A bank, a Mexican restaurant and a store geared toward triathletes will open this spring in the Church Street Station building west of downtown.
That Little Mexican Cafe will relocate from several blocks away, and a Harris Bank branch and RaceLogix will fill in the rest of the ground floor. The 17-story condominium building, constructed by Focus Development, opened last fall on Church Street between Carmen’s pizzeria and the Metra tracks.
The mexican cafe, currently located at 1571 Sherman Ave., plans to open its new location in June. The new space will be nearly 5,000 square feet — double the current size — with seating for 100 and a bar serving up to 33 customers.
RaceLogix, scheduled to open in late April at 1642 Maple Ave., will be a fitness store and training facility with climbing, running and biking equipment.
The two-story shop, with more than 2,300 square feet of space, also will sell running and climbing clothes and accessories.
The store will offer training options for all levels of expertise, from beginners to professional athletes, said Linda Mallers, the president of RaceLogix.
Mallers is a Team USA triathlete who plans to participate in the long-course world triathlon competition in Spain this May.
She created the store with the intention of encouraging customers to incorporate sports and competition into their lives, she said. RaceLogix will be particularly helpful for athletes who are training for a race, she said.
In addition to triathlons, the store also will offer support for adventure racing, kayaking and orienteering, or navigating on foot with a compass, Mallers said.
RaceLogix also will have a cafe with baked goods, coffee and health products, and a sports library for research purposes.
The Harris Bank branch will include private banking and wealth management services, according to Barry Millman of Horizon Realty Services, which marketed the space.
Neighboring businesses said they were inconvenienced by noise and dust during the two-year construction of Church Street Station. But Bob Kahn, the manager of Carmen’s, 1012 Church St., said the new businesses will increase the profile of the area, which has also benefited from the popular Church Street Plaza to the east.
“We are very happy with the new development,” Kahn said. “It’s better for all of us. Church Street Plaza will help to grow the economy and create more jobs. On the whole, it will be a good thing.”
Wade Giorno, the project manager for Focus Development, echoed Kahn’s view. He said his project — one of many new condominium buildings downtown — has helped to make the area more vibrant.
“Obviously the new downtown condominiums will bring in people and increase business, while improving downtown as a whole,” Giorno said. “I can foresee a great future for our tenants, with a higher profile for the section west of Church Street Plaza.”
