WRIGLEYVILLE — The national Lucky Strike bowling alley chain will join the roster of tenants moving into Wrigleyville in 2018-19 as part of the massive $140 million Addison & Clark complex, developers announced Tuesday.
The California-based bowling chain will open its second Chicago location in a 30,000-square-foot space facing Addison Street on the second floor of Addison & Clark.
Wrigleyville "draws tremendous amounts of people, whether for baseball or not, so what we want to do is build up on the entertainment value that the neighborhood is already noted for," said John Bucksbaum, CEO of Bucksbaum Retail Properties. "At the same time, we want to have uses that the residents will want to participate in."
Along with the Lucky Strike housed alongside the AMC River East 21 movie theater in Streeterville, the company runs the FTW arcade and mini-golf course gastropub nearby.
Ariel Cheung chats about the latest news from Wrigleyville.
Up north, the only bowling alley in Lakeview is Southport Lanes & Billiards, which offers a handful of lanes that must be booked in advance. Just west of the neighborhood, Waveland Bowl and Diversey River Bowl are popular options for North Side alley cats.
As in Hollywood, the Wrigleyville Lucky Strike will focus heavily on booking concerts and other musical acts, Bucksbaum said. In Hollywood, Lucky Strike "rapidly erupted from a hidden bowling alley into Hollywood's underground entertainment hub," the company said.
Unlike the 17 other Lucky Strikes, the Hollywood location features weekly performances by national and local musicians and offers a "one-of-a-kind blend of edgy steampunk aesthetic, gastropub cuisine and beautifully modern lane design."
Lucky Strike did not respond to a request for comment.
The new Addison & Clark development, formerly known as Addison Park on Clark, will include a bowling alley and movie theater. [Provided/M&R Development]
Lucky Strike will occupy the entire second floor of the complex along Addison Street. It will mirror the previously announced Cinemex movie theater on the third floor of other half of the L-shaped complex facing Clark Street.
EARLIER: Addison & Clark Complex Finally Underway, Huge Theater Added To Lineup
It's possible Addison & Clark will have a third anchoring tenant of similar size on the second floor on the Clark Street side, Bucksbaum said, although the 30,000 square-foot space could also be split into smaller parcels.
Similarly, Bucksbaum suggested some "relatively large users" could move into the ground floor of the complex. Renderings, which don't guarantee any specific plan but offer suggestions, include signs for bars, the bowling alley, a fitness center, restaurants and small retail.
"The high profiles of these retailers will ensure the stability of this development for the long-term," Bucksbaum said. "The retail anchors at Addison & Clark will help write the playbook for creating exciting and experimental neighborhoods nationwide."
A drawing of the building's north-south sections when looking west. [Provided/Addison & Clark]
Shake Shack is the only restaurant announced so far for Addison & Clark. It will go up against Wrigleyville mainstays like HVAC Pizza Pub, Rockit Burger Bar and Old Crow Smokehouse, along with The Park at Wrigley Field newcomers, Big Star and Smoke Daddy BBQ.
RELATED: Shake Shack Is Coming To Wrigleyville In Addison & Clark Complex
Having a hand in reshaping Wrigleyville post-World Series championship is "incredibly exciting," Bucksbaum said.
"Wrigley is known throughout the world," he said. "To be able to be a part of that now, for a baseball fan, combining Wrigley along with what I do from a real estate perspective, it's a dream come true."
As negotiations with other retailers move forward, Bucksbaum said he is open to a mix of local and national brands. Some retailers that were forced to close to make way for Addison & Clark have leasing options that could allow them to come back once the building is erected, he said.
Construction on Addison & Clark, initially called Addison Park on Clark, began in August. A decade in the making, the transit-oriented development will have 148 luxury apartments, 405 parking spaces and 150,000 square feet of retail on a 2.3-acre plot.
Despite the first snowfall over the weekend, construction is "moving along OK," said developer Anthony Rossi of M&R Development.
"We're caught up now, and it was well worth the few days we weren't able to work" as the Cubs journeyed to a World Series championship, Rossi said.
While winter weather could throw a wrench in the plans, developers still expect the building will be ready for occupants by August 2018, Rossi said.
After demolishing the buildings that were home to Red Ivy, Starbucks and Goose Island Wrigleyville, crews began to install caissons underground, with 120 of the 180 already drilled in place, Rossi said.
With sidewalks blocked along Clark and Addison streets, temporary pathways have been established, with concrete barriers on the street creating paths for pedestrians amid the chaos of major construction on three of the intersection's four corners.
Those will likely be in place "for a while" as the building takes shape, Rossi said.
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