"REI opened just a little more than a month ago, and they've been pleased with first month sales. This is their first location in the Chicago area," Drew tells GlobeSt.com. "The retail has been about what we've expected in this market. We've had some inquiries from furniture, home goods and medical imaging companies. The number of users for 30,000 square feet are few, and we've talked to a few of them over the past year. Given the uncertainty now, we probably won't hear anything until after the first of the year."

He says the medical office has been doing exceptionally well. Town & Country, represented in the lease by Ira Perlman with Howard Ecker and Co., moved from 2073 N. Clyborn and joins other Blackhawk tenants Advocate Health Centers, Pine Dental, Associated Allergists and Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, which is opening a new pediatric and internal medicine office there in spring 2009. "I attribute the success primarily to the impact of the announced relocation of Children's Memorial Hospital. A number of neighborhood medical practices want to remain around here and don't want to move to Streeterville," Drew says. The development also includes a 550-space parking garage that provides easy access to patients, he says.

Blackhawk is a block away from the planned Apple store at North and Clybourn, and is right across the street from Structured's $220 million New City project, which will have 400,000 square feet of retail and 280 apartments. This project, about 50% leased, Drew says won't come online until 2010. "For Blackhawk, we're trying to get the retail that doesn't want to wait until then to open," he says.