CHICAGO | 108 North State (Block 37)

[Rizzo]

Why the heck did they do those huge light monitors on the parapet If they were going to have a roof garden

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Andy’s Frozen Custard, which has had a store in the pedway nearly two years, said it is closing Saturday, a day after company President Andy Kuntz promises to show up to dish out complimentary custard as a send-off.

Kuntz said “traffic was just not where it needed to be” for the Block 37 store. He said the chain’s other locations in Evanston, Bolingbrook and Oak Lawn are doing fine.

Meh, not such a big deal; I think Andy's was extremely mediocre and ice cream generally is just not as big a deal in Chicago as it is in places like Ohio (Graeter's) or Wisconsin (Kopp's), maybe because gelato and froyo have successfully nabbed a lot of the potential market. Plus, people-watching (and sitting around in front of the store for a short while in light banter with your friends) is a key part of the ice cream ritual, and their B37 space wasn't the best for those. Also, on hot days, the ice cream appetite is necessarily going to lessen as you spend several minutes making your way down to the lower level of an air-conditioned mall.

[ardecila]

Even Ohio and Wisconsin have froyo now, and ice cream is certainly popular in other areas of the city. I think the locational factors are more relevant... who's gonna take a concrete on the Blue Line? Beard Papa's seems to attract a certain clientele of Asians who seek out the place, and Starburst is always empty when I walk by.

I think a bakery would work pretty well down there - sorta like a Panera, but quicker and without all the seating or complex sandwiches. I remember these guys were all over the underground spaces in Vienna. Le Pain Quotidien comes close, but the pretentiousness is so thick you could cut it with a knife - I doubt they'd be interested in a basement, and they haven't reached Chicago anyhow. Maybe a Corner Bakery?

[bnk]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,1872774.story

Could Block 37 get a blues museum?

12:37 PM CDT, July 13, 2012


From Crain's Chicago Business: Block 37, what with its shopping center vacancy rate and troubled history, has long had the blues. This time, though, it may get them in a good way. A couple of executives want to open a blues museum and nightclub on the site, according to anonymous sources. For the full story: chicagobusiness.com

[SamInTheLoop]

Article in Crains today about a ridiculous (and downright goofy) plan by a couple of yahoos to launch some type of Blues "experience" at block 37 as a de facto anchor. Most publicized ideas over the last many years for Block 37 have actually been pretty good - it's the execution that has been terrible (for many reasons). This one is actually the exception - it's a hilariously bad idea, and would be a guaranteed epic fail from the word "go"....hopefully the new landlord is laughing this one off as well they should!!


^ (just beat me to it, bnk!)

[the urban politician]

^ Gotta agree.

I think the Blues Museum is a terrible idea, like all "Blues-themed" things they try to concoct for this city.

Just build the damn movie theater that everybody keeps asking for!

[Vlajos]

I agree about the "Blues Museum", sounds like automatic fail.

Who goes to movies these days? I don't think that will last either.

[ardecila]

Well... Jazz at Lincoln Center has been very successful, even if some purists don't like how slick it is. Of course, they were a strong organization before their space was built in Time Warner Center - the Chicago project is trying to create an organization from scratch to fit the Block 37 space.

I was hoping for the Motor Row area to become the musical destination, but it could actually end up being a carbon copy of Beale Street, which doesn't serve our city very well. The blues came to Chicago and got transformed as it encountered an industrial society with modern technology - it got electrified and picked up a whole new swagger.

From a branding perspective, I think it could work really well if it doesn't try to imitate the world of smoky blues bars and juke joints but pushes for something new and contemporary.

[intrepidDesign]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Gotta agree.

I think the Blues Museum is a terrible idea, like all "Blues-themed" things they try to concoct for this city.

Just build the damn movie theater that everybody keeps asking for!

Amen. I've always thought a Village Roadshow/Gold Class Cinema would fit nicely into the space as opposed to some derivative of a 20 screen megaplex. It's a drinks/dinner/movie destination all in one and as far as I know, there are no downtown locations. These hokey ideas for Block 37 are beyond frustrating and doomed to fail. I wish they would just keep it simple.

[ChiPhi]

I side more with ardecila on this one. A jazz museum or some Disney set of an old jazz joint prObably won't do well, but some nightlife (contemporary with a jazz twist) could steal from the lines at the eit's roof pretty well and add some real vitality to the loop.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I agree about the "Blues Museum", sounds like automatic fail.

Who goes to movies these days? I don't think that will last either.

A lot of folks. Movie theaters aren't going anywhere, at least not for a long time. Not a real growth industry by any means (total revenue pretty flat in recent years, in real terms), but for well-located, state-of-the-art theaters that offer a real experience, there's some pretty significant, sustainable demand. For commodity-type (or worse, outdated) cineplexes in areas with middling demographics, prospects are farily dim indeed.

I'm not sure if many people realize to what extent downtown Chicago (and the entire city for that matter) lack movie theaters relative to the underlying demand, and the city has been undersupplied for decades. It's a real shortage, and to my surprise it's only been addressed very gradually over the years. Greater downtown could definitely support another 4-5 movie theaters with an average of 12-15 screens each. Probably a similar number, or even a little more for the rest of the city.

