Investor buys former Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park for mixed-use project

The shuttered Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park sold to a developer who plans to redevelop the site into a mixed-use building with 60 residences.

The Goldman family, led by property investor Sam Goldman, bought the restaurant building at 7000 North Glenwood Avenue in late January for $1.3 million, months after Heartland Cafe owner Tom Rosenfeld put the building up for sale and announced its closing after 40 years, property records show.

Now the family is seeking to rezone the property to make way for a six-story mixed-use building with 60 residences, 3,800-square-feet of commercial space and 31 parking spaces. The 54,000-square-foot building would be a transit-oriented development due to its proximity to the CTA Red Line, and would include 60 bike parking spots, according to the rezoning request filed with the city.

It is not clear if residences will be condos or rentals. Nor is it clear if the Goldman family is developing the property itself. Sam Goldman, founder of real estate investment firm Arbor Investment Management, declined to comment on the project.

A demolition permit for the Heartland Cafe building was issued by the city Monday, records show.

Rosenfeld in September listed the 100-year-old building, saying upkeep on the property had become too costly. He announced the restaurant’s closing shortly thereafter, but has said he would re-open in Rogers Park if the right opportunity came along.

Rosenfeld in December said he was in the process of selling the 12,000-square-foot lot to a developer, who would likely turn it into a residential complex. The site’s current zoning allows for 33 residences to be built, according to the Chicago Tribune, but the Goldmans are seeking a zoning change to bring 60 units to the site.

If approved, the rezoning request would require the developers to build under the Affordable Requirements Ordinance, meaning 10 percent of the units would have to be set aside as affordable.