Metro Asset Management has signed Starbucks as a tenant for one of the ground-floor retail spaces at Vis Vitae, a 48-unit condo project at the southwest corner of Clark Street and Leland Avenue, according to Nadine Ferrata, of Coldwell Banker, which is marketing the project.
We knew development was pushing into the gritty stretch of Clark some call wholesalers’ row, well-worn storefronts from about 4400 to 4700 north, most of them hawking clothing imports and handbags. Developments such as Rainbo Village and Chase Park Commons have given the area, near the border between Ravenswood and Uptown, a yuppified polish it didn’t have before. The coming of Starbucks, though, makes the neighborhood’s upswing seem official.
And Ferrata says Metro Asset Management, which will own and manage the commercial spaces, is seeking franchise businesses for the other retail spots. An ideal candidate would be Jamba Juice, she says. The developer will likely avoid larger food establishments. “No cooking exhaust, no bars,” she says.
Vis Vitae (a Web site will launch within several weeks at VisVitaecondo.com, Ferrata says) is a four-story brick elevator building designed by Laszlo Simovic Architects. Condos will have two or three bedrooms and two baths and range from about 1,200 to 1,800 square feet. Prices range from $359,900 to $499,900, and underground parking is $29,000. Nine units have sold so far, Ferrata says.
Ferrata took over the marketing from @properties several months ago, she says. Back then it was called Clarkview. “I renamed it,” she says. “We actually just tweaked the whole thing from A to Z.” The major changes were to the kitchen layouts and finishes, she says.
Construction is underway, and deliveries are slated for a year from now.
Is this development on the site of Carol’s Pub? While I’ve never been to Carol’s I’ve been aware of it’s existence for a long time. The bar has been the home to weekend country bands and karaoke. I remember being told that it was a rough place where violent bar fights would break out. Anyone else familiar with Carol’s?
Galewood,
Vis Vitae is across the street from Carol’s – Carol’s is on the southeast corner of Clark and Leland. I’ve been there many (too many?) times. My impression is that it’s a lot less rough than it used to be – it’s mostly hipsters in there these days.
The only fights I know there are over a p’erty young thing to two-step with…Yahhhh Hooooo!
I can’t stand this development. I am offended by the front parking lot. I utterly hate it and I hope it forecloses
UP,
it has commercial space. Seems to me it needs to have some parking up front. From the rendering it seems the parking for the condos will be accessed from the back.
Not a bad compromise.
Irish Pirate, thousands of condos with ground-level shops have been built in Chicago recently without any front parking. By saying “it has commercial space, thus it NEEDS to have parking up front” completely perplexes me.
It’s a horrible compromise. I’m not saying don’t have any parking (although some of Chicago’s most successful retail districts have nothing but street parking, how about them apples?) but don’t put them between the pedestrian and the store.
I’m with the urban politician (largely) on this one.
Parking in front usually just rapes the urban fabric. and draws a different type of street-level usage.
The only thing that takes some of the sting out of this is that there’s no real possibility of a viable retail district on this stretch of Clark St, so this won’t be as damaging as it might be elsewhere.
I sorta agree with both of you.
That stretch of Clark is not going to be Southport.
Now on Southport or a similar “walkable” street I would detest that building. Even on Clark it strikes me as rather “suburban” looking.
That being said right there are no “sidestreets” there for people to park on. At least on the west side of the street.
It will likely draw the type of commercial where people drive in and out with rapid turnover. Maybe a Kwikee Mart to celebrate the Simpsons movie.
I generally loath the suburban type strip malls with no residential above. Near me there are several. SW Corner of Montrose and Clark is a perfect example. Blech!
Another larger montrosity is across from the Uptown Post office on the 4900 block of Broadway. Horrible waste of residential above commercial potential.
Realistically, there has to be some places in the city with parking out front of retail. I prefer it like that with residential above than just the retail.
In a perfect city we would have a world class public transportation system and people would walk and bike. This ain’t the Netherlands
I wish it was. Plus I dig 5’10” blonde women. Don’t ask whether they “dig” me.
I wouldn’t totally write off this stretch of Clark Street. It already has changed dramatically, and it’s only a matter of time until the wholesalers are gone. More projects like this will replace them, and Starbucks – for better or worse – is a major green light for condo buyers and small retailers.
“Retail district” sounds ambitious, but a healthy smattering of small shops and a few restaurants aren’t out of the question. Wilson Avenue west of Broadway hasn’t exactly turned into Oak Street, but it certainly has turned a corner. So has Clark Street just to the north, where Andersonville has pushed south of Foster, but up there, a giant utility facility, a cemetery and other necessary obstructions will arrest development.
I’m wary of endorsing locations, but my guess is that anyone who buys on these blocks in this down market will probably see a nice return as the pocket comes around.
A Starbucks at this site is alomost too great to believe – time to bulldoze the wretched scum stores that comprise the rest of Clark there.
We shouldn’t allow and front parking lots anywhere in Chicago… Not even on Western or Ashland. We need to start REPAIRING the urban fabric, not denegrating it further.