The aging Clybourn Place shopping center at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave is on its way out, with owner CRM Properties moving toward demolishing most of the site to make room for a new retail-focused complex dubbed the Willow Street District. The overhaul is pitched as a transformation from a car-heavy center into a walkable retail boulevard with plazas, outdoor dining, space for community events and, in a later phase, a sizable apartment tower.
What CRM Is Proposing
CRM’s concept would refashion the roughly three-acre property with a network of storefronts, structured parking and pedestrian walkways. Early plans call for about 70,875 square feet of retail space, roughly 447 parking spaces and a potential residential tower that could include up to 500 apartments, according to CoStar.
Retail Opportunities And Leasing
Marketing materials show the new retail footprint sliced into a mix of junior-box and small-shop spaces, with individual storefronts topping out around 9,500 square feet and roughly 43,900 square feet currently available, according to Crexi. The leasing squad on the deal features Todd Siegel, Phillip Golding and Kimberly Wiskup, who recently joined Savills’ new U.S. retail advisory platform, as announced by Savills.
Site History And Design
The site has industrial roots, first housing the William D. Gibson Co. spring plant, then a Turtle Wax factory. CRM plans to keep two decorative masonry towers from that era and add a third, newly built tower to echo the originals as part of the retail block. Design renderings show brick and glass storefronts framing a central boulevard intended for outdoor dining and rotating art installations, as reported by Urbanize Chicago.
Permits, Zoning And Community Review
The project is still in its early innings. Any residential tower on the site would require a zoning change, and CRM has already held at least one meeting with the city’s Department of Planning and Development as the proposal moves through the review pipeline. A spokesperson for Ald. Brian Hopkins’ office said the alderman has been briefed on the plans and anticipates a community review process, according to Block Club Chicago.
Where It Fits In The Neighborhood
If it moves forward, the Willow Street District would slot into a quickly changing Clybourn corridor, joining a cluster of recent and proposed residential towers in the area and around nearby Lincoln Yards, as developers look to stitch housing and retail together. CRM says it intends to build out the retail first, then return to the city later for approvals on the residential portion, a staggered approach that local development watchers have flagged, according to Chicago YIMBY.
Next Steps
How fast the site shifts from old strip center to new district will come down to permits, demolition timelines and retail lease signings. CRM has said it wants to complete the retail phase first and will pursue approvals for the residential tower afterward, and, as of the latest reporting, no retail leases have been finalized, per CoStar. CRM’s property page and the broker listings outline current availabilities and points of contact for prospective tenants, and nearby residents can keep an eye on permit filings and announcements from the alderman’s office for word on upcoming public review meetings.
