Chicago Loop Alliance unveils Loop Arts District, funding to address vacant stores

The Chicago Loop Alliance announced plans for a new arts district in the Loop, during its annual meeting Friday.

The district will be supported by nearly 90 Loop arts organizations that will develop the neighborhood as an arts and culture destination.

“Arts and culture are our economic engine — bringing people back to the streets, filling hotels and restaurants and shaping a downtown people choose for real human connection,” Kemena Brooks, chair of the Chicago Loop Alliance and the Chicago Housing Authority's chief of staff, said.

Performing arts and cultural institutions drew more than 1.4 million people to the Loop in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Loop Alliance. And the economic impact of arts and culture in the fourth quarter was more than $575 million — the highest in the past year.

Meanwhile, last year's foot traffic was 84% of 2019's traffic that was an estimated 85 million.

Brooks said the Loop Arts District will elevate the cultural institutions in the neighborhood and reimagine State Street as “a playful, experiential cultural spine." The district is also envisioned as a way to stitch together attractions such as Millennium Park and the Chicago Riverwalk.

The Loop Alliance is working with the organization Arts Alliance Illinois and consultancy firm Sound Diplomacy on an economic impact study on the arts, which will be released this summer, and it will announce more arts-related public programming announced at a later date.

The importance of the arts to Downtown was also the focus of a panel discussion at the meeting, which drew nearly 500 attendees.

John Collins, executive director of the Goodman Theatre, said the arts are key to the Loop because it attracts viewers from every neighborhood. It’s also an experience more people want in today’s age, he said.

“People come to the theater and they feel connected [to] people around them. They feel connected to something larger than themselves,” Collins said. “I think acutely, in this moment post-COVID, the demand and the need for experiences that provide that type of connection is stronger than ever.”

The Loop Alliance also announced it received an $800,000 two-year grant from the Department of Planning and Development to help fill vacant storefronts, through community investment like preparing the empty spaces and supporting small businesses. The number of vacant storefronts on State Street dropped nearly 14% in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to the previous quarter. More than 40 new restaurants, cafes and retail stores opened or will open soon in the Loop.

The organization also received a $1.1 million grant to expand its social service outreach program in the Central Business District. The program will launch in the spring.

Chicago Loop Alliance CEO Michael Edwards said the member-based business organization “continues to thrive.”

The Loop Alliance in 2025 supported funding for the Chicago Transit Authority, along with the LaSalle Corridor Revitalization projects in the Loop. The revitalization projects will create mixed-incoming housing in the Loop by repurposing office buildings along LaSalle Street. Research from commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield shows the city’s office vacancy rate rose steadily throughout 2025, ending the year at 26.9%. That figure has been on an uptick since mid-2020, according to the firm.

But Onni Group, Shamrock Trading, Zurich and Hireology all signed deals to lease or own office buildings in the Loop. Logistics company Shamrock plans to expand its existing Lombard office to Downtown. Software firm Hireology will move into the upper floors of the Marshall Field building, 24 E. Washington St.

The organization highlighted the Downtown Islamic Center’s purchase of 213-227 S. State St. to redevelop the historic building into a community space and educational center. Construction also continues on Google’s redevelopment of the Thompson Center, which is set to open early 2027.

The Loop Alliance took a moment to thank Edwards for his leadership, as Friday's event would be his last annual meeting. Edwards is stepping down on March 31 as the CEO, after 13 years at its helm. The organization plans to name his successor by April.

“Your dedication and hard work and unwavering optimism has shaped … the city,” James Turner, past chair and board member of the Chicago Loop Alliance, said. “Thank you for your years of service, your leadership and your friendship.”

Contributing: Amy Yee