Here is a trend we have been watching closely, and honestly, we are pretty excited about it! Middle Eastern coffee shops are opening across Chicago and the suburbs faster than almost any other kind of food and drink business right now. They are filling strip
Quick Answer Chicago retail construction in 2026 is supply-constrained rather than demand-constrained. Roughly 1.1 million square feet of retail was under construction across the metro entering the year, about 0.2 percent of total inventory, according to CoStar data published by Matthews. Elevated costs and tight
Retail developers are betting big on Aurora, Illinois — the state's second-largest city — in 2026, driven by major projects like the APEX District (a planned 50-acre entertainment district near Chicago Premium Outlets and the incoming Hollywood Casino), the redevelopment of a former Sam's
Schaumburg, Illinois is in the middle of a major retail and restaurant construction boom in 2026, led by The District at Veridian — a $185 million, 30-acre mixed-use redevelopment of the former Motorola campus featuring more than 270,000 square feet of retail and restaurant
Thinking about building a shopping plaza, strip mall, or retail space in Naperville? Here's the short answer up front: Retail construction in Naperville typically runs $300 to $400 per square foot for a ground-up strip mall or shopping plaza, and $60 to $200 per
What Investors Look for Before Building a Shopping Plaza Quick Answer Successful shopping plazas are rarely built based on land availability alone. Before investing millions of dollars into a retail development, investors carefully evaluate population growth, household income, traffic patterns, tenant demand, infrastructure availability,
The Hidden Costs of Retail Construction Nobody Talks About Quick Answer Most retail construction projects exceed their original budgets because of expenses that are often overlooked during the planning stage. While developers typically focus on land acquisition, building construction, and interior finishes, unexpected costs
Why Retail Developers Are Betting Big on Chicago Suburbs in 2026 Quick Answer Retail construction is expanding across Chicago suburbs because population growth, changing consumer habits, rising demand for convenience, and increased investment in mixed-use developments are creating strong opportunities for commercial real
Retail construction in Chicago typically takes 8 to 18 months from initial planning to opening day. Smaller retail build-outs may be completed within 4 to 8 months, while ground-up retail developments, shopping centers, and multi-tenant retail plazas often require 12 to 18 months or
Summer is coming, and we're excited for so much that is going on! Take Chicago’s Fulton Market District for example, it has become the epicenter of new retail and restaurant construction. What was once an industrial corridor is now one of the fastest-growing commercial zones










