Six Corners

Six Corners
Shopping District
Six Corners in 2026
Six Corners in 2026
LocationPortage Park, Chicago
IntersectionMilwaukee Avenue, Cicero Avenue, Irving Park Road
Interactive map of Six Corners

Six Corners is a commercial area in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago's Northwest Side, which was the largest commercial center in Chicago outside of the Loop for most of the 20th century.

Early history

The area's name comes from the fact that it is located at the intersection of three streets—Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue—thus the intersection has six streetcorners. The Dickinson Tavern was built at the present intersection of Milwaukee and Belle Plaine avenues. Jefferson Township was incorporated at the Dickinson Tavern in 1850, and the tavern served as the town hall and post office. In 1889, Jefferson Township was annexed by the City of Chicago, forming much of the city's northwest side. The Dickinson Tavern was demolished in 1929 to make way for a paint store. The area began to be called Six Corners by the 1920s.

Mid-20th century postcard view.

Notable buildings

Portage Theatre

The neoclassical Portage Theater at 4042-60 N. Milwaukee Ave opened on December 11, 1920, as the Portage Park Theatre, being the first theater designed for films rather than vaudeville shows in the Portage Park area. The original name is still visible on the façade of the building. The theater was designed by architect Lindsey Phelps Rowe of Fridstein & Co. and originally had a capacity of almost 2,000 seats. It was later managed by the Ascher Brothers and by 1929 was managed by Fox Chicago. The theater was managed by the G.C.S. circuit and reopened with a redesigned Art Moderne lobby on March 4, 1940. It became a second-run theater in the 1960s.

Portage Theater

In 1975, the Portage Theater was renamed the Portage Palace and briefly served as a venue for live performances by country music acts, with Conway Twitty becoming the first to play there on May 9, 1975. In the 1980s, the auditorium was divided in two. The theater closed in 2001 after years of sporadic operation. The theater was reopened after renovations in the spring of 2006 as a single-screen theater seating over 1,300. The Portage Theater closed once again on May 25, 2013, further reopening in June 2014. The theater closed once again in February 2018. The theater was taken over by the operator of the nearby Patio Theater in March 2025, with plans to reopen as a community space. Renovations began in April 2026. The Portage Theater was made a Chicago Landmark in 2013.

Klee Building

The five-story art deco Klee building at 4001-13 N. Milwaukee Ave, named for clothing retailer Klee Brothers, was built in 1931. Klee Brothers occupied the first floor, with the upper floor suites being occupied by dentists and other professionals. Klee Brothers sold the property to the clothing chain Rothschild's in the 1960s. After Rothschild's left in the 1980s, the building's first floor housed a series of bank branches, including the Capitol Federal Bank for Savings (CFBS). CFBS went bankrupt in the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.

CFBS president, George Demes, and chairman Alexander Sarovich had purchased the building in their own names. After both pleaded guilty to charges of financial improprieties, Sarovich was sentenced to probation and maintained sole ownership of the Klee building. By 1998, the Klee Building's first floor commercial space was vacant. The City of Chicago purchased the building from Sarovich through eminent domain for US$1.8 million. In 2005, the Chicago Tribune reported that a mixed-used redevelopment of the Klee Building and adjacent properties was scheduled to begin before the end of that year.

The Heller Building at 4015 N. Milwaukee and Woolworth Building at 4017-4021 N. Milwaukee were demolished in 2005 as part of the redevelopment of the Klee Building.

Sears

Sears opened a three-story art deco store at 4730 W. Irving Park Road on October 20, 1938, reportedly attracting a crowd of around 100,000 people. The Nimmons, Carr & Wright-designed building had a Hillman's grocery store in the basement, and was the first Sears to be air-conditioned. The Six Corners location was one of four Sears stores built after the company conducted an eight-year study of shopping habits. The building was constructed with large display windows but few other sources of natural light, as the study concluded that customers preferred merchandise lit with artificial light. During its operation, this Sears location served as the primary anchor of the Six Corners shopping district. As the company and area declined, the Six Corners location became the last remaining Sears in Chicago, eventually closing in July 2018. In 2024, the Sears building was reopened as a multi-use apartment and retail building, with a Target on the ground floor. As part of the redevelopment of the building for residential use, many exterior windows were added.

Peoples Gas

Peoples Gas operated an aboveground gas tank at 3955 N. Kilpatrick Avenue, just east of the Six Corners intersection, until 1971 when the structure was dismantled. The facility continued to operate until 2019 when Peoples Gas moved to the Forest Glen community area. As of September 2026, the land remained vacant after the facility was demolished, with plans to redevelop the property having been stalled multiple times.

The Peoples Gas Irving Park Neighborhood Store at 4839 W. Irving Park Road was built in 1926 with a design by Von Holst & Elmslie. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1987.

