WICKER PARK — After 19 years in the neighborhood and two different locations, shoe staple City Soles will be leaving Wicker Park's "High Fidelity" spot by the end of the month, its owner Scott Starbuck said on Thursday.
"Wicker Park is sustainable if you can pay $50 or $60 per square foot rent, but who can do that? Even big corporate places are closing, not just the independents,” said Starbuck, owner of City Soles at 1514 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Starbuck said he currently pays $14,000 monthly to rent out the spot on the northwest corner of Honore Street and Milwaukee Avenues that served as part of the exterior set in "High Fidelity," a popular cult classic starring John Cusack.
Last week, Starbuck said he broke the news to his team of 7 workers that they'd have to leave the space, to which they'd just last April.
Prior to the current location, City Soles was at 2001 W. North Ave. since 1996. Starbuck allowed the neighboring coffee chain Starbucks to "buy out" the lease a few years early so the coffee shop could expand and possibly sell beer and wine.
Starbuck said that City Soles plans to grow its online presence — which offers same-day delivery in Chicago through Uber — while looking for a cheaper storefront to rent in West Town, possibly on Chicago Avenue or Hubbard Street.
But through the end of January, the plan is to have "a big clearance sale better than any normal January sale," Starbuck said.
Starbuck opened City Soles in Lakeview in 1991 and then expanded to Wicker Park in 1996 at 2001 W. North Ave. The Lakeview location closed in 2010.
Kristen Martin, director of retail leasing for Newcastle Limited, which owns the 1514 N. Milwaukee Ave. building, as well as several buildings along the 1400 and 1500 blocks of North Milwaukee Avenue did not return a call seeking comment on City Soles' departure.
The 3,009 square-foot spot is currently for rent, according to a listing.
Once closed, the empty storefront will join many other vacant spaces in the area.
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