{"id": "n-dcad694457", "slug": "chicago-former-sears-department-store", "type": "big-box", "name": "Former Sears department store", "aka": [], "city": "Chicago", "county": "Cook County", "state": "IL", "country": "US", "census_division": 3, "lat": 41.96885, "lon": -87.67628, "geocode_method": "census-address", "address": null, "metro": null, "original_use": "Sears department store", "year_opened": null, "year_closed": null, "acres": null, "gla_sqft": null, "stores_peak": null, "levels": null, "original_developer": null, "original_architect": null, "before_notes": "Draft from economictimes.indiatimes.com, model-extracted, unreviewed: A former Sears department store closed in 2016 was redeveloped in 2021 into 59 apartments and retail space, then sold for $28.45 million in 2025.", "strategy": ["redevelop"], "new_use": ["housing", "retail"], "share_retrofit": null, "status": "built", "year_retrofit": null, "developer": "Bender Companies", "architect": null, "after_notes": "59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space", "narrative": null, "narrative_license": null, "narrative_source": null, "zoning_change": null, "public_subsidy": null, "entitlement_year": null, "planning_notes": null, "wikidata_qid": null, "wikipedia": null, "osm_id": null, "verified": "draft", "verified_by": null, "last_verified": null, "last_updated": "2026-10-18", "created": "2026-10-18", "contributor_name": null, "contributor_org": null, "contributor_link": null, "international": 0, "county_fips": "17031", "opp_score": 0.0, "opp_reasons": ["retrofit already built", "housing in the record"], "for_sale": 0, "distressed": 0, "url": "https://retrofitatlas.org/big-box/il/chicago-former-sears-department-store/", "events": [{"year": 2016, "date": null, "kind": "note", "detail": "Sears department store permanently closed", "source_id": 7884}, {"year": 2021, "date": null, "kind": "note", "detail": "Redevelopment completed into 59 apartments and retail space", "source_id": 7885}, {"year": 2025, "date": null, "kind": "note", "detail": "Sold for $28.45 million", "source_id": 7886}], "sources": [{"id": 7883, "site_id": "n-dcad694457", "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/world/real-estate/a-former-chicago-sears-store-was-converted-into-59-apartments-four-years-later-it-sold-for-nearly-29-million/articleshow/134950879.cms", "title": "Chicago real estate news: A former Chicago Sears store was converted ...", "publisher": "economictimes.indiatimes.com", "date": null, "quote": "Former Sears department store", "kind": "news", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, {"id": 7884, "site_id": "n-dcad694457", "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/world/real-estate/a-former-chicago-sears-store-was-converted-into-59-apartments-four-years-later-it-sold-for-nearly-29-million/articleshow/134950879.cms", "title": "Timeline", "publisher": null, "date": null, "quote": "The building originally housed Sears department store that permanently closed in 2016.", "kind": "quote", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, {"id": 7885, "site_id": "n-dcad694457", "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/world/real-estate/a-former-chicago-sears-store-was-converted-into-59-apartments-four-years-later-it-sold-for-nearly-29-million/articleshow/134950879.cms", "title": "Timeline", "publisher": null, "date": null, "quote": "The property was redeveloped in 2021 to include 59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space.", "kind": "quote", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, {"id": 7886, "site_id": "n-dcad694457", "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/world/real-estate/a-former-chicago-sears-store-was-converted-into-59-apartments-four-years-later-it-sold-for-nearly-29-million/articleshow/134950879.cms", "title": "Timeline", "publisher": null, "date": null, "quote": "A former Sears department store in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, redeveloped into 59 apartments and retail space in 2021, has sold for $28.45 million.", "kind": "quote", "license": null, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}], "deals": [{"id": 463, "site_id": "n-dcad694457", "kind": "sale", "date": null, "year": 2025, "acres": null, "sqft": null, "buyer": "Bender Companies", "seller": "CA Residential", "broker": null, "lender": null, "loan_maturity": null, "loan_status": null, "listing_url": null, "status": null, "notes": null, "source_url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/world/real-estate/a-former-chicago-sears-store-was-converted-into-59-apartments-four-years-later-it-sold-for-nearly-29-million/articleshow/134950879.cms", "source_title": null, "source_date": null, "quote": "Bender Companies announced