Skip to Content

Apple will spend $4 million to renovate Chicago's North/Halsted triangle

by Mike Schramm Oct 27th 2009 at 10:30AM

Technically, I've now moved away from Chicago and am living in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean I'm not still following the brand new Apple store being built at the intersection of North and Halsted in Chicago -- not only is that my old stomping grounds (I used to be a manager at that Borders), but hearing about and seeing the old place makes me a little nostalgic for that toddlin' town I left only a month and a half or so ago. And there's good news for Chicagoans just south of that Clybourne Corridor neighborhood. Apple will be spending a cool $4 million to redevelop the entire triangle, including that dirty old Red Line station sitting there as well (you can't tell, but the pic above is the old gas station that used to be there, with the train station in the background.

In exchange (c'mon, this is Chicago, you didn't think they'd be doing it for free, did you?), Apple gets first naming rights for the station ("iStop" jumps to mind), as well as the chance at advertising in there for 10 years to come, with four more five-year options. But even with those conditions, this is actually great news for that whole area -- it's been on the cusp of getting really busy (it's just a city block north of the old derelict Cabrini Green neighborhood) for a while now, and an Apple store with a brand new El stop certainly won't hurt. I'll have to make sure and take a trip back -- they're saying the triangular store could be open as soon as Fall 2010. There's an excellent Italian place just under the Brown line track across from the Steppenwolf just north on Halsted, too. Ah, memories.


View Tags

Related Stories

Categories

Analysis / Opinion Retail Odds and ends Deals

Technically, I've now moved away from Chicago and am living in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean I'm not still following the brand new...
 

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

20 Comments

Filter by:
Zach S

This'll be cool- good place for an Apple store, as the area surrounding the station has become kind of an upscale shopping hotspot (I've only been there for Best Buy, and Circuit City before they shut down, but hey!). That El stop really is pretty shabby, and it'll be good to see it renovated. Only thing is- they'll probably have to shut the station down for a bit while they work on it which SUCKS majorly.

October 27 2009 at 10:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
oriste

I think "Infinite Loop" would be an awesome name for that station. ;-)

October 27 2009 at 6:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
haseebo

Yes, it's the triangular slice between Halsted, Clyborn and North Ave. Yes, it's sorta close to Cabrini but don't let that fool you -- it's a safe little intersection in the middle of one of the near North Side's most popular/crowded retail areas.

October 27 2009 at 4:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
now4real954

well from what I know about Chicago...isn't Halsted where all the gay bars and establishments are...

and if I am correct which I know to be true...gays ADORE macs...I know I do

hehe...so if I am correct on my first part of my comment...then it's a perfect place to build an apple store...

gotta love it

October 27 2009 at 4:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pjones

Just drove past the construction site a couple nights ago (en route to grab some Goose Island brew), and it still has a long way to go. Having an Apple store right by a train station will be great! Glad they're fixing up the Red Line station, though. It needs it. And @t68usa, indeed this is not a bad neighborhood. The rich folks around Cabrini Green were the supporters of the massive drug problems and thus financial supporters of gang activity... so that's where the bad rap comes from. But yes, those days have passed. And the traffic is quite busy there during rush periods.

October 27 2009 at 3:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nick

"Clybourn" (no "e").

October 27 2009 at 1:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jon

My vote is for Grand Central Dispatch. :D

October 27 2009 at 1:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SIP

Every morning and several times during the day, I go to this website:

http://www.innermindmedia.com/apple_news.html

It lists news headlines at TUAW, MacRumors, Macworld US and AppleInsider.

TUAW has been at least 24-hours late on reporting a number of news items this week.

October 27 2009 at 12:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to SIP's comment
Odineye

This isn't Headline News. No one with an actual life cares if TUAW reported this later than the other sites you list.

If you have so little else to occupy your free time than to police the response time of a blog it may be time to get out of your Mom's basement and get some fresh air.

October 27 2009 at 10:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
t68usa

Folks, the photo above may not show it, but the location for this new store hardly qualifies as a "bad neighborhood." For several years, the Clybourn corridor has become more and more congested with many large retail chains (Whole Foods, Restoration Hardware, Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, and many more). So many people shop there, that traffic is virtually impossible and the area has become one of the worst examples of "urban sprawl" i have ever seen. Having an Apple store on North/Clybourn will only add to the already congested and over-built area. Oh well, I guess it will encourage us Chicagoans to use public transport to shop at the Apple store...

Side note: Apple was originally going to locate this store in the Loop (downtown) but they were actually swayed to build it on Halsted/North/Clybourn because the Loop is "...playing to a slightly lower socio-economic group than North and Clybourn," according to a local developer.

Read more about it here:
http://chicagoist.com/2009/10/26/apple_angles_in_on_cta_deal.php

...and here:
http://chicagoist.com/2009/04/13/for_apple_north_clybourn_block_37.php

October 27 2009 at 12:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Daniel Umansky

I used to Valet @ Bub City!

October 27 2009 at 12:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Hot Apps on TUAW

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.