We hear that as at least one development company is trying to convince West Loopers to allow higher-density development in their neighborhood by telling them that it will help attract more big-box retailers and convenience retail to the area.
The first big high-rise to be built in the West Loop was Skybridge, 1 N Halsted St, which provided a much-needed Dominick’s supermarket on its ground floor.
Developer Terrapin Properties hasn’t formally announced any plans for a high-rise in the West Loop, but a spokesman for the company told Yo that Terrapin, which has already built three mid-rises in the neighborhood, may need to increase densities at future development sites in order to give the community the kind of retail that it needs.
Terrapin’s first couple of mid-rise developments (1001 W Madison and 909 Washington) have brought a Starbucks, a Blockbuster Video, a Dunkin’ Donuts, a Chase Bank and a dry cleaner to the West Loop.
The company’s marketing manager Jon Hardin tells Yo that if developers build higher-density projects, the neighborhood will attract the likes of Target, Home Depot and Lowes.
But Eric Sedler, who heads the West Loop Community Organization, isn’t buying it. He thinks most West Loopers want to keep their neighborhood predominantly mid-rise and free of too many large chain stores, although he believes that residents would welcome a Borders or a Barnes and Noble. Sedler believes that for the most part, West Loopers are happy to drive to the Clybourn corridor or the planned big-box hub on Roosevelt Road when they need to shop at larger stores.
“In their heart of hearts, people would like to see the kind of retail that’s on Damen Avenue in Bucktown,” Sedler tells Yo. “The top criterion is day-to-day retail that makes the West Loop a more pedestrian-friendly neighborhood.”