Tuesday, April 16, 2013
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Think warm thoughts. That’s what you have to do to be optimistic about springtime when living in the Chicago area. Michele Kolar, of Brookfield, her dog Loki, Natalia Piegat, of Des Plaines, and her 1.5 year old son, Robert Piegat, were all about it in downtown Des Plaines on Tuesday afternoon, when the sun gave a brief reprieve from the recent stretch of gray, wet days. Kolar and Piegat, both University of Illinois at Chicago alumni (check out their matching UIC T-shirts the pair said was a coincidental wardrobe choice), said they were having fun having some “girl time,” soaking up some rays and enjoying their day. “It’s beautiful,” Kolar said. When it comes to spring weather in the Chicago area, the two friends displayed the hardy …
Plans for Elite Training and Fitness to open a gym in downtown Des Plaines are underway, Michael Bartholomew, city manager, told city council members at a meeting on Monday.
A new gym is moving into Metropolitan Square in downtown Des Plaines, Michael Bartholomew told city council members at a meeting on Monday. Elite Training and Fitness, based in Elk Grove Village, is going to open in the space formerly occupied by World Gym, Spa di da… and Coldstone Creamery on Market Street, Bartholomew said. The business has a projected opening date of Sept. 1, Bartholomew said. “That’s great; I must’ve put on 15 pounds since [World Gym] closed,” acting Mayor Mark Walsten said. Bartholomew told city council members that Alex Dambach, director of community and economic development, and he have a meeting scheduled with the owners of Metropolitan Square next week. “We’re going to sit down and we’re going to talk about the …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Bread-themed artwork, earth tone colors, new coffee bar, and more remodeling at Panera Bread in downtown Des Plaines.
A Des Plaines lunchtime hotspot has something more cooking than soups and sandwiches — a completely remodeled dining area. Panera Bread, 1518 Market St., has more booth seating, new paint, artwork and carpet, refurbished bathrooms and more, said Joseph Kalish, general manager of the restaurant. “[The remodeling is] to spruce things up, and get things caught up with the current plans with Panera for new cafes that they’re building,” Kalish said. “Overall, give a brighter, new look to the dining area.” Kalish said all the work was done at night, when the restaurant was closed, for three weeks. The interior work was completed at the end of March, he said. Kalish, who has managed the business since it opened in May 2006, said it was the first …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
As leases come up for renewal in downtown Des Plaines, rates are lowered to be in line with current market values, according to a spokesperson for the property owner.
The cost to rent a retail space in downtown Des Plaines has been reduced, according to a spokesperson for the property owner. World Class Capital Group acquired the Metropolitan Square retail and office space development through foreclosure, it announced in May 2012. Since that time, the cost to rent a retail space or space in the medical office building was lowered, more in line with current market value, said Matt Kurucz, asset manager at World Class Capital Group. He said as tenants leases come up for renewals, they are lowering the cost to be in line with current market value. “These deals were all struck in 2007 when the market rent was a lot higher, and we recognized that,” Kurucz said. “So we came back and we cut deals and renewals …
The owner of Metropolitan Square in downtown Des Plaines plans to spend more than $100,000 on renovations to entice new tenants, according to a company spokesperson.
The new owner of Metropolitan Square in downtown Des Plaines is making improvements to the property to entice new tenants. World Class Capital Group, the investment firm that acquired the development through foreclosure proceedings, completed a number of renovations to the medical office portion of the property in November, said Matt Kurucz, asset manager at World Class Capital Group, and plans to retrofit the current signage for Metropolitan Square to highlight tenants and give it a new look in the coming months. Kurucz said the renovations to the common areas in the medical office building on the northeast side of the development, which included upgrades to the elevator and vestibule at the entrance, new carpet, paint and more, cost …
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Plans are being made for a new gym to open in the downtown retail spaces formerly occupied by Coldstone Creamery, Spa di da and World Gym.
Des Plaines residents may have a new place to get fit this summer. Plans are underway for a new gym to open in Metropolitan Square, said Matt Kurucz, asset manager at World Class Capital Group, the Austin, Texas-based investment company that acquired the property through foreclosure. While final details have not yet been finalized, and he couldn’t announce the name of the business yet, Kurucz said the new gym would occupy a larger space than the previous two gyms to occupy the development. Flex Gym and World Gym operated in 7,769 square feet, Kurucz said. The new gym will occupy the entire southwest side of the retail development, he said, including the spaces formerly occupied by Coldstone Creamery, Spa di da and World Gym. It’s expected …
Sunday, November 25, 2012
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Preparations for the holidays were underway in downtown Des Plaines on Nov. 21. Jose Telles, of Aurora and an employee of Oswego, IL-based Temple Display, attached green garland and bright red holiday bows to the lampposts in Metropolitan Square the day before Thanksgiving. Workers from Temple Display, the company hired by the city to install holiday lighting and decorations in the downtown area, also wrapped white lights on trees in the commercial and residential development. The Holiday Lighting Ceremony in Des Plaines is scheduled for Nov. 30, and will include the annual appearance of Santa, trees decorated by local schools, hot chocolate and more. Check out these pictures from the Lighting Ceremony last year, and this picture of …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Metropolitan Square in downtown Des Plaines gained another vacant storefront on Nov. 15 when a health club suddenly closed its doors.
The mood was a somber one at World Gym on Thursday night as employees of the health club, 10 of them in all, completed their last shifts in the dimly-lit, quiet storefront by packing up everything the company owned onto a box truck. Most of the workers were shocked at the news, and one reader who contacted Patch said she was in the middle of her workout when someone came in the room and said they were closing. One of the former World Gym staff, Amanda Henry, said, “I don’t think there’s much to say. I just think everyone’s surprised by the news.” Andy Myers, district manager for the California-based company, said the business closed, in part, due to financial reasons. He said they were unable to reach an agreement on rental terms with the …
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Everyone is invited to the Des Plaines Annual Holiday Lighting event, Friday afternoon and evening, November 30, 2012, in Metropolitan Square, downtown Des Plaines, behind the Des Plaines Theater, between Lee Street and Pearson Avenue.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Daily Herald reports that the new owner of Metropolitan Square is trying to generate interest in the shopping center.
The new owners of the Metropolitan Square development are in negotiations with several potential new tenants, the Daily Herald reported. “We're in the middle of renovations and working with all the existing tenants on renewing leases. We're excited about the future. I think we'll see some new tenants come in throughout the rest of this year and early next year as well,” Nate Paul, president and CEO of World Class told the newspaper. Metropolitan Square has had struggled since opening in 2006. The shopping center had numerous vacancies and eventually went into foreclosure. World Class Capital acquired the distressed $17 million loan for about $6.5 million through a transaction from LNR Partners, LLC, Patch previously reported. In June, …
Nick
5:18 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
Good bye World Gym!! I had to deal with Andy Myer's on more than 1 occasion while being a member at that dump. Believe me, he is not a good person. It's funny how he is trying to put all of the blame on this exit door. I know the truth behind it, and he's not man enough to admit it. All I have to say is don't always believe what you read.. he is full of hot air. Karma is a bbbbb!!! more ›