South Loop Mariano's Robbery Goes Bad

A bunch of people have sent us this story, so figured it was worth sharing (via NBC5):

A man crashed a newer model Jaguar after robbing a Mariano's Fresh Market store in Chicago's South Loop on Tuesday night, police said. A 20-year-old man now in custody posed as a nightshift crew worker and attempted to steal money from cash registers, police said.

Another employee of the store recognized the suspected robber from another robbery that occurred at a different Mariano’s store and began chasing after him.

The suspect ran out of the store and jumped into a Jaguar, only to crash it into a building across the store’s parking lot, at 1601 S. Federal St., police said. He then exited the vehicle but was soon tackled by the store employee. That employee who held the suspect down until officers arrived.

Nothing like a live rendition of "COPS" to go with your grocery shopping!

(Hat tip:  AL & NKD!)

Construction Resumes at 1345 S. Wabash Highrise

Excavator at Digs at 1345 S. Wabash (via YoChicago)

In case you missed it, construction on the 15 story 1345 S. Wabash high-rise is resuming (via YoChicago):

A Komatsu hydraulic excavator, a team of surveyors and a supervisory crew from Lend Lease were on-site at 1345 S Wabash in the South Loop yesterday, preparing for the construction of a 15-story high-rise condo building.  

1345 Wabash will be the first new high-rise condo built in Chicago in years, and it’s likely to come out of the ground quickly. There were foundation pilings for a previous development on the site. A representative of Lend Lease, the general contractor, reported that 58 additional pilings will be driven over a time span of about a week.

This is the first tower of what presumably will be two towers (however it appears that they won't be building 1333 S. Wabash simultaneously).

According to the developers website the condos will be delivered in early 2015.  So expect an aggressive buildout.

We also posted about a retail buildout at 1620 S. Michigan, but it appears that this is actually the sales office for the 1345 S. Wabash condo building.

(Hat tip: JC!)

South Loop is White Sox Country...Sort of

Via a cool interactive New York Times mappy-thingy:

Vice Brewing District (1454 S. Michigan) Shooting for July Opening

Looks like Vice District Brewing is moving along swiftly (via Crain's):

Construction on Vice District Brewing Co. is set to start in early May as equipment begins to show up at the South Loop spot.  

The seven-barrel microbrewery, near 14th Street and South Michigan Avenue, is among the latest to spring up around the Chicago area. Owners Curtis Tarver and Quintin Cole want to have the spot open by July.

July seems aggressive to us (given your typical business opening issues), but hopefully they do.

Also some other news in the article:

Vice District Brewing is strictly a taproom; it will not serve food. The owners are applying for a license that will allow it to sell growlers on site.  

The 2,200-square-foot spot is small scale, doing about 500 to 600 barrels a year, Mr. Cole said. (Each barrel holds 31 gallons.) By comparison, Lagunitas' Chicago brewery will produce 200,000 barrels annually.

Looking forward to this one!

(Hat tip:  KM!)

Noodles & Company Coming to The Maxwell in June

Looks like Noodles & Company will be adding a location at the rapidly progressing The Maxwell (Canal & Taylor):

This has been added to the business counter as well.

(Hat tip: JH!)

Shots Around the Sloop: Balls of Light

(Hat tip: CM!)

Recently on the Sloopin Message Board...

It's been awhile since we've done a "recently on the Sloopin message board" post, so figured why not.  Here are a smattering of some of the good questions/topics/debates recently:

• Concrete planters at southwest corner of 18th and Clark by Don't Litter
• 10 classes at Tejas Yoga in exchange for helping trainees by friendsoftejas
• TV Pilot on 16th and State by JeffWagg
• Dog Park on Wabash by mattm
• 1340 S. Michigan - Old Courthouse - Residence? by ssoehlig
• National Teachers Academy (NTA) - CPS South of 18th by South Loop Mom
• We knead a bakery by SLoop-a-loop
• Dog Poop. by Paul Kersey
• Whats up with the ropes on michigan ave by dcantboner
• State St. Sidewalk - just south of Jewel - CTA owned building by Emhagge
• Condos to be built over railroad tracks? by chicagogo
• Furniture Refinishing by cmc
• Swimming Pools by FarSouthLoop

Shots Around the Sloop: Phillip Phillips - Raging Fire: On Location in the Sloop and Pilsen

A reader writes:

You should post a link to this great video filmed in the south loop and pilsen:

We're not a huge fan of Phillip Phillips, but he's fine in a poor man's Dave Mathews type of way (does anyone see this?).

