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Soapy's Laundromat Closing Reflects Fast-Developing Wicker Park

By Alisa Hauser | December 31, 2014 9:50am
 Soapy's, 1429-33 N. Ashland Ave.
Soapy's, 1429-33 N. Ashland
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WICKER PARK — As the fast-changing neighborhood adds homes and apartment buildings with washers and driers, a local Laundromat is closing after 26 years in business.

Located at 1429-33 N. Ashland Ave., the one-story building that houses Soapy's is slated to be torn down and replaced with condos and retail as owner Krzysztof Krol seeks to obtain a zoning change.

Krol said he bought the building and business about 15 years ago and that Soapy's, which opened in 1988, "is too big and could be half the size."

Krol said Soapy's will be closing in the next few months. Another Laundromat, Spincycle, 1658 N. Milwaukee Ave., was replaced by a 7-11 in December 2011.

Early Monday, Yasminah Sesley, a Noble Square resident, was doing laundry at Soapy's with her son. Sesley said there is a washer and drier in her apartment building but she prefers to come to Soapy's because she can do several loads at the same time.

"It's convenient, clean and not very crowded. It would make me sad if it closed," Sesley said.

Andrew Miller, a local photographer that has been documenting the area through portraits and landscapes, lives near Soapy's and said it is "a busy place."

"The parking lot is usually full with cars double parked at times," Miller said.

Despite the fact the Laundromat is often busy, Miller said he would "welcome any improvements that can be made to the stretch of Ashland between Division and North." 

Miller noted that with the exception of the building used by Soapy's, the east side of Ashland from Blackhawk Street to LeMoyne Avenue is full of similar residential buildings with ground floor commercial space, similar to the kind that Krol seeks to build.

"While I understand the need for Laundromats in the neighborhood, the building is so rundown that the block could only benefit from new construction that would clean up the area," Miller said.

When Soapy's closes, the nearest options for those who need to visit the ‘Mat include Sudz at 1246 N. Ashland Ave., just up the street in the West Town Shopping Mall and Bucktown Bubbles at 1801 W. North Avenue. 

Krol envisions a new three-story building with nine residential units above new ground-floor commercial space. The plan would include nine parking spaces.

"We are planning to build condos.  We don't know yet when, but we started the zoning process," Krol said. 

Though Krol said he put the building up for sale and has had some offers, he also said he is thinking about developing the condos himself.

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