Construction on Mariano’s Could Start in Next 4 to 5 Weeks

A Mariano’s Fresh Market and L.A. Fitness are just over a month away from breaking ground, pending council approval, Ward 47 Ald. Ameya Pawar said Tuesday.

The development that has been more than a year in the works will be located at Lawrence and Ravenswood avenues next to the Ravenswood Metra Station. It's set for final zoning approval at the Oct. 25 Zoning Committee meeting. 

(Read more: Mariano’s Market Nears Approval for Ravenswood Location)

Pawar joined Ward 40 Ald. Patrick O’Connor and Rep. Greg Harris (D-13) in a “State of the Neighborhood” event hosted at MB Financial by the Lincoln Square – Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

The Mariano’s development could bring more businesses to Lawrence Avenue after its approval.

Pawar said he couldn’t name names, but two major restaurants have expressed interest in coming to the area.

One is a major brewing pub that plans to bring in a national chef, and the other is a restaurant at the closed Chicago Ale House at 2200 West Lawrence, he said.

“They key vision here is to connect what you see in Lincoln Square onto Lawrence into Andersonville,” Pawar said. 

Nature Preserve In Design Stages

Ald. O’Connor said a 22-acre nature preserve is coming to Rosehill Cemetery. Years in the making, the preserve will have paths and cycling, rather than ball and skate parks.

The City of Chicago purchased the land and is now in the design process.

“It is going to be something that for the North Side, is going to be a really wonderful addition to our park space and to our community as a whole,” O’Connor said.

The preserve will be the largest addition of park space to the area in the last 50 years, he said.

Griffin Theater Moving to Foster and Winchester

The Griffin Theater is moving into the old 20^th District Police station, O’Connor said, and will be converted into a theatrical complex at the corner of Foster and Winchester avenues.

After the theater left Andersonville five years ago, O’Connor wanted to keep the Griffin in the neighborhood and sold them the building for one dollar.

John Morris, who created the Steppenwolf and Lookingglass theaters, is the chief designer, according to the Griffin Theater website. 

Construction will begin first on an 80-seat black box theater this year, with a 120-seat main stage theater as a second phase.

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