An exciting new development is coming to Six Corners, the six-way intersection in Portage Park that you shouldn't confuse with Wicker Park's intersection of Milwaukee, Damen and North (a more apt moniker for that monstrosity is "The Crotch"). Last week, 45th Ward alderman John Arena gave the go-ahead for a massive overhaul of the southeast corner of the intersection that's poised to have a huge effect on the surrounding community.
The project, titled "The Point," was announced last week at a community meeting with Arena and development company Clark Street Real Estate. The plan is to install a continuous building in the triangle made by Milwaukee Avenue, Irving Park Road and Kilpatrick Avenue, accounting for roughly 100,000 square feet of first-floor retail space that will be anchored by an Aldi and a Ross Dress for Less. The Point also includes public plazas and 265 new parking spaces.
Here's an overview of the project:
The development is a big deal for the area, which hasn't really been a hotbed for major investments of this sort for quite some time. The new rush of retailers will bring a much-needed boost in sales tax revenue for the community and will go a long way in making Portage Park's Six Corners relevant again. Decades ago, the area was a booming commercial district, where Northwest Side residents would shop for everything from school clothes to household goods. At one point, the area was the second highest–grossing commercial district in the city behind the Loop, according to Kelli Wefenstette, the executive director of Six Corners Association.
Construction on the project is scheduled to kick off this summer and will be completed in a year. Clark Street Real Estate still needs to find tenants for more than half of the planned retail space, but the reinvigorated location shouldn't make those spots too hard to fill.
Check out some renderings of the project below.
All renderings courtesy Clark Street Real Estate
