Fengate Asset Management and Mavrek Development marked the start of Julep West Loop in Chicago with a groundbreaking on September 9, 2026. The developers' announcement puts Skender in charge of construction. To follow developments that match your business, you can try PipeSignals free and configure your own market radar.
A grocery store beneath the apartments
The project brings rental housing and everyday retail onto the same site. Fengate says the development will contain 380 apartments, including 76 affordable homes, above more than 21,500 square feet of commercial space. Its project announcement also sets out amenities including a pool, fitness facilities and resident lounges.
Urbanize Chicago's September 11 report places the development at 1016 West Jackson Boulevard, at South Morgan Street, and identifies Aldi as the grocery tenant. Eckenhoff Saunders designed the 25-story building. The site previously held office and commercial buildings that have been demolished.
Urbanize describes separate loading arrangements for the grocery store and residents, with the residential entrance reached through a pedestrian passage. Those details give the scheme two distinct operating requirements: a busy retail base and homes above it. Coordinating deliveries, access and building services will matter as both uses take shape.
Construction begins, occupancy remains ahead
The development team expects construction to take approximately 21 months and is targeting first occupancy in early 2028, according to Fengate. Those are programme expectations. The groundbreaking establishes a construction milestone; residents moving in will be a later event.
Urbanize reports that a caisson permit has been issued, enabling foundation work before the structure rises. The immediate sequence therefore centres on preparing and building the foundations. The completed tower, grocery premises and shared amenities remain the intended result of that programme.
Where specialist suppliers may fit
For firms supplying apartment buildings, the combination of residential floors, a grocery store and shared facilities makes this a project worth qualifying. If packages remain available, building-services coordination, access systems and equipment for common areas could be relevant. Grocery fit-out may involve a separate occupier specification, so a supplier would need to establish who controls that scope before proposing a solution.
Skender's appointment means the delivery team is already taking shape. A useful commercial next step would be to confirm package timing and technical requirements with the appropriate procurement channel. The announcement does not establish an open tender or a supplier budget.
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