Want to Open Up a Store Beneath the CTA?

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Ever dreamed of opening up a colorful vintage store beneath the Red Line Morse stop? What about a little coffee shop (that also sells artisanal caramels) beneath the Blue Line's Division stop? Break out your savings account, hipster entrepreneurs, because all of your CTA retail dreams are about to come true.

The retail spaces beneath Chicago's CTA tracks are typically home to tiny convenience stores that sling candy bars, lime-flavored potato chips, and single packets of Advil to harried commuters. However, many of these industrial-ish, grungy-chic spaces are ready to be rented out anew, and it's not hard to imagine them becoming the next hot way to do retail, trains rumbling overhead and all. After all, the Damen Blue Line stop already acts as a ceiling to all sorts of delicious little businesses, from La Columbe and their amazing iced coffee to Glazed and Infused and their amazing yeast raised doughnuts.

On September 3 and 4, tours of empty CTA retail locations will be taking place. Whatever CTA line you prefer, there's something for you opening up: Loyola, Morse, Granville, Chicago, Clark/Division, Linden, Montrose, Wellington, Division, Western, Washington, and Oak Park all have retail space available beneath the tracks.

Interested? Call up Jones Lang LaSalle, the firm that manages these locations, and brush up on your train spotting skills.

· Tours of Empty CTA Retail Spaces, Including 55-Square-Foot Spot, Announced [DNAinfo Chicago]
· All CTA coverage [Racked]