Chicago’s Former Blue Man Group Theater Set for Conversion

A Lakeview theater known for hosting the Blue Man Group for decades could soon be swapping drums and greasepaint for rent checks.

Chicago-based developer Jab Real Estate plans to redevelop 749 West Briar Place, the former home of the Briar Street Theater, into a 66-unit mixed-use complex with ground-floor retail and a five-story addition, Urbanize Chicago reported.

The project would retain the original theater structure but add three residential levels on top, plus a second building on the adjacent parking lot, after the Blue Man Group ended its 27-year Chicago run in January.

Designed by Moth Architects, the proposal includes 1,200 square feet of retail at the corner of Briar and Halsted, 14 car parking spaces and 66 bike spaces. Residential entry would be on Briar, and the building’s mix would lean heavily toward smaller units: 45 one-bedrooms, 19 two-bedrooms and two three-bedrooms.

The developer is asking the city to rezone the site for greater residential density from its commercial-heavy designation, Alderman Bennett Lawson said. Ten of the 13 affordable units required by the city will be part of the development, and three will be covered through a fee-in-lieu. Most of the building’s height will be concentrated on the former parking lot, where a five-story structure will rise behind the existing façade.

Plans also include a fitness center on the second floor and a top-floor community room with a roof deck facing the southeast corner. Eight lofted units will occupy the ground floor, with seven two-bedrooms and one three-bedroom layout. The project will go before the city’s Committee on Zoning and potentially a full City Council vote this week.

Jab’s proposal comes amid growing debate in North Side neighborhoods over how to balance infill development with historic reuse. If approved, the Briar project would join a wave of recent densification efforts near CTA lines and transit corridors, especially in areas with aging or underutilized commercial buildings.

— Judah Duke