Apple has installed signs reading "Watch for falling ice" around the store, where a combination of winter snow and the city's trademark winds have turned the showstopping building into a potential danger. As such, Apple has been forced to cordon off an area surrounding its shop to protect innocent passersby from a rain of dangerous ice. The flagship's location, just on the banks of the Chicago River on North Michigan Avenue, makes it one with a high density of foot traffic. Several bloggers reported this week that the building's unique shape (notably a gently sloping roof modeled after a certain computer) makes it easy for large chunks of ice and packed snow to slide right off its roof, causing an icy hazard to pedestrians below. One of only six in the world, the location should drive even more foot traffic Apple’s way.įollow 9to5Mac’s retail guide for continued coverage of the latest Apple store news.For all its hype and high design, the MacBook-shaped roof of Norman Foster's Chicago Apple store has one serious, weather-driven dilemma: It fails to properly account for its home city's snowfall. This year, Starbucks is also set to try its hand at a greater retail experience when it opens a massive Reserve Roastery on Michigan Avenue. The restaurant has garnered a reputation as being the “ Apple Store of McDonalds.”Īpple’s move into experiential retailing is built on the foundation of Today at Apple, which provides a way for customers and creative professionals to connect with their community through free educational sessions. Last year, McDonalds also celebrated the reopening of its former “Rock N’ Roll” location downtown with a new 19,000-square-foot flagship featuring a solar roof and indoor arboretum. Plans for a flagship store in the Fulton Market district are reportedly underway. In 2018, Google opened a popup hardware store on the city’s west side with interactive demos and displays. The retail scene in downtown Chicago has evolved rapidly over the last few years as companies try to reinvent their stores to become more than basics spaces to buy products. Just a few months after the building was listed for sale, Apple Michigan Avenue won an IALD Award for innovative lighting design. Michigan Avenue, Apple’s space has been split from other assets for the sale to Invesco in hopes of a greater long-term return. While Walton Street Capital originally purchased the store in a deal that included the 35-story office building next door at 401 N. Apple’s 15-year lease currently stipulates a $2.5 million annual rent, with rates increasing 10 percent every five years. Last March, The Wall Street Journal learned that the property had been put up for sale by Walton Street. According to the report, the transaction would be the fifth-most-expensive retail real estate deal that Chicago has ever seen. The site’s popularity and visibility have now earned it a pricey real estate deal.Ĭrain’s Chicago Business reports that property owner Walton Street Capital has agreed to sell to the flagship store to investment firm Invesco for roughly $79 million. The Foster + Partners-designed store draws visitors from the Magnificent Mile shopping corridor, offering stunning views of the river and a glass-wrapped performance space like no other. Since opening in October 2017, Apple Michigan Avenue on the Chicago River has become a must-see destination for Apple fans, architecture enthusiasts, and creative professionals.
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