the purchase in December 2025 partnering with Denver based Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners.", "verified": "draft", "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}], "parties": [{"name": "Bender Companies", "kind": "developer", "role": "developer", "year_from": null, "year_to": null}], "parcels": [], "context": {"assessment": {"what_happened": "Former Sears store (Chicago, IL) closed in 2016. Redeveloped into 59 apartments and 19,000 sq ft retail by Bender Companies, completed in 2021. Sold by CA Residential to Bender Companies for $28.45M in 2025.", "why": "Retrofit already built (2021 completion). Housing component confirmed in record. Market validated by 2025 sale price.", "where_it_stands": "Site is operational. Nearby context: Megamall (5.2km, built), Lincolnwood Town Center (5.5km, partial), and proposed gas stations (7.1-7.3km). Traffic: Ashland Ave minor arterial (19,578 ADT, 2024).", "for_a_planner": ["59-unit housing project completed", "Retail space confirmed (19k sq ft)", "No new construction needed (existing retrofit)"], "for_a_developer": ["2025 sale price: $28.45M", "Housing market strong (ZHVI +6% YoY)", "Adjacent to established retail clusters (Megamall, Lincolnwood)"], "risks_and_unknowns": ["No vacancy rates or tenant data provided", "Traffic truck volume not recorded (trucks_aadt: null)", "No details on retail tenant mix"], "data_quality": "partial", "one_line": "Completed retrofit: 59 apartments + 19k sq ft retail (2021), sold for $28.45M (2025).", "model": "qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest", "machine": "Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b)", "record_sha1": "323735767973"}, "cluster": {"within_10km": [{"id": "m-3b83995af9", "name": "Megamall", "city": "Chicago", "status": "built", "km": 5.2}, {"id": "m-97959e6523", "name": "Lincolnwood Town Center", "city": "Lincolnwood", "status": "partial", "km": 5.5}, {"id": "m-f0cbf831bd", "name": "1800 N. Clybourn", "city": "Chicago", "status": "operating", "km": 6.4}, {"id": "n-9c36bbe86e", "name": "BP Gas Station at 1647 N. LaSalle Drive", "city": "Chicago", "status": "proposed", "km": 7.1}, {"id": "n-4d28c1a4e3", "name": "Shell Gas Station at 130 W. North Ave.", "city": "Chicago", "status": "proposed", "km": 7.3}, {"id": "n-8202a59887", "name": "Cabrini–Green Homes", "city": "Chicago", "status": "demolished", "km": 8.2}, {"id": "n-c16f0618a2", "name": "Westfield Old Orchard", "city": "Skokie", "status": "under construction", "km": 8.9}, {"id": "m-762d1576d9", "name": "Chicago Place", "city": "Chicago", "status": "closed", "km": 9.2}, {"id": "m-8ce74f2c19", "name": "North Pier", "city": "Chicago", "status": "partial", "km": 10.0}, {"id": "m-d01926c765", "name": "James R. Thompson Center Mall", "city": "Chicago", "status": "unknown", "km": 10.0}], "count_10km": 10, "count_25km": 26}, "elevation": {"elevation_ft": 597.9, "resolution": 1, "source": "USGS EPQS (3DEP)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "food_access": {"tract10": "17031040402", "urban": 1, "lila_1_10": 0, "low_access_1mi": 0, "poverty_rate": 6.452837350540901, "median_family_income": 142054.0, "snap_households": 163.0, "pop2010": 4468.0, "source": "USDA ERS Food Access Research Atlas 2019 (ArcGIS copy)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "housing_market": {"zhvi": {"latest": 340258, "month": "2026-09", "change_1y": 0.06, "change_5y": 0.232}, "zori": {"latest": 2228, "month": "2026-09", "change_1y": 0.051, "change_5y": 0.335}, "county_fips": "17031", "source": "Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI)"}, "jobs_lodes": {"tract20": "17031040402", "jobs": 844, "retail_jobs": 351, "food_accommodation_jobs": 44, "year": 2022, "source": "Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 (all jobs, primary and secondary), blocks summed to the 2020 tract", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "listings": {"zip": "60640", "month": "202609", "median_listing_price": 289250, "median_listing_price_yy": -0.1573, "active_listing_count": 68, "median_days_on_market": 24, "price_reduced_share": 0.0476, "pending_ratio": 0.9044, "source": "Realtor.com Research, inventory core metrics by ZIP (ZCTA at the site point)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "opportunity": {"tract10": "17031040402", "kfr_p25": 0.4456, "jail_p25": 0.0196, "kids_count": 679.8645, "commuting_zone": "Chicago", "vintage": "children born 1978-83, outcomes measured 2014-15", "source": "Opportunity Insights, Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman, Hendren, Jones, Porter 2018)", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "peers": {"peers": [{"id": "m-6f7dc0df30", "name": "Randhurst Mall", "city": "Mount Prospect", "state": "IL", "score": 6.5, "why": ["same strategy: redevelop", "also in IL", "25 km away"]}, {"id": "m-3b83995af9", "name": "Megamall", "city": "Chicago", "state": "IL", "score": 6.5, "why": ["same strategy: redevelop", "also in IL", "5 km away"]}, {"id": "n-73ff358b52", "name": "Illinois Brick Company's yard 22", "city": "Blue Island", "state": "IL", "score": 6.0, "why": ["same strategy: redevelop", "also in IL", "35 km away"]}, {"id": "m-585dc57c2e", "name": "St Charles Mall", "city": "St Charles", "state": "IL", "score": 5.0, "why": ["same strategy: redevelop", "also in IL"]}, {"id": "m-df1e2487a9", "name": "Dixie Square Mall", "city": "Harvey", "state": "IL", "score": 5.0, "why": ["same strategy: redevelop", "also in IL", "39 km away"]}, {"id": "m-60e1b62d17", "name": "Ford City Mall", "city": "Chicago", "state": "IL", "score": 5.0, "why": ["same strategy: redevelop", "also in IL", "24 km away"]}], "method": "size, era, strategy, status, type, state, distance"}, "permits": {"county": "Cook County", "2024": {"units_1": 1142, "units_2_4": 512, "units_5plus": 4853, "value_total": 1864446946}, "2023": {"units_1": 1018, "units_2_4": 504, "units_5plus": 3332, "value_total": 1279204493}, "retrieved": "2026-10-18"}, "qcew_retail": {"county": "17031", "year": 2025, "establishments": 12604, "employment": 213302, "avg_annual_pay": 43743, "lq_employment": 0.83, "employment_change_1y": -0.6, "source": "BLS QCEW 2025 annual, county, NAICS 44-45 retail trade, private", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "retail_trend": {"2012": {"estab": 15268, "emp": 223548}, "2023": {"estab": 13577, "emp": 214575}, "estab_change": -0.111, "emp_change": -0.04, "county_fips": "17031"}, "schools": {"district": "Chicago Public School District 299", "district_geoid": "1709930", "grades": "PK-12", "district_vintage": "SY2024-25", "public_schools_1mi": 8, "schools": ["Amundsen High School", "Chappell Elem School", "Courtenay Elem Language Arts Ctr", "McPherson Elem School", "Ravenswood Elem School", "Waters Elem School"], "schools_vintage": "SY2023-24", "source": "NCES EDGE", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "storms": {"county": "17031", "years": "2016-2025", "events": 1091, "by_type": {"Thunderstorm Wind": 620, "Hail": 164, "Flood": 133, "Flash Flood": 82, "Heavy Rain": 49, "Tornado": 33, "Lightning": 6, "Funnel Cloud": 4}, "property_damage_usd": 1049471000, "deaths_direct": 0, "injuries_direct": 11, "note": "county-typed events only; events logged to forecast zones (CZ_TYPE Z: most winter, heat, flood and coastal events) are not counted", "source": "NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}, "traffic": {"max_aadt": 19578, "trucks_aadt": null, "road": "Ashland Ave", "class": "minor arterial", "lanes": 4, "segments_600m": 5, "year": "2024", "source": "FHWA HPMS", "retrieved": "2026-10-20"}}, "elements": [{"slug": "use-retail", "name": "Retail (continued)", "group_": "use", "evidence": "59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "place-mall-cluster", "name": "3+ other atlas sites within 10 km", "group_": "place", "evidence": "10 within 10 km", "origin": "computed"}, {"slug": "place-apartment-boom-county", "name": "County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a year", "group_": "place", "evidence": "4,853 units, Cook County", "origin": "census-bps"}, {"slug": "strategy-redevelop", "name": "Redeveloped", "group_": "strategy", "evidence": "59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space", "origin": "record"}, {"slug": "use-housing", "name": "Housing", "group_": "use", "evidence": "59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space", "origin": "newtypes-extraction"}, {"slug": "place-retail-shrinking-county", "name": "County lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012", "group_": "place", "evidence": "-11%", "origin": "census-cbp"}, {"slug": "place-rent-2000-plus", "name": "County typical rent $2,000+", "group_": "place", "evidence": "$2,228/mo", "origin": "zillow"}, {"slug": "place-shrinking-county", "name": "Shrinking county", "group_": "place", "evidence": "-0.7%", "origin": "census-acs"}, {"slug": "anchor-sears", "name": "Sears", "group_": "anchor", "evidence": "Sears", "origin": "wikipedia"}, {"slug": "finance-sold-2020s", "name": "Sold since 2020", "group_": "finance", "evidence": "2025 Bender Companies", "origin": "research-deals"}], "details": {}, "photos": [], "provenance": {"after_notes": "newtypes-extraction", "developer": "newtypes-extraction"}, "restricted_fields": {"parcels": ["owner_addr", "assessed", "taxable", "tax_amount", "sale_price", "deed_ref"], "deals": ["price", "price_per_acre", "price_per_sqft", "loan_amount", "asking_price"], "how": "free API key: POST /api/v1/keys {\"email\": …}"}}