Danny Ecker
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Reporter, Crain's Chicago Business
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Articles by Danny Ecker
Warehouse demand is bouncing back. Can construction keep up?
McMaster-Carr recently signed on for a 543,603-square-foot warehouse at 1401 N. Kirk Road in Batavia, one of the largest leases of the third quarter.
Foundry Park developers break ground on North Side megaproject
From left to right: 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack, JDL CEO Jim Letchinger, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Kayne Anderson Real Estate Chief Investment Officer David Selznick and Department of Planning & Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright toss dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony for Foundry Park on Oct. 21, 2026.
Law firm inks deal for big Fulton Market office
Introducing 40 young leaders already putting their imprint on the businesses, institutions and communities shaping our future.
Justin Ishbia warns Chicago against the ‘cost of doing nothing’ amid Railyards backlash
An aerial view in 2023 of the Amtrak 14th Street Coach Yard across the Chicago River from the 78 megaproject site in the South Loop.
Distressed Naperville office hits auction block as potential redevelopment play
Introducing 40 young leaders already putting their imprint on the businesses, institutions and communities shaping our future.
Suburban office vacancy finally stops climbing as old buildings disappear
The Meadows Office Center at 2349 W. Lake St. in Addison was recently demolished by Logistics Property to make way for a new warehouse project.
IT firm’s relocation paves way for latest I-88 warehouse project
Introducing 40 young leaders already putting their imprint on the businesses, institutions and communities shaping our future.
Royal Sonesta in River North sold to Canadian hotel investor at a discount
The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North is on the lower 17 floors in the mixed-use high-rise at 505 N. State St.
S&C Electric leases big warehouse at transformed Allstate campus
A rendering of S&C Electric signage on the existing warehouse at 2601 Protection Parkway in Glenview.
Troubled New York investor loses control of three Loop office towers
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Amazon pays $195 million for vertical warehouse next to Goose Island
Amazon has purchased the vertical warehouse along the Kennedy Expressway at 1237 W. Division St. for a new same-day delivery center.
Streeterville medical office building sold at 95% discount
The Streeterville Center medical office building on the first eight floors of the 26-story property at 233 E. Erie St.
Another West Coast tech firm expands in Chicago, this time in Fulton Market
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Drugmaker Astellas looks to sell U.S. headquarters in Northbrook
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Offices at Marshall Field building above Macy’s hit the market
The upper floors of the Macy's State Street flagship store were converted into offices in 2020.
‘You’re kneecapping us’: Amtrak plan near Rate Field sparks South Side fury
Community members line up to speak during a public comment portion of the meeting.
United Center owners tweak plans for park, music hall at $7B 1901 Project
An updated aerial rendering of the 1901 Project shows a ground-level park next to a planned music hall. A previous plan had the park atop the parking garage shown in the foreground.
Industrial firm flips Rolling Meadows office building to data center giant
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Exclusive: Justin Ishbia reveals vision for Sox stadium and massive riverside development
An aerial rendering of The Railyards mixed-use development shows a new White Sox stadium built on the existing Amtrak 14th Street Coach Yard, across the river from the new Chicago Fire FC stadium now under construction at The 78.
Law firm inks second Wacker Drive expansion in three years
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Prime Healthcare cuts obstetrics at three more Chicago-area hospitals
Commercial Real Estate Whole Foods coming to former Treasure Island space in Old Town The 44,000-square-foot retail property is adjacent to 1600 N. LaSalle Drive, where developer Fern Hill plans to build a 349-unit apartment tower. By: Rachel Herzog
Nonprofit buys Fulton Market loft office for new HQ
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
A new study questions Chicago’s TIF payoff. Developers say growth wouldn’t happen without it.
A new UIC study said more than half of the city's TIF spending since 1986 has backed projects in or near downtown.
Cook County homeowners still paying price for commercial real estate slump
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Data center giant set to buy Hawthorne Race Course, setting up suburban showdown
An aerial view of the Hawthorne Race Course property at 3501 S. Laramie Ave. in Cicero.
Developer buying Ford City Mall tweaks industrial plan in bid for city approval
The local firm planning to redevelop the shuttered main building of Ford City Mall into warehouses has added a new public park and CTA bus terminal to its $200 million vision, sweeteners it hopes will help win approval this week from city planning officials.
