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A month after speculation over an Apple store at Block 37 was the center of a lawsuit filed by another Block 37 tenant, Apple itself announced the location for its newest Chicago store: North & Clybourn. The new store will go up on the site of an old gas station where North, Clybourn, and Halsted all intersect. According to Crain's:
Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, which has been mulling over the North Avenue location for about 18 months, has signed a long-term lease, paying top-dollar annual rent of about $700,000 just for the land, sources say. Apple would build a roughly 15,000-square-foot store, designed by the San Francisco office of architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, sources say. The firm designed Apple's "glass cube" store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and its 25,000-square-foot outlet at 679 N. Michigan Ave., which opened in 2003. Spokeswomen for Apple and Bohlin decline to comment.
Bill Smith, a principal developer with Chicago-based Smithfield Properties LLC, told Crain's the decision makes sense given the buying power of the North & Clybourn location over State St.: "The Loop is playing to a slightly lower socio-economic group than North and Clybourn. Look at the demographics of Lincoln Park." Ty Tabing, executive director of the Chicago Loop Alliance, begs to differ, saying, "The reality is that Block 37 offers up foot traffic that is around-the-clock, from workers and theater-goers and students to new residents. That's not available at North and Clybourn."
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As if that area wasn't overcrowded enough
That's slightly more accessible than the one downtown. At least you don't have to dodge American Doll moms just to get your macbook fixed.
"The Loop is playing to a slightly lower socio-economic group than North and Clybourn.
Macy's says "ahem..."
tabing speaks the truth. there are thousands and thousands of students living and schooling within blocks of 37. most with with their own macbooks, ipods and iphones. that alone should have been good reason to keep it on state street. then add thousands & thousands of regular workers and tourists who pass by that area every day.
i'd shop state street any day over the mess at north and clybourn.
They have been mulling this over for more than 18 months, why did it take so long? They demoed that site and had to site on it, its about time. Its a great spot, right off the red line. That area is a mess, only if you are stuck in a car/bus. Given the huge YMCA land purchase just to the south with a grocery store, more stores and 300+ residential units, Apply we will be sitting pretty.
They have been mulling this over for more than 18 months, why did it take so long? They demoed that site and had to site on it, its about time. Its a great spot, right off the red line. That area is a mess, only if you are stuck in a car/bus. Given the huge YMCA land purchase just to the south with a grocery store, more stores and 300+ residential units, Apply we will be sitting pretty.
Its a great spot, right off the red line. That area is a mess, only if you are stuck in a car/bus.
Which means it's a mess for everyone who doesn't live directly North or South of there and on the redline. Much easier for me personally to jump on the train to the loop than be stuck on the North Ave. bus.
as someone who uses PT, the north/clybourn location will be much easier to access by PT (for me) than the mich ave one ... whenever it gets built.
but i'm curious ... DOES the loop cater to a slightly lower socio-economic group? i've never thought i'd be able to live in/around the loop, yo. (i've never really wanted to, but still ... pretty pricey, no?)
Residentially, not so much. But from a retail standpoint, most definitely.
Look around: H&M, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, Macy's, Filene's Basement, Loehman's, Radio Shack. Not exactly catering to the Gold Coast.
BYW, my above comment was in reply to smussy's question:
Not sure how it ended up here.If ever there was a CLEAR EXAMPLE of how DEVELOPERs don't care about a Community-- they just care about maximizing profit, look at Smith's comments.
It's not about doing the RIGHT THING for neither the State Street nor Lincoln Park areas. And the developer certainly does not give a damn about what it does for Chicago. They are just about recession proofing their developments AT THE EXPENSE of the people in the North/Clybourn area AND, at the expense of people who could use a good computer store near the south side of Chicago.
Hey dumbass developer: just like WalMart learned that if you max out locations in suburbia, eventually your only remaining markets (where you can sell your goods) are among the middle class and people of color (i.e. non whites).
They had better build a garage on that site (too), or parking and congestion will reach epic [horrific] proportions. I hope the Zoning Dept requires a parking garage of some kind.
I HOPE YOU RESIDENTS AROUND NORTH & CLYBOURN FIGHT FOR A GARAGE ATTACHED TO THAT APPLE STORE. It will need one to keep congestion down and the quality of life up.
(And describing this area as "Lincoln Park" is stretching the neighborhood boundary, but is an obvious attempt to provide SNOB APPEAL.)
If ever there was a CLEAR EXAMPLE of how DEVELOPERs don't care about a Community-- they just care about maximizing profit, look at Smith's comments.
It's not about doing the RIGHT THING for neither the State Street nor Lincoln Park areas. And the developer certainly does not give a damn about what it does for Chicago. They are just about recession proofing their developments AT THE EXPENSE of the people in the North/Clybourn area AND, at the expense of people who could use a good computer store near the south side of Chicago.
Hey dumbass developer: just like WalMart learned that if you max out locations in suburbia, eventually your only remaining markets (where you can sell your goods) are among the middle class and people of color (i.e. non whites).
They had better build a garage on that site (too), or parking and congestion will reach epic [horrific] proportions. I hope the Zoning Dept requires a parking garage of some kind.
I HOPE YOU RESIDENTS AROUND NORTH & CLYBOURN FIGHT FOR A GARAGE ATTACHED TO THAT APPLE STORE. It will need one to keep congestion down and the quality of life up.
(And describing this area as "Lincoln Park" is stretching the neighborhood boundary, but is an obvious attempt to provide SNOB APPEAL.)
That area is the Heart of Darkness.
That's exactly what it is. Once you get over that new bridge it's all up in the air...4 stop lights in the span of 3 blocks, all manner of people and their shopping bags crossing wherever they want...it's insane. And that's right now, without the new shopping center going in where the YMCA was, or the new Whole Foods complex.
North/Clybourn is literally one of the worst areas in the city. They might as well put it in a mall in Schaumburg. No one walks there, the traffic is horrendous most of the time, and the only stores there are national chains that have no interest in the community.
Block 37 could have been a pretty cool location and would have been accessible to every business person and student in the city.