With many of River North’s kitsch tourist destinations like Ed Debevic's, Howard Johnson’s, and Planet Hollywood/Gino’s East going the way of the dinosaur to make way for new highrise apartment projects, many development-watchers have speculated on which 90’s relic would be next to bite the dust. Based on a rendering of a retail project posted by Mid-America Development Group, it looks like River North probably will not see a "Tower of Hooters" replace the Wells street restaurant of the same name any time soon.
While the Hooters site isn’t included in the proposal, the dated single-story commercial space directly to its north will get a proposed remodel. According to an online brochure from Mid-America, future retail tenants can look forward to 20-foot ceilings, glass and steel storefronts, and a brick (or at least brick-like) facade. The electronic flyer also featured a handy visual overview of River North highlighting a number of the residential development projects headed to the booming downtown neighborhood — including a yet-to-be-revealed tower from Lennar Multifamily Communities located directly across the street. In related news, this relatively unremarkable stretch of Wells street gained unexpected media attention when police closed the block yesterday afternoon to investigate a non-fatal shooting.
·The Ultimate in River North Retail [Mid-America Development Group]
·River North archives [Curbed Chicago]
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