Bally’s issues ‘going concern’ warning to investors
Bally’s is cautioning investors about its ability to stay in business unless it secures new financing, a stark warning from the gambling giant as it works to complete a $1.7 billion Chicago casino and hotel complex next year.
Justin Ishbia’s South Loop rail yard plan gets federal funding boost
Amtrak’s midwest modernization overhaul received nearly $700 million in federal funding today that will help relocate the passenger rail giant’s maintenance facility to Bridgeport, clearing the way for Chicago White Sox owner-in-waiting Justin Ishbia’s plan for a mixed-use project along the Chicago River.
Bears turn up the volume on Hammond stadium push
The Chicago Bears aren’t ready to say exactly where in Hammond, Ind., they will build their proposed new stadium-anchored campus or when they will make that decision. But the team’s top executives took to the Halas Hall podium today to reiterate they’re focused on kickstarting the project across the border rather than in Illinois.
Chicago Auto Show veteran named new McCormick Place GM
The longtime head of operations for the Chicago Auto Show is taking command of the McCormick Place convention center, becoming the fourth person to assume the role in the past four years.
Johnson’s data center moratorium adds uncertainty to a market already losing ground
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Landmark Loop office building takes step toward data center conversion
A landmark Loop office building is a step closer to being partially converted into a data center despite pushback from a preservationist group that deems it a “dangerous precedent” for historic buildings downtown.
Adams Street Partners moving HQ to West Loop riverfront building
Adams Street Partners is moving its headquarters to a revamped riverfront building in the West Loop, ending a run of more than 25 years at a Wacker Drive skyscraper.
NBC Tower owner plans hundreds of apartments amid downtown conversion wave
The owner of NBC Tower wants to convert part of the Streeterville skyscraper into hundreds of apartments, joining the parade of downtown landlords turning empty office space into residential uses.
Streeterville garage listing tests market for downtown parking
Centrum Realty & Development is looking to cash out of a Streeterville parking garage it built 20 years ago, testing whether investor appetite for downtown Chicago parking facilities has recovered from its pandemic-era collapse.
Trading firm eyes expansion, move to Fulton Market
Trading firm Old Mission Capital is nearing a deal to expand its downtown workspace and move to the Fulton Market District, a positive sign for a downtown office market still recovering from years of pandemic-fueled downsizing.
Court approves $90M Hawthorne Race Course sale, ending Chicago-area racing
Hawthorne Race Course is a key step closer to redevelopment after a federal bankruptcy court approved the sale of the 108-acre horse track property just west of Chicago to a venture planning to turn it into a different use.
Chicago-area warehouse vacancy inches up as companies shed space
Many companies that binged on warehouse space amid the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic are realizing they don’t need it all. And it’s starting to soften the local industrial property market.
MHub is planning a massive West Side campus bigger than The 78
MHub is starting to assemble properties next to its Near West Side advanced manufacturing incubator, hoping to kickstart an ambitious vision for a 72-acre “ecosystem” for industrial companies just blocks from both Fulton Market and a mixed-use campus taking shape around the United Center.
Amazon nears deal for vertical warehouse next to Goose Island
Amazon is closing in on a deal to buy a high-profile warehouse between Goose Island and the Kennedy Expressway, a move that would bolster its local network of distribution centers with a big new hub close to downtown.
Suburban office vacancy drops for the first time since 2019
Suburban Chicago office landlords are enjoying something they haven’t seen in more than five years: A quarter that didn’t end with a new record-high vacancy rate.
Law firms restructure leases as distressed landmark tower heads to market
One of Chicago’s largest law firms has cut back its office footprint in River North, offsetting an expansion by another big firm as both prepare to find out who will be their new landlord.
Chicago’s top engineering firms buoyed by major public works projects
Chicagoâs top engineering firms buoyed by major public works projects
$425 million TIF deal for 78, Chicago Fire stadium infrastructure gets key approval
Chicago taxpayers are a step closer to funding $425 million of infrastructure around Chicago Fire FC’s new South Loop stadium at The 78 after the developer behind the megaproject got the green light from a key city panel.
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