The revitalization of Uptown’s historic Gerber Building as a full-service grocery store will receive $5.8 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) assistance approved by City Council today.

Built in 1923 as the primary entrance to the Chicago Transit Authority’s Wilson Avenue Station, the 13,000-square-foot Beaux Arts structure has been vacant since a 2015 station modernization shifted the station’s main entrance to an adjacent block. The one-story structure’s $11.7 million adaptive reuse as a Chicago Market grocery store will include a variety of exterior and interior improvements that will include the restoration of historic finishes and decorative features that contribute to its presence within the City’s Uptown Square Historic District.

Chicago Market is a grocery cooperative that has periodically used the Gerber Building for farmers markets and pop-events through a lease with the CTA since 2018.

In addition to providing new food options for commuters and nearby residents, Chicago Market will provide full-time employment for more than 70 people. The project is moving forward through Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s Chicago Recovery Plan.

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