What we are a fan of is Outkast and here's our chance to get hyped for their impending Lolla throw down:


(Hat tip: JSW!)

2036 S. Michigan Office Building to Become Residential and Retail Space

A reader writes:

Here is the detail on a new building permit just issued for 2036 S Michigan! Exciting that the south end of our hood is getting some much needed development as well!

Here is a picture of the building from Google Maps:

(Hat tip:  TE!)

Deals at Recently Opened Bentley's Corner Barkery

Bentley's Corner Barkery just opened at Roosevelt Collection and they're doing some good stuff:

We just opened our 5th Bentley's location in the Roosevelt Collection! We are thrilled to be in the South Loop and we've already met so many great people and their dogs. We'd like to offer your readers 10% off any purchase from now through the end of April. Here's some more info about us:  Bentley’s Corner Barkery Now Open in the South Loop!

And we have a Grand Opening Sale and Celebration coming up on Saturday and Sunday, April 26th and 27th. On Saturday we'll have Project Rescue Chicago here with adoptable dogs. A portion of all of our sales of Stella and Chewy's will benefit them this month (also, Callen, our official store greeter for our South Loop location, was adopted from them over 3 years ago:)  https://www.facebook.com/events/542611252519245/

Readers can mention "SLOOP" or we can scan the code:

(Spring) Cleaning Up the May or May Not Open Sloopin Business Counter

The Sloopin Business Counter is one of our favorite things.  It gives us a good way to quantify trends in the neighborhood.  Maybe it's not scientific, but in our eyes it's helpful.

Anyway, we've been doing it for a couple of years now and there are a couple businesses that either are still working out the kinks or simply have called it quits.  We don't have firm intelligence on all of them, so figured we would pose the question to you - do you have any updates on some of these lingering retail projects?

Inside Broad Shoulders Brewery
(via their Facebook Page)

Here are some of the lingering projects and some of the rumors we've been hearing:

• Broad Shoulders Brewery (2337 S. Michigan)

One of the most anticipated projects in the Sloop, but it's been taking a long long time.  However, looking at their facebook page it still looks they're still moving forward.  Chance of opening?  We're still optimistic

• Cheap Trick Chicago (2245 S. Michigan)

In march of 2013 this deal apparently fell through.  It wasn't clear if the deal for the building fell through or the concept in total.  We're assuming the former, but also heard rumors that it might not be dead.  Chance of opening?  Unlikely

• Yard House (150 W. Roosevelt Rd)

Back in 2012 it was leaked on the Yard House website that they would be opening at RC.  It's been awhile and we haven't heard anything.  The Roosevelt Collection team is also pretty good about updating everyone on retail news, so the fact that we haven't heard a peep makes us think this is dead.  Change of opening?  Not happening - removing from list

• Blackfin American Grille (150 W Roosevelt)

During the initial wave of retail announcements at Roosevelt Collection, Blackfinn was included as a new tennant.  This was back in November of 2012.  Given that we haven't heard anything else about this and that BlackFinn opened in River North - our doubts are high.  Change of opening?  Not happening - removing from list

• Pink Olive Wine and Liquor Store (80 E. Cermak)

Haven't heard much about this, but they were talking about opening over a year ago.  It's also interesting that McCormick Market recently opened in the same retail building.    Chance of opening?  Unlikely

• Pretty Donkey Coffee (77 E. Cermak)

We had questions when we saw their website, but gave them the benefit of the doubt.  While signage is up, it's been awhile since we've seen anything new happening at this place.  Chance of opening?  We're still optimistic

• FruVe (1130 S. Wabash)

One of the more interesting projects we were excited about, has seemed to stall.  It hasn't been a year yet, but usually a Juice bar doesn't take that long to build-out (despite that they were going to be the "world most complete juice bar" - whatever that means).  However, signage is still up, which is encouraging.  Chance of opening?  We're still optimistic

• TBD - Burger Restaurant (NW corner of Roosevelt & Michigan)

A super high-profile Sloop retail space was finally going to be snatched up by a relatively sexy restaurant, Burger Bar.  Or maybe not?!?!?!  Seemed like we had a lot of people confirming this, but maybe it fell through.  To this date there has been zero activity inside the proposed retail space at the Northwest corner of Roosevelt and Michigan.  Chance of opening?  Unlikely

What do you think?  Is our assessment off?  Have you heard otherwise?