The new (well now probably going on 3 years old) theater on Roosevelt in the South Loop quickly reached some of the highest productivity numbers of theaters nationwide. Think about this for a moment. Since it opened, it has sat at the very end (furthest from the road) of a shopping center that has otherwise been 100% vacant from that point. And yet it produces massive numbers. This speaks direclty to the peculiar and severe supply/demand mismatch of movie theater screens in Chicago.

And no, better home theater systems and greater movie availability in the home won't change this. It will be important, however, for the new theaters that are added downtown and throughout the city over the coming decade, to employ the very latest in technology (and for the industry to continue to push that envelope), and for that matter, for the existing theaters to periodically refit with newer technology.....

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

Amen. I've always thought a Village Roadshow/Gold Class Cinema would fit nicely into the space as opposed to some derivative of a 20 screen megaplex. It's a drinks/dinner/movie destination all in one and as far as I know, there are no downtown locations. These hokey ideas for Block 37 are beyond frustrating and doomed to fail. I wish they would just keep it simple.

Couldn't agree more. I've long thought about the potential for Gold Class at Block 37. Would be a great fit. Also, something along the lines of the Century Theaters multiplex in downtown Evanston would work quite well. Think about it - how ridiculous is it that there's a movie theater in the heart of downtown Evanston but there isn't (Siskel is phenominal of course, but doesn't count here, as it's very small, and very niche) in the heart of downtown Chicago (in the Loop).

Also, you're exactly right - we don't need these big outside the box dreams for Block 37, and we never have. That type of thinking and effort serves mainly as distraction. We do need something serves these various workaday needs (apparel and accessories, other specialty retail, entertainment, dining, some convenience) for which there is demand for in the Loop that is not currently being satisfied by existing suppy. The opportunities are clear, large and waiting to be satisfied. And it all needs to be sufficiently upscale - and by that I mean not value-oriented. To that end, I was a little disappointed that Old Navy is going in the old Borders space right across Randolph from Block 37 (I think the owner could have done better there for the street), but at least it's a vacancy that's being filled quickly.

Above all, most importantly is that the city needs to not be involved any more with Block 37 (accept for administrative things, like enforcing any tenancy requirements that are already in place, or any additional approvals that would be needed for the future residential/hotel phases). The city has been a clear net negative 'partner' in the history of the block when it's tried to shape the 'vision', or the retail/entertainment concepts involved. It should really stay out of it from here on out, and I think it will, as it really doesn't have a defined legal role in the existing building in this regard, ie it can't arm-twist to try to force some goofy concept into the shopping center, such as this Blues Schlock.....

[ardecila]

I agree on the need for movie theaters within the city, but I'd prefer ones in the neighborhoods that are located near rail and provide an alternative/extra depth to the bar & restaurant scene. Right now, the megaplexes outside of downtown tend to be in marginal areas... AMC City North? Galewood? Etc.

I'd love to see that awful strip mall at Belmont/Kimball redeveloped into a mixed-use area with a movie theater and a CityTarget.

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3388826.story

Alternatives Shoes the latest closure in Block 37
By Corilyn Shropshire August 1, 2012

Alternatives Shoes has closed its outpost in Block 37, making it the third business to shutter in the troubled State Street shopping center in two months.

In June, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Andy’s Custard closed their Block 37 outlets, both cited low foot traffic in the mall’s lower-level pedway which leads to the CTA’s Blue and Red line trains.

[Rizzo]

Au Bon Pain and Which Wich are always swamped with patrons during lunch. Sometimes the lines extend out into the concourse. I hope they can continue to build an A-list roster though I still cite some design factors into the mall's poor performance.

[ardecila]

Yea as I mentioned above, quick joints to grab breakfast or lunch could do well down there.

Sucks about Alternatives... They had some nice stuff.

[SamInTheLoop]

^^^ I think (hope?) CIM Group realizes that they don't have the luxury of time with their comprehensive asset repositioning/merchandising plan that they are currently working toward launching. The dynamic of Roosevelt Collection isn't there, in which the new owners could take their time, around a year (from the time McCaffery closed on its purchase of the distressed center in that case) before really making obivous, substantial visible progress. In that case, there was only one existing tenant, and that happened to be very unique in that it was a very successful, anchor tenant, that (though undoubtedly hardly happy that it has taken so incredibly long to be joined by any additional tenants!) can be considered quite stable and secure. Clearly, Block 37 is much different. Frankly I'm surprised it's taken this long for the smattering of early existing tenants to begin to close up shop. This is a critically ill center, and it's about to go on life support. CIM needs to move with an acute sense of urgency, with bold plans. While I don't disagree that the design may not be ideal (hopefully CIM's new signage strategy will be successful in addressing some/most of these issues), the overwhelming problem is simple: low traffic because three-quarters of the center is empty! CIM needs to get real traffic drivers signed on (and open) for the 4th and 3rd floors most importantly, and formal restaurants (such as for the space where Rosa Mexicano was originally planned) - and soon! Time is of the essence, and they need to be prepared to quickly invest major capital (this is where buying the project for only $80-85 million comes in handy!) in this repositioning and fast-track tenant build-outs.

[J_M_Tungsten]

What block 37 needed, IMO, was a taller commercial or residential tower, with lower floor retail. I would say something similar to "Aura" in Toronto. Another boring mall with no people around other than tourist, was doomed to flop. Yet another fail in block 37's shit history..

[xXSkyscraperDudeXx]

Sorry to interrupt your conversation, But could anyone tell what's this Block 37?

[ChiPhi]

The wikipedia pretty much covers it...