New South Loop Mall Means Boom Times Again

In case you missed it another retail "mall" is coming to the Sloop (via DNAinfo):

A new boutique mall is slated to open next year in the South Loop, one that would compete directly with The Maxwell shopping center about a block away. 

There's no name yet for the four-story, 120,000-square-foot mall planned for the northeast corner of Taylor and Jefferson streets, said Jim Schutter, who's handling leasing for the property. But construction is expected to begin in March as the mall's developer eyes an opening in the spring 2017. 

Schutter, a senior managing director in the Chicago office of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, said no tenants have been signed yet for the project, but he's "close" to a lease with a furniture store and is also talking to restaurants, home goods stores and clothing shops. He thinks about 10 retailers would fit in the development, and plans also call for 209 parking spaces.

That's exciting - although we're curious to see what retailers they actually have in mind.  Seems like we're getting pretty saturated with retail, but maybe this is just the tipping point.  Should be interesting.

Beyond this news, we got a kick out of a post on Curbed Chicago that states:

Got us thinking about a similar sentiment from 2007 when Chicago Magazine wrote on their cover "South Loop Rising".

(Hat tip:  MK & EP!)