Big Roosevelt Collection Retail News: Lululemon, The Container Store and Banana Republic Coming to the Sloop

Lululemon storefront

2014 has been humming a long from a retail standpoint.  Nothing major has happened this year (IMO), but big news has just emerged about three prominent national retailers coming to the neighborhood (via Chicago Real Estate Daily):

A trio of national retailers — Banana Republic, Lululemon and Container Store — are moving into the Roosevelt Collection shopping center in the South Loop, a big casualty of the real estate crash that is steadily filling up. 

Totaling 37,000 square feet, the new leases will bring the 330,000-square-foot retail development's occupancy to 79 percent, up from just 23 percent when Chicago-based McCaffery Interests Inc. and a partner bought it three years ago.

While we've heard rumblings of the Container Store seeking construction bids recently, it's good to get confirmation on Banana Republic and Lululemon.

Lululemon has long been rumored and hinted at based on marketing collateral that was floating around on the interwebs way back in early 2012.  We even heard stories of leasing agents at Roosevelt Collection not so subtly stating that a popular "fruit" yoga/athletic retailer would be opening up shortly.  Looks like it took some time for the ink to dry, but glad to see this coming to fruition.

The small article in Chicago Real Estate Daily also had some other intriguing tidbits and quotes:

• Container Store Group Inc. is the Roosevelt Collection's biggest new tenant, with a lease for more than 26,000 square feet, according to a recent McCaffery leasing document. Apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. leased more than 2,900 square feet there, the document shows. 
  A McCaffery spokeswoman also confirmed that Banana Republic, a unit of San Francisco-based Gap Inc., leased 7,500 square feet in the shopping center at 150 W. Roosevelt Road, west of Clark Street. She declined to confirm the names of the other new tenants or discuss their leases.  
  Sloopin thoughts: so you're telling us there are more stores?  
• The leasing activity should attract other national tenants that may not immediately think of the South Loop as a retail destination, said John Vance, a vice president at Chicago-based Stone Real Estate Corp. who wasn't involved in the deals. Sloopin thoughts: It feels like we're already seeing this with The Maxwell development and a lot of other interest and activity west of the Chicago River on Roosevelt.   
• Meanwhile, the McCaffery leasing document shows the company wants to build a 355-unit apartment tower on the northwest corner of the property. Further details about the new residential building were unavailable. The property currently includes 342 apartments.Sloopin thoughts: This isn't new news, but sounds like they're looking to move quicker than we expected.

Seems like some good momentum and seems like a good mix of national and local retailers at Roosevelt Collection.  What do you think?  Is this a good thing?

(Hat tip:  JJ, KM, AR, KW!)

An Update on the Northerly Island Transformation

A reader writes:

I emailed the Park District to get an update on the schedule, and they replied:

Thanks for contacting us regarding Northerly Island!

Our planning department is projecting that the strolling path will be available this summer in June/early July. Visitors will be able to walk along the path; there may be large areas of the land space that remain unavailable to walk on because we're doing plantings in the natural areas.

We look forward to seeing you here this summer!

A)  Nice of them to respond and B) Glad to see parts of this will be accessible soon!

For background the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers broke grown to develop the southern 40 acres of Northerly Island, thanks to a $2.8 million federal grant and $1.5 million in Park District revenues generated by the concert venue at Northerly Island.

Last year, the "new" concert venue was up and running and ran into some consumer backlash given weather and lack of time.

This all could eventually pave way for grander and more dramatic (and costly) changes to the infamous "island".

(Hat tip:  JMK!)

FYI: PDNA Presentation from April 14th Meeting

In case you missed the Prairie District Neighborhood Association meeting on April 14th, here is a detailed deck for you to peruse through.  Has a lot of interesting information and if any of the following topics seem interesting, we highly suggest opening the presentation at this link:

(Hat tip: AL!)