WEST LOOP — Iconic footwear brand Vans plans to open a pop-up skate park and event venue in the West Loop, a neighborhood leader confirmed Monday night.
Modeled after House of Vans Brooklyn, Vans plans to open a House of Vans pop-up in a vacant warehouse at 113 N. Elizabeth St. on Feb. 3, said Carla Agostinelli, executive director of the West Loop Community Organization. According to the House of Vans website, the venues host free art installations, workshops and concerts.
Ahead of the opening, the West Loop Community Organization and Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) will host an information meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the vacant warehouse on Elizabeth. House of Vans representatives and the Near West Police District will present their operation plan and answer questions at the meeting.
House of Vans will host an open house for the neighbors from 6-10 p.m. Feb. 4.
The temporary pop-up skate park and event venue is leasing the space at least through the end of the year, Agostinelli said. Burnett and the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events support the free, arts-focused pop-up and its plans to hire from the community.
Among other rules, capacity will be capped at 500 people and all events on site must end by 10:30 p.m., Agostinelli said. The West Loop Community Organization has recommended that the warehouse be soundproofed before any events are hosted there.
House of Vans is also working with West Loop start-up ParqEx to develop a parking plan.
A Vans spokesperson couldn't immediately be reached Monday night.
Vans operates House of Vans locations in Brooklyn, New York and Waterloo, London, and has hosted House of Vans pop-ups in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Korea and Malaysia.
The House of Vans pop-up will be in a vacant warehouse at 113 N. Elizabeth St. in the West Loop. [LoopNet]
The West Loop Community Organization will host an information meeting on the new House of Vans pop-up at 6 p.m. Thursday at the new venue, 113 N. Elizabeth St. [West Loop Community Organization]
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