improving the feeling of connectedness between the Loop and the South Loop. Hopefully there will be adequate retail at the ground level to improve the pedestrian experience as well. 

We shall see if this is really happening.  Seems like high-rises are back in vogue in the Sloop.

(Hat tip: BV and JS!)

Nike Pop Up Store at 9th and Wabash Having a Phase 2?

A reader writes:

Looks like they're bringing the nike pop up store on corner of wabash and 9th back for "phase 2". There were about 15 people sitting outside of it tonight and that's what one of them said.

If you recall there was a Nike pop up store that coincided with the World Basketball Festival back in August.

Maybe phase 2 will coincide with the star of the NBA season?

(Hat tip:  GR!)

Sloopin "Hat Tip" T-shirt Program Continues with New Shirt

A tip o' the hat
(US President Calvin Coolidge, 1924).

Back in 2013 we instituted our "Hat Tip program".  Good news is we're continuing with it and have a new t-shirt for all of your contributions.

So what is a hat tip (as defined by wikipedia)?

A hat tip is an act of tipping one's hat as a cultural expression of recognition, respect, gratitude, or simple salutation and acknowledgement between two persons.

If you're a fan of Sloopin, you've probably noticed a small "Hat Tip" note at the bottom of many of our posts.

The purpose of this has been to acknowledge the source of the post, story, write-up, picture or link that we've received.  If you've received one, we just wanted to say thanks!

We will continue our hat tip tradition, but we're stepping it up a bit.  If you're initials are in the first hat tip position, you will be eligible for a sweet new Sloopin "Hat Tip" t-shirt.

How it works:
1)  Send us something awesome at sloopin@gmail.com
2)  Read www.sloopin.com
3)  If you're initials are the first one in our hat tip, email us "I want my shirt!" - example of hat tip:

(Hat Tip:  ND, CS, DD!) 

4)  In the example, ND would be eligible for the t-shirt
5)  We will email you back confirming your t-shirt
6)  You go to Well Future Pharmacy (1442 S. Michigan) during business hours and pick up your shirt
7)  Wear it around the Sloop with pride!

If you would rather not submit content, but still want a rad shirt, you can also go to Well Future Pharmacy (1442 S. Michigan) and buy one for $15.

Now a little more about the shirts - they are Next Level - 60% combed cotton/40% polyester jersey with a tag that rips off.  We went for the comfy shirts this time.  The color of shirt is storm (greenish color).

Please note - t-shirt eligibility is for all "hat tips" moving forward starting today Monday, September 8th, 2014.

(Hat tip: KP!)

Shots From the Sloop: On Fire

These were taken from State and 14th Place during the fire in Little Village (a couple of weeks ago):

(Hat tip: Jeff Wagg!)

2014 Festival on Prairie Avenue Starts Today (9/6) at Noon

(Hat tip:  LP!)

Eater Chicago Tells You Where to Go in Chinatown

Go 4 Food (212 W 23RD ST) 

We love Chinatown, but agree it can be slightly overwhelming for the uninitiated.  Eater Chicago provides a nice overview of the best places to go if you're unsure (with a map):

The sights and smells of Chinatown can be both intoxicating and confusing to the uninitiated. Fortunately, Eater Chicago's Chinatown Map will show you all the best places to check out for your Chinese cravings. Whether you want to spice things up with Szechuan cuisine, have some midday dim sum or try delicacies like sea cucumber, the following places have what you need and do it well.

Woman Dies After Being Struck By Stone Gargoyle Outside Historic South Loop Church

Secon Presbyterian Church at 1936 S. Michigan (via DNAinfo)

A very sad story (DNAinfo):

In a freak accident, the head of a stone gargoyle fell from the steeple of a historic South Loop church Thursday afternoon, striking and killing a 34-year-old mother of two who was set to get married later this year, authorities said.  

Sarah Bean was walking to lunch with her fiancé at noon Thursday when the tragedy occurred. She was passing the 140-year-old Second Presbyterian Church at 1936 S. Michigan Ave. when the stone gargoyle hit her in the head, authorities said.

Thoughts and prayers to her family.

(Hat tip: AR and IS!)