October 20, 1938: More than 99,500 customers streamed into the aisles of a new Art Deco-style Sears store in the historic shopping district of Chicago, Illinois. After the store closed 80 years later, the site was revived as a mixed-use apartment building.
6 Corners Lofts at 4714 W Irving Park Road, Chicago, Ill., opened in March 2024 as a 394,000 square foot reuse project created from a former Sears store. Designed by MG2, 6 Corners Lofts offers 38 custom floor plans for 206 luxury units – each with outdoor access – and 50,000 square feet of retail space.
Adaptive reuse of residential facilities and retail
Windows were knocked out of the original building to create residential units with balconies. The project includes the addition of a five-story wing, as well as a fifth and a roof/sixth floor above the original building.
A rooftop pool was added, as well as a gym, dog park, speakeasy, community room and co-working space. Loft units feature 14- to 16-foot ceilings on certain floors, stainless steel appliances and private laundry rooms.
The team brought Target as a retail provider on the ground floor. With the revitalization of Six Corners, the project team and the local community hope to make it the second largest shopping center it once was.
Development history
Novak Construction is both the developer and general contractor for 6 Corners Lofts. According to Pack Paschen, executive vice president of development at Novak, it was important to preserve the building’s famous facade and name.
“We’re excited to enhance the Art Deco look (and) do something that complements it but doesn’t exactly match it,” Paschen said in a 2021 article about the revitalization proposal.
The project was touted at the time as a positive benefit to economic development and businesses in the region. Chicago politician Jim Gardiner led a virtual meeting with over 150 people on the project in 2021.
While the community largely welcomed the idea, some expressed concerns about the lack of affordable housing in the area. Six of the units are units that fall under the Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO).
About the construction team:
Developer/Owner: Novak Development
Design architect: MG2
Architect of the record: Kahler Slater
Civil engineer: TGRWA Civil Engineers
Civil engineer: RTM Engineering Consultants
MEP (Design Assist): 20/10 Engineering Group
General contractor: Novak Construction
