The views are great, and just blocks away are stores, State Street, Michigan Avenue, the restaurants, shops, things of that nature. The concern with services and neighborhood amenities is a common one in areas ranging from the South Loop to River North. Rapid growth in recent years and the estimated addition of 40,000 to 50,000 residents to downtown during the next decade is causing some growing pains. By 2010, the city estimates, downtown Chicago will be larger than Illinois' second largest city, Rockford. Businesses are being encouraged to keep longer hours to cater to this growing residential base.
Businesses choose locations based on things like rent, density and traffic.
Nudging by the mayor only goes so far. Plenty of businesses already have determined certain parts of downtown to be ideal locations. The restaurants that line Randolph Street in the West Loop and numerous blocks in River North are notable examples. Perhaps even more important, two new highrise developments, one in the West Loop and one in Streeterville, will include full-service Dominick's grocery stores. But the Loop proper is still short on after-hours activity.