Big boxes · Illinois
Former Sears department store
Completed retrofit: 59 apartments + 19k sq ft retail (2021), sold for $28.45M (2025). · summary, model-written
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.
Site profile10 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Sears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisSold since 2020
This site: 2025 Bender Companies research-deals · all sites with this3+ other atlas sites within 10 km
This site: 10 within 10 km computed · all sites with thisCounty lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -11% census-cbp · all sites with thisCounty permitting 2,000+ apartment units a year
This site: 4,853 units, Cook County census-bps · all sites with thisCounty typical rent $2,000+
This site: $2,228/mo zillow · all sites with thisShrinking county
This site: -0.7% census-acs · all sites with thisRedeveloped
This site: 59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space record · all sites with thisHousing
This site: 59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: 59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Retrofit builtWikipedia |
|---|---|
| Strategy | RedevelopedWikipedia |
| New uses | housing, retailWikipedia |
| What is there now | 59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail spacenewtypes-extraction |
| Redeveloper | Bender Companiesnewtypes-extraction |
Deals and debt
| Date | Event | Price | Parties | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sold | $28.4M closed | Bender Companies ← CA Residential | economictimes.indiatimes.com |
Site context
| Housing permits, Cook County (IL), 2024 | 4,853 units in 5+ unit buildings, 512 in 2–4, 1,142 single-family; 2023: 3,332 in 5+Census BPS |
|---|---|
| Other atlas sites nearby | 10 within 10 km, 26 within 25 km: Megamall (5.2 km); Lincolnwood Town Center (5.5 km); 1800 N. Clybourn (6.4 km); BP Gas Station at 1647 N. LaSalle Drive (7.1 km); Shell Gas Station at 130 W. North Ave. (7.3 km)computed |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 13,577 establishments (-11%); 214,575 jobs (-4%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $340,258 (+6% 1 yr, +23% 5 yr); typical rent $2,228/mo (+5% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 19,578 vehicles a day on Ashland Ave (minor arterial, 4 lanes); 5 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
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)
What we do not know yet
- No vacancy rates or tenant data provided
- Traffic truck volume not recorded (trucks_aadt: null)
- No details on retail tenant mix
Generated by qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest on Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b) from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Randhurst Mall, Mount Prospect, IL · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in IL; 25 km away
- Megamall, Chicago, IL · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in IL; 5 km away
- Illinois Brick Company's yard 22, Blue Island, IL · Industrial sites · same strategy: redevelop; also in IL; 35 km away
- St Charles Mall, St Charles, IL · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in IL
Elsewhere on the web
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- housing in the record
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Anchors | Sears |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| 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. |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, year opened, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Timeline
- 2016 Sears department store permanently closed
- 2021 Redevelopment completed into 59 apartments and retail space
- 2025 Sold for $28.45 million
Sources
- Chicago real estate news: A former Chicago Sears store was converted ...
4 quoted sentences
Former Sears department store
The building originally housed Sears department store that permanently closed in 2016.
The property was redeveloped in 2021 to include 59 apartments and about 19000 square feet of retail space.
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.
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Park Forest PlazaPark Forest, IL · 2001Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment: civic, residential, new streets
Randhurst MallMount Prospect, IL · 2010Redeveloped · Redevelopment: mixed use, new streets
Spring Hill MallWest Dundee, IL · 2015Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, open air streetSt Charles MallSt Charles, IL · 2016Redeveloped · Redevelopment: residential, new streets