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Rumor: Chicago's North/Halsted Apple Store opening this July
A tipster sends news that we're closer than ever to the opening of the new Apple Store in Chicago, at the intersection of North and Halsted. We first heard about this store just over a year ago, and since then, we've heard that Apple's made a significant investment in the project, beefing up the burgeoning retail area just above the Red Line stop there. Construction is well underway, and now our tipster tells us that the opening is set for sometime during July or August of this year. The store is working on hiring right now; while some of the management will be brought in from other stores in the area, we're told that they plan to hire about 160 employees to start, including Geniuses, Specialists, and everything else. Of course, these dates aren't set in stone -- the store will likely open when it's good and ready. But we're told that the staff should be trained and ready and in the store about a week before it opens, so once that is worked out, they'll be good to go. And sure enough, the jobs page over at Apple says that they are hiring at the "Lincoln Park" store now. Having lived in the area for a while, I'd actually call that intersection part of the Clybourn Corridor. Apple wants the name recognition of the primo neighborhood, though, so the Lincoln Park Apple Store it is.
Apple will spend $4 million to renovate Chicago's North/Halsted triangle
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.
New Apple Store at North and Clybourne in Chicago
My current city of Chicago isn't really suffering for Apple Stores -- the one on Michigan Avenue kind of makes up for any other missed areas around here, as it's the nicest and biggest one I've seen (but then again, I haven't been to the ones in New York near Mr. Rose). But it's good to hear that we're going to be getting another store, this one a little bit outside the Loop, on the city's northside. State Street and the theater area, you might think, would be a little more fitting for the next big retail center, but no: apparently the burgeoning retail area between a gutted Cabrini Green and Lincoln Park is the place to be. Coincidentally, I used to work as a manager at the North Halsted Borders there -- served cafe sandwiches to John Malkovitch and found a book for Kurtwood "Clarence Boddicker" Smith, both visiting from Steppenwolf down the street.But perhaps I'm getting too personal -- just color me excited to have a new Apple Store even closer to where I live now (near Clark and Diversey). The new store is set to open on the empty lot that used to be taken up by a gas station between North and Clybourn (right across from the Red Line stop) and would have about 15,000 square feet in the "long-term location." No word from Crain's yet, though, over when the store would open or even when ground might be broken. Still, all of the development guys seem happy -- they'll probably get in there as fast as they can.
