JLL has signed Ambra Salon & European Spa to a new, 6,122-square-foot retail lease at The Fordham, located at 704 N. Wabash Avenue. After 10 years in their current location, Marie Bartkova and Sharka Magnus, the mother/daughter team behind the salon, have decided to settle into a new space, but one that remains close to their clientele and in the heart of River North. Their new location is projected to open in June 2018.
JLL vice presidents, Peter Caruso and Michele Dugan, and associate, Kelly Nickele, represented the landlord, 500 Fordham LLC, in the lease. Gene Ricciardi of Ricciardi Donovan Realty, Inc. represented Ambra Salon & European Spa.
“Retail in Chicago continues to thrive, especially in this area of River North where you have a heavily traveled pedestrian corridor just two blocks west of Michigan Avenue,” said Caruso. “The Fordham offers a great, high-traffic area for Ambra Salon & European Spa to grow and continue to serve their loyal client base. We’re excited to play a part in welcoming them to this neighborhood of growing retailers.”
The space, formerly occupied by Material Possessions, is surrounded by high-end residential and major traffic drivers, including Holy Name Cathedral, Whole Foods and Jonathan Adler. The salon also joins other prominent retailers nearby, including Rent the Runway, who in 2015 launched their fifth brick-and-mortar location in Chicago to serve the city’s growing entrepreneurial female base.
