Hegewisch industrial plant to closes
ZF Chassis Systems is shutting down its manufacturing plant on Chicago’s Southeast Side. It had failed to secure a contract to supply the nearby Ford Motor Company assembly plant. The facility at 3400 East 126th Street had provided suspension modules to the Ford plant since 2004 for its Taurus sedan, which the carmaker is discontinuing. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Gap closing three suburban stores
The Gap is closing stores at Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Town Square Wheaton and Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills next month. The move is part of an effort by the chain to become more profitable, which also includes plans to close The Gap flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York early in 2019. In an earnings call last month, the firm’s CEO did not say how many of the chain’s 775 stores would be shed. [Chicago Tribune]
Hobby Lobby taking over part of vacant Orland Park big box
A new Hobby Lobby craft store is taking over 44,000 square feet of the former H.H. Gregg appliance store at Orland Park Place mall. The front half of the building in suburban Orland Park is occupied by Ashley Furniture, which moved in earlier in 2018 after closing its location in Mokena. [Daily Southtown]
Loyola’s new dorm project spurs protest
A group of Edgewater residents protested Loyola University’s plans to tear down a home and a 63-unit apartment complex to build a new dorm. Loyola plans the 400-bed St. Joseph’s Hall on the site of a historic home built in 1912 at 6312 North Winthrop Avenue and a nine-story apartment building at 6330 North Winthrop Avenue built in 1926. [Chicago Tribune]
Bulls’ Paxson selling Lake Bluff home
John Paxson, executive vice president of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls, and his wife, Carolyn, are listing their five-bedroom home in Lake Bluff for $1.1 million. A key member of the Bulls’ first round of NBA championships in the 1990s, Paxson has been in the team’s front office since 2003. Listing agent Julie Deutsch of Coldwell Banker said the couple is looking to down-size from the 5,200-square-foot home. [Chicago Tribune]
Sandwich chain shuts down Chicago restaurants
Snarf’s Sandwiches shut down its two Chicago locations in Sterling Bay-owned buildings last earlier this month and laid off its employees, they second time in five years it let workers go around Christmas. The Colorado-based chain closed its restaurants in the home of Groupon’s headquarters at 600 West Chicago Avenue and in Prudential Plaza at 180 North Stetson Avenue. [Chicago Tribune]
Longtime Schaumburg restaurant closes
El Meson Mexican Restaurant is closing Monday after nearly 30 years in Schaumburg’s Town Square. Owner Juan Soto said his wife has been ill and the restaurant at 34 West Schaumburg Road can’t continue battling increased competition. [Daily Herald]
Des Plaines diner property sold, developer plans new used car lot
The Silver Stallion restaurant in Des Plaines closed after more than 35 years. The building at 1275 Lee Street has been sold to developers who plan to turn the property into a used car lot. The new owners plan to renovate and expand the existing restaurant building for a Hey Cars-branded dealership and service center. [Daily Herald]