CHICAGO—The mood among retail professionals at the latest Chicago Deal Making conference, held yesterday and today at Navy Pier by the International Council of Shopping Centers, has been quite upbeat.

“People are starting to feel like we've returned to the days before the recession,” Larry Kilduff, JLL's senior vice president, retail market lead, Midwest, tells GlobeSt.com. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction, including rental rates, leasing, development and acquisitions, and for the first time in years, it's happening across the board. “There is a sense of pent-up demand.” Except for high street locations and in core markets, “it's been hard to see that energy until now.”

Kilduff adds that Structured Development Corp.'s New City project at North and Clybourn in Chicago's Lincoln Park could become a milestone for retail developers. The mixed-use project will have its grand opening at the end of this month, and because much of the new development so far in the recovery has been on the small side, the massive, $260 million New City stands out, and investors will watch its progress very carefully.