The writing was forward the wall fo...

The writing was forward the wall for Carson Pirie Scott & Co.'s departure from its landmark State road home, much as the last decade's just discovereds has been filled with predictions of department stores' demise.

Carson's will depart by dint of March, and the building's landlord predicts a rush of just discovered retailers, restaurants, entertainment and perhaps calm a grocery store to fill one-third of the space that Carson's occupied.

The recently made known retailers could even be station up and operating by holiday 2007 on a level though the Carson's building's holder Joseph Freed and Associates, plans to tear down interior walls to better market the expand space, said Paul Fitzpatrick, managing director at Fre

THAT SHRINKING FEELING

eager observers will note two dovetailing events: Carson's was being edg disclosed inch by inch by rumors that it would shrink in size in the 1 s State building. At the same time, State public way has come alive with the wildly popular Millennium Park, as well as guild students and shops designed to please them (Urban Outfitters, Forever 21 H&M) The dark and foreboding Wabash Avenue is proper for a $20 million face-lift this spring, consummate with multi-colored lighting of the L tracks.

Bit by means of bit, State Street cheerleaders have been hinting that Carson's is in the past.

forward June 21, 2005, the Sun-Times reported that the Carson's building could retain a scaled-down Carson's store and lay open up space for specialty boutiques, or it could house a recent retailer altogether, even a big-box retailer like as Target.

After all, Fre the building's proprietor has built a reputation as a developer of mixed-use concocts such as the Arlington Town Square with Ann Taylor Loft Jo A. Bank Clothiers, California Pizza Kitchen and a six-screen movie theater.

onward Sept. 2, 2005, the Sun-Times reported plans were being made to bring into Carson's selling space at 1 s State and to lease the newly render free of accessed space at much greater prices to other retailers.

NOT YOUR FATHER'S STATE ST

To learn the best rent for the now wide-open Carson's space, Fre will market the Carson's building as couple separate entities -- one forward State Street and the other onward Wabash Avenue. It will also cease to pedestrians the crossway that linked single section of Carson's store to the other.

The solitary department stores remaining on State way are in the midst of their be in possession of reinventions.

Sears, now acknowledgeed by a billionaire hedge-fund guru is installing a first-floor store in its store at 2 N State, showcasing its preppy Lands' completion apparel, including a new Lands' extremity collection of lacy lingerie.

And the venerable Marshall Field's will disappear tribe 9, replaced by Macy's, entire with shopping carts, iPod vending machines, upgraded fitting fields and "runways" of mannequins displaying a variety of ways to wear the outfits that are forward the racks.

THE SHOPPER WILL DECIDE

It's another reflection that shopper despite their fondest memories, are putting their wealth into Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl's, Best corrupt and, on the other highest Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Gucci.

In the best of all worlds, middle-income Americans will demand with their pocketbook middle American department stores, flat in their reincarnations.

e-mail: sguy@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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