Chicago’s Impressive Mile fell on tricky situations even in advance of COVID-19 slammed the retail sector, but a new lease at a person of its premier homes will carry again some spark.

Aritzia, a Vancouver-dependent women’s trend boutique, agreed to occupy 46,000-square-toes at 555 N. Michigan Ave., a person of the several free of charge-standing properties on the Wonderful Mile and the previous residence of The Gap, which shut down in 2021.

The deal not only fills a person of the street’s most notable storefronts, it’s the most significant lease transaction in practically a ten years, according to CBRE’s Luke Molloy, who together with colleagues Danny Jacobson, Steve Ansani, and Cliff Vann, represented the property owner, Dublin-based mostly ECA Capital, in the transaction.

But a person lease won’t remedy what ails the city’s important searching district.

“It’s a significant win for the Wonderful Mile and the metropolis, but does it necessarily mean all is well?” questioned Molloy. “Absolutely not.”

This extend of Michigan Avenue endured other latest significant losses, like Macy’s, which closed its 170,000-square-foot flagship place in Drinking water Tower Spot in 2021.

In addition, house house owners keep on being worried about the probability of greater assets taxes thanks to reforms launched by Prepare dinner County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, Molloy claimed. Worst of all, a sequence of high-profile crimes happened nearby, like deadly shootings in May possibly at Millennium Park and a Around North Side McDonalds.

“Those two factors weigh closely on the ability to get offers performed,” he reported.

Molloy included that till the metropolis receives a cope with on the crime difficulty, and owners’ fears around the chance of higher property taxes are dealt with, the blocks amongst the Chicago River and Oak Avenue may perhaps continue on suffering.

“This is the most significant deal we have had on Michigan Ave. in a long time, and I hope there’s a lot more to occur, but it is not likely to occur on its possess,” he claimed.

Aritzia designs to open in 2023. It will be its fourth Chicagoland location, including a person in the close by Gold Coast at 923 North Rush St.

(Raquel Zaldivar / Chicago Tribune)

That keep is a major results and aided encourage Aritzia that a Impressive Mile site would thrive, Molloy say. And regardless of any challenges faced by the area retail sector, getting a globally recognized model set up itself on Michigan Ave. could draw other people.

“There was competitiveness for this space,” he said. “I’m guaranteed a lot of other vendors will take note of this, and I have no doubt (Aritzia) will be the brightest star on the avenue by considerably.”