Saturday, April 28, 2012

Dream Come True? Apple Store at Roosevelt Collection?

Today we got a nice shout-out from Crain's Chicago Business blogger, Brigid Sweeney.  She picked up a post  that we did in early April about potential retail being leaked at Roosevelt Collection.

Well she has a rumor that many people will probably get really excited about:
North Ave Apple Store
In addition to nabbing quite the bargain, McCaffery Interests Inc. appears to be substantially bulking up the retail tenants. As South Loop blog Sloopin and the Chicago Journal reported earlier this month, a Roosevelt Collection brochure boasts an impressive list of retailers, including H&M and Lululemon. 
Now I'm hearing that two others — Apple and Akira — might be eying space there, too. 
Akira co-owner Eric Hsueh tells me that he likes the development but that it's too close to the chain's State Street and Block 37 locations. "But you never know...," he wrote in an e-mail. Mr. McCaffery didn't return calls for comment regarding the tenant list, and Apple holds its real estate plans famously close to its vest.

Apple Store?  Seems like a long shot...

(Hat tip: SB!)

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Overheard the same rumor about 8 weeks ago ... My money is on an apple store @ Roosevelt

Anonymous said...

what a crock

Anonymous said...

Would be AWESOME! Lots of college kids & young professionals in the area with money to spend on technology, PLUS parking! We can hope.

MarkChicago said...

Let's start small with literally ANY store or establishment besides the theater. Pray that it happens, but I don't see the Apple store needing to be much of a retail pioneer.

Anonymous said...

As a former Apple employee, I remember hearing rumblings of an Apple store at block 37 which ultimately fell through. A store at Roosevelt Collection would make perfect sense considering Chicago only has 2 metro stores in the north, downtown and now a 3rd location in the South Loop. I hope it happens, it would be a great thing for the neighborhood!

Anonymous said...

Wishful thinking. I'll believe it when I see it.

This is my real name said...

A beefy burrito from Chipotle after a run would be awesome. Put in a Chipotle already.

Anonymous said...

You mean the company that is the favorite of occupy Wall Street & Occupy Chicago dolts, goes beyond almost any corporation in avoiding paying taxes )http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/business/apples-tax-strategy-aims-at-low-tax-states-and-nations.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp), yet refuses to make minute changes in security and in encryption of new I-phone and I=pads that would make them worthless to steal?

I'd rather have Jesse Jackson and Drew Peterson as neighbors.

Anonymous said...

How many stores have opened thus far? Zero. How many signs have been hung on those vacant store fronts confirming any openings? Zero. How many stores has the actual developer confirmed? Zero. Please quit with all the unsupported speculation! I happen to know from experience that this is part of the reason why many other storefronts throughout the sloop remain vacant (e.g., a friend was going to open a clothing store this year on south michigan, but passed up the area in favor of ukrainian village when she "heard" that H&M and American Appearal were going to open at RC).

Anonymous said...

USA. USA. USA. Chant with me. USA USA. USA. Maaaaan

Napoleon Complex said...

Seems like a good location for apple to move into. Apple, some chain restaurants like olive garden, buffalo wild wings, maggianos etc. jamba juice, a real starbucks...You are building around the movie theater as the foundation. These kinds of places would all do well there. Saw reports of a sports authority even z galerie..I dont know about those.

Anonymous said...

Most of the proposed stores I could believe, but not this one. Apple is way too picky to choose RC when it can demand any location it wants.

Apple stores require great design and pedestrian traffic. RC provides neither of these.

Anonymous said...

If your friend bases her business decisions on what she "hears" from a blog, I wouldn't have high expectations for her business anyway. We might be better off... Sounds like she doesn't have great business sense. Wish her the best from all of us

Matt said...

Most developers will list retailers with whom they've reached tentative agreements in order to help other potential tenants understand the type of project they are building out. Your friend should know that nothing is a done deal until the tenants have actually moved in, whic by the way, the NEW developers have consistently said will happen in q3 or q4 this year. How many stores have opened so far? The correct answer is : the exact number the developers expected to have moved in by now.

You are misdirecting your frustration at this blog and if she was taking her plans for the business seriously, she should cconsider talking to the developers as opposed to running to another market before doing actual research.

Brianbobcat said...

There is NO truth to this rumor. None. If Apple had wanted another Chicago location, they had their pick at Block 37. They backed out of that, resulting in a lawsuit from Lululemon: http://www.ifoapplestore.com/db/2009/03/16/apple-pull-out-sparks-defection-lawsuit/

Anon 1:49 is right, Apple is very picky on spaces and doesn't do any developer charity locating there unless Apple wants it. Even then, most developers will bend over backwards for an Apple store because of the clientele the stores bring in. There's NO reason for Apple to go in here rather than on the more prestigious State Street. After they dropped out of Block 37, most likely because of the uncertainty surrounding the developer, I really thought they would locate elsewhere on State Street. When the Loehmanns when out, I thought they'd locate there. When that didn't materialize, the forthcoming DSW spot seemed like a good fit for them. There's not really any spaces along State right now that fit Apple's likes (large windows, open floorplan, etc.) and while those likes are available at R.C., I still don't see them locating there.

Ryan Donovan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ryan Donovan said...

I think this is the idle location to put up this store since it's close to everyone including students and employees. It will definitely attract a lot of customers, and it has a good chance to be a successful business strategy in putting up a store there.

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Stew said...

Did you mean "ideal" Ryan Donovan? I think they still have to subscribe and get posted on free shopping center directory online to have greater market share.