BUCKTOWN — Gold Coast's swanky Maple & Ash steak house is bringing a new restaurant to North Avenue, though fans will have to wait an undisclosed amount of time for it to open as its future home is currently a demolition site.
On Thursday morning, a wrecking crew was wrapping up the demolition of a building at 1840 W. North Ave. that was most recently home to The Southern, which closed in January after a six-year run.
Prior to The Southern, the spot housed Chaise, a lounge, and before that, Iggy's.
City records show that a demolition permit was issued in April to building owner Seyed Firozabadi, to wreck and remove the building. However, another requested permit, to build a new 2-story 7,725 square-foot restaurant with a rooftop deck, is still under review and has not yet been issued by the city.
On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Maple & Ash declined to share details about what's being planned for 1840 W. North Ave., outside of saying it will be "a totally new concept" for Maple & Ash, led by chef/partner Danny Grant on the savory side and pastry chef Aya Fukai, who will craft the desserts.
The spokeswoman confirmed that the group will no longer be hitting its originally-reported target of opening this spring. She said a new target date cannot be confirmed yet.
Firozabadi could not be reached for comment.
