BlitzLake purchased the currently vacant land in August of 2015, which was zoned for a two-story commercial building, and worked with neighborhood groups, the Alderman, and the City of Chicago to upzone the land to accommodate a six-story mixed use building.

With its proximity to I-94, the Chicago Avenue El stop and six of Chicago’s most bustling neighborhoods, 863 N. Orleans Street had a lot of untapped potential as a development site.   When the pandemic hit, plans were put on hold, but the vacant lot was served well. There, the Arena was set up— an extension of boutique fitness company, Studio Three. With 50 plots of socially-distant workout turfs, the Arena became home to Interval-style and Yoga classes, keeping the community united and healthy in mind and spirit at a time when they needed it the most.

While the pace and potential of some of BlitzLake’s other projects simply outweighed those of the Orleans site, it was the right time and opportunity to sell in October of 2022 when BlitzLake disposed of the asset to Draper & Kramer.