Mural Park Secures Anchor Retail Tenant
A Latin American craft brewer will celebrate the rich culture of the iconic Pilsen neighborhood.
CHICAGO—Developers have started establishing new office properties in neighborhoods just beyond the central business district, and one of these pioneering developments now has an anchor retail tenant. Condor Partners says 5 Rabbit Cervecería, a Latin American inspired craft brewer, will in 2019 open a small batch brewery and full-service restaurant at its Mural Park, an office and retail redevelopment of two 100,000-square-foot loft buildings in Chicago’s iconic Pilsen neighborhood.
Jose Gonzalez, retail vice president with JLL, and Joaquin Manriquez, associate, represented Condor in the transaction.
“A little over a year ago we launched the Pilsen First Initiative with the Eighteenth Street Development Corp., JLL and Transwestern with the goal of employing local businesses and attracting high quality employers who respect and celebrate the rich culture of Pilsen,” says Michael McLean, partner with Condor. “We could not have imagined a more fulfilling tenant than 5 Rabbit Cervecería as our first lease.”
“Mural Park has been one of the most exciting developments in Pilsen to date and in working with Condor our goal has always been to make this a place for both the community and business,” says Gonzalez. “We believe that 5 Rabbit perfectly represents the cultural integrity of Pilsen. 5 Rabbit’s new setting will allow for great interaction between the brewery and this beloved neighborhood to further the collective goal of diversity through inclusion.”
5 Rabbit Cervecería has won awards for its craft beers that celebrate Latin culture. And the new “picantería” -an informal restaurant improvised from family homes typically found in working class neighborhoods- will serve traditional Latin American food.
“This project will allow us to bring 5 Rabbit’s vision full circle by intersecting recipes and inspiration, a gathering of friends and family, a home to all, where we can come together and continue to grow as a community,” says Andrés Araya, founder of 5 Rabbit Cervecería. In addition to their new space at Mural Park, 5 Rabbit’s production brewery in the Bedford Park neighborhood will continue to brew and distribute their beers.
Mural Park, located on Sangamon St., between 19th and Cullerton Sts. in Chicago, is the starting point for El Paseo, a four-mile rails-to-trails project similar to The 606 that will connect Pilsen, Little Village, and University Village. Condor will deliver the first office space in September.