New Fitness Studio To Open In Wicker Park

CHICAGO — The pilates-based fitness studio Solidcore will be opening in the Wicker Park Connection development next summer, the building's owners announced Tuesday. The D.C.-based fitness studio chain, which includes Michelle Obama among its clientele, has rented the Wicker Park space from Hubbard Street Group and co-developer Centrum Realty, the businesses said.

The Solidcore studio will take over a 2,350-square-foot space in the development, at 1640 W. Division St., and offer 50-minute fitness sessions on custom-built “Sweatlana” resistance machines.

Solidcore opened its first Chicago location in River North last year.

“Chicago has embraced [solidcore] and we are looking forward to expanding throughout the city,” said Bryan Myers, the fitness chain's chief operating officer. “Wicker Park is a great neighborhood with diverse residents and the fact that the building is brand-new, allowing for complete customization, made it a logical choice for our brand.”

The San-Francisco-based Philz Coffee will also be opening in the Wicker Park Connection development next summer.

Other tenants include the national salon and beauty provider Salon Lofts, which will open a 5,000-square-foot location in the building in December, and the blow dry bar Blo, scheduled to open a 900-square-foot studio in 2019.

“With these latest commercial tenants, we’ve curated a true mix of lifestyle, health and wellness offerings that, we hope, will resonate with our residents and the broader Wicker Park community,” said John McLinden, managing partner of Hubbard Street Group. “This entire development is meant to be an experience – from the apartments, to the amenities, to the retail that lines our public plaza. As a result, we sought to partner with brands that would add to the buzz surrounding Wicker Park Connection, as evidenced by the brisk pace of leasing.”

Wicker Park Connection, a 15-story, 146-unit rental community, offers a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units that are 80 percent leased less than six months after welcoming first move-ins. It is currently being marketed for sale with the 60-unit Centrum Wicker Park, which opened in 2016 and is fully leased. The buildings are separated by a public walkway called The Connection that, when completed in 2019, will link Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street.

Top image - (via Taylor Johnson) - [solidcore]: Washington, D.C.-based [solidcore] is opening a studio in the ground level of mixed-use development Wicker Park Connection, marking the fitness chain’s second Chicago location.