Need a dose of good news?
Here’s some, courtesy of Crain’s Ally Marotti: After a decade of vacancy ups and downs, Chicago’s neighborhood retail corridors are hitting their stride.
As Marotti reports, a new analysis from Chicago’s Stone Real Estate found that the shopping strips on Damen, Armitage and Southport avenues are thriving, with low vacancy rates and a vibrant mix of tenants.
On Southport, Damen and Armitage, shoppers find a blend of national retail names operating alongside smaller, upscale boutiques, and Stone’s data suggests business has been on an upswing — a positive sign for the city well beyond Lincoln Park and Bucktown.
Southport maintained its remarkable 0% vacancy rate between Addison and Roscoe streets during 2023 and 2024, according to Stone’s data. On Armitage between Sheffield Avenue and Halsted Street, the vacancy rate dropped to 4.3% from 6.4% in the same period. And on Damen, the vacancy rate between Willow Street and North Avenue plummeted to 12.9% from 23.9%.
A healthy retail corridor has the right mix of shops, restaurants and coffee spots to keep customers engaged throughout the day. The goal? Make shoppers linger.
The three streets that Stone analyzed appear to have found the proper balance of tenants to achieve that objective, Winter said. They’re also located in neighborhoods that have seen household incomes rise over the past decade or so. Their proximity to public transit opens them up to shoppers from elsewhere in the city, too.
Here’s another way to look at this much-needed dose of good economic news: These three retail districts are often go-to spots for brands looking to set up shop in the city — and their fates could influence Chicago’s broader ability to attract retailers generally. So the fact that business is good on Southport, Damen and Armitage right now is a plus for Chicago overall.