News
Back to the Future
May 19, 2010
| When John Podmajersky's grandparents moved to Pilsen in the 1930s, you could live, work, shop, and have fun within a three-block radius. Now, as young artists and entrepreneurs take up residence in the near south side neighborhood, John plans to recreate the kind of walkable, livable urban community his grandparent's enjoyed. | |
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| Here's John (second from left, back row) and his team: Chicago Industrial Real Estate's Matt Rogatz, Podmajersky's Arthur Hershkowitz, Jeremy Ehly, Karen LaMore, and Cynthia West. The "PodSquad" will invite a few brokers to Broker BBQ each Friday this summer to explore leasing opportunities and learn about the neighborhood and landscape along the corridor from 17th to Canalport on S. Halsted. The squad is looking for artistic and entrepreneurial types who can create a sense of community. They're leasing spaces from 200 SF to 20k SF in all four food groups. For an invitation to the BBQ, contact Karen: klamore@podmajersky.com | |
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| The Podmajersky team includes 22 pros, from brokers and architects to property managers (plus two office dogs). One of the only neighborhoods where buildings survived the Chicago fire, East Pilsen has several pieces of unique historic architecture, which Podmajersky plans to integrate with modern style. These three buildings in the 1900 block of S. Halsted will be united by a T-shaped glass structure in the middle, helping them share elevators and stairwells to create more space in the floorplates. The building on the right is already in the process of getting new windows. Creating upstairs living space in existing buildings, as well as potentially building mid- to high-rise apartments near 90/94, will keep people who work in East Pilsen in the neighborhood for its nightlife. | |
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| Smaller galleries, studios, or offices like this one are common in the area, which is also known as the Chicago Arts District and gives guests the chance to walk the galleries for free on the second Friday of each month. Spaces such as this one cost as little as $1,100 for 750 SF, and back up onto a common garden that used to be an alley. Podmajersky even has live-work spaces available at the Fountainhead Lofts. And for tenants who don't need a front window, Pomajersky will use the storefront as an Art Pod, displaying a different theme of artwork every 30-60 days. | |
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| John's next goal is to get more restaurants or a market into a retail space like this one at Canalport and Halsted. Formerly a small grocery store and apartment flats, the building can now house up to four retailers and has exposure to two streetscapes. The building has been modernized with floor-to-ceiling windows, a lofted office space behind the retail floor, and uniquely shaped skylights. | |