Peoples Gas Irving Park Neighborhood Store

Later history

Six Corners in 2007

Decline

Six Corners experienced an economic decline between the 1980s and 2010s, starting with the long vacancy of the Klee Building. The closing of bank branches in Six Corners, as well as the construction of large indoor shopping malls in nearby suburbs, further contributed to dwindling patronage of businesses in the district. Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, Illinois, located 3.5 miles due west of Six Corners along Irving Park Road, greatly expanded in the late 1970s, adding two new department stores and a food court. Some residents likened Six Corners during this era to a ghost town.

Preservation and revitalization efforts

In 1997, a study by National Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, identified conversion of the Klee Building as a first step towards revitalizing Six Corners.

In August 2013, the Planning and Development Department of the City of Chicago adopted the Six Corners Economic Development Master Plan. The plan was made in collaboration with a committee consisting of various area business and property owners, neighborhood associations, and representatives from the 45th and 38th City wards. The goals of the plan are to attract more businesses and patrons to the Six Corners area, upgrade buildings, and improve the ease of pedestrian and vehicular navigation of the district.

In 2020, local groups lobbied for the preservation of the Sears building under any new development plans, hoping to prevent it from being demolished like other historic buildings in Six Corners and around Chicago had been.

At least eight businesses were scheduled to open at Six Corners in the spring of 2014. In 2016, the Chicago Tribune reported that the former Bank of America building at 4747 W Irving Park Road would be turned into a retail building called The Point at Six Corners, with Aldi and Ross serving as the anchor tenants.

In September 2026, Alderman James Gardiner of the 45th ward announced that construction of a new shopping center was expected to begin by March 2027. The planned Shops at Six Corners will be built on a vacant lot once used by Peoples Gas.

Neighborhood associations

In the mid-1990s, the nonprofit organization Greater Northwest Development Corporation successfully urged the city to set up a tax increment financing district (TIF) for the area east of Cicero Avenue and the Klee Building to allocate property taxes towards infrastructure improvements and development. The establishment of this TIF led to the opening of a Jewel shopping center at Six Corners. A second TIF was setup for the rest of Six Corners west of Cicero sometime before 2003.

The City of Chicago maintains a number of special service areas (SSAs), managed by associations of local businesses, in which property owners pay taxes for city services like holiday decorations, trash pickup, security, and snow removal. The Six Corners was granted its own SSA, Special Service Area 28, in 2014 by request of the Six Corners Association. The Six Corners Association managed SSA 28 until 2020. The Six Corners Chamber of Commerce Managed the SSA until 2022, when it was removed from the role by a City Council committee over alleged mismanagement. After the Belmont-Central Chamber of Commerce was appointed to temporarily manage the SSA, the Portage Park Chamber of Commerce took over the role in 2023. In 2026, Six Corners Association announced that it would dissolve at the end of that year.

In 2013, the local Filament Theatre premiered a play called Crossing Six Corners, based on interviews with residents and historians. A new version of the play premiered at the Filament in 2017 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Six Corners Sears.

In 2018, the play Six Corners, by playwright Keith Huff, in which several scenes take place in the eponymous shopping district, premiered at the American Blues Theatre in Chicago.

Naming dispute

Other three-street intersections in Chicago are sometimes referred to as "six corners". As the economic impact of the Portage Park shopping district declined, Wicker Park replaced Portage Park as the largest commercial area in Chicago outside the Loop. Subsequently, the "six corners" description has also been applied to the intersection of Milwaukee, North, and Damen avenues in the Wicker Park, with at least two Wicker Park businesses incorporating the words "six corners" into their names. This has led to confusion among tourists, and debate among Chicagoans about which intersection is the "real Six Corners." Opponents of use of the term for the Wicker Park intersection have suggested reviving its older nickname, "The Crotch.”

See also

References

  1. ↑ Marilyn Elizabeth Perry (2005). "Six Corners". Encyclopedia of Chicago. p. 1145.
  2. 1 2 3 Harvey, Judy (June 13, 2018). "Shoppers get last look behind to scenes of city's last Sears store". Chronicle Media. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Six Corners History". www.nadignewspapers.com. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  4. ↑ Tribune, Chicago (August 17, 1990). "SIX CORNERS COUNTRY". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pick, Grant (November 6, 2003). "Six Corners at the Crossroads". Chicago Reader. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Kelly, Mr Dan. "Celluloid, Graft & Puppies: The (Abbreviated) Portage Theater Story". Gapers Block. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Zumbach, Lauren (February 26, 2016). "Turning a corner in Portage Park: Business coming back to Six Corners area". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Guse, Clayton (July 24, 2015). "Stop calling the Milwaukee-Damen-North intersection 'Six Corners' and start calling it 'The Crotch'". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Cherone, Heather; Hauser, Alisa. "Six Corners: Which is the Real One? Portage Park or Wicker Park?". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 ""Six Corners" – AROUND THE TOWN CHICAGO". aroundthetownchicago.com. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  11. ↑ Overhead View of Six Corners (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Jefferson Township Collection". Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Our History". Jefferson Park Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ "WTTW News Explains: How Did Chicago Get Its Shape?". WTTW News. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Harrman, Jