October 20, 1938: More than 99,500 customers poured into the aisles of a new art deco-inspired Sears store in the historic shopping district of Chicago, Ill. After closing its doors 80 years later, the site has been reborn as a mixed-use multifamily housing development.
6 Corners Lofts at 4714 W Irving Park Road, Chicago, Ill., opened in March of 2024 as a 394,000-sf adaptive reuse project born out of a former Sears store. Designed by MG2, 6 Corners Lofts features 38 individual layouts among 206 luxury units—each with access to the outside—and 50,000 sf of retail space.
Adaptive Reuse Housing Amenities and Retail
Widows were punched out of the original building to create the residential units coupled with balconies. The project includes the addition of a five-story wing, as well as a fifth and roof/sixth floor over the original building.
![Rooftop pool at mixed-use adaptive reuse project in Chicago, Ill.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/MG2_6_Corners_Lofts_Chicago_Rooftop.jpg)
![Art deco lobby interior of mixed-use adaptive reuse project](/sites/default/files/inline-images/MG2_6_Corners_Lofts_Chicago_Lobby.jpg)
A rooftop pool was added in addition to a fitness room, dog park, speakeasy, community room, and co-working space. The loft-style units include 14- to 16-foot ceilings on certain floors, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit laundry.
The team brought Target in on the ground floor as the retail provider. With the revitalization of Six Corners, the project team as well as the local community hope it can become the second-busiest 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, keeping the famous façade and name of the building was essential.
“We are excited to try to enhance the art deco look of it [and] do something that would complement it but not exactly match it,” Paschen said in a 2021 article on the proposition of the revitalization.
![Exterior of mixed-use adaptive reuse building in Chicago, Ill.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/MG2_6_Corners_Lofts_Chicago_Balconies.jpg)
The project was touted as a positive benefit to the economic development and businesses to the area at the time. Chicago politician Jim Gardiner led a virtual meeting of over 150 people on the project back in 2021.
While the community largely applauded the idea, some raised concern of the lack of affordable housing in the area. Six of the units are Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) units.
On the Building Team:
Developer/Owner: Novak Development
Design Architect: MG2
Architect of Record: Kahler Slater
Structural Engineer: TGRWA Structural Engineers
Civil Engineer: RTM Engineering Consultants
MEP (Design-Assist): 20/10 Engineering Group
GC: Novak Construction
![Top floor speakeasy in mixed-use adaptive reuse project in Chicago, Ill.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/MG2_6_Corners_Lofts_Chicago_Speakeasy.jpg)
Related Stories
MFPRO+ New Projects | Aug 20, 2024
Seattle workforce housing project inspired by geology of eastern Washington
J.G. Whittier Apartments, a workforce housing project in Seattle uses the geology of eastern Washington as inspiration for the design. The architecture and interior design celebrate geometric anomalies found in nature. At the corners of the building, blackened wood siding “erodes” to expose vibrant murals underneath.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Aug 16, 2024
At 60 stories, the Paramount multifamily development will stand as Nashville’s tallest high rise
When complete, the 60-story Paramount building, at 750 feet high, will be the tallest high rise tower in Nashville, Tenn., surpassing the city’s current record holder, the 617-foot AT&T Building. The $390 million Paramount project recently launched condo sales after securing more than $230 million in construction financing.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 14, 2024
Adaptive reuse revives a former warehouse in St. Louis
The Victor, as the building is now called, has nearly 400 residential apartments.
MFPRO+ News | Aug 14, 2024
Report outlines how Atlanta can collaborate with private sector to spur more housing construction
A report by an Urban Land Institute’s Advisory Services panel, commissioned by the city’s housing authority, Atlanta Housing (AH), offered ways the city could collaborate with developers to spur more housing construction.
Affordable Housing | Aug 7, 2024
The future of affordable housing may be modular, AI-driven, and made of mushrooms
Demolished in 1989, The Phoenix Ironworks Steel Factory left a five-acre hole in West Oakland, Calif. After sitting vacant for nearly three decades, the site will soon become utilized again in the form of 316 affordable housing units.
Student Housing | Jul 31, 2024
The University of Michigan addresses a decades-long student housing shortage with a new housing-dining facility
The University of Michigan has faced a decades-long shortage of on-campus student housing. In a couple of years, the situation should significantly improve with the addition of a new residential community on Central Campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The University of Michigan has engaged American Campus Communities in a public-private partnership to lead the development of the environmentally sustainable living-learning student community.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 31, 2024
Shipping containers converted into attractive, affordable multifamily housing in L.A.
In the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles, a new affordable multifamily housing project using shipping containers resulted in 24 micro-units for formerly unhoused residents. The containers were acquired from a nearby port and converted into housing units at a factory.
MFPRO+ News | Jul 22, 2024
Miami luxury condominium tower will have more than 50,000 sf of amenities
Continuum Club & Residences, a new 32-story luxury condominium tower in the coveted North Bay Village of Miami will feature more than 50,000 sf of indoor and outdoor amenities. The program includes a waterfront restaurant, dining terraces with resident privileges, and a private dining room outdoor pavilion.
MFPRO+ News | Jul 22, 2024
6 multifamily WAFX 2024 Prize winners
Over 30 projects tackling global challenges such as climate change, public health, and social inequality have been named winners of the World Architecture Festival’s WAFX Awards.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 10, 2024
3 noteworthy multifamily projects for July 2024
These three multifamily projects on our radar include an artist-inspired complex, seven-acres of senior housing, and a budget-conscious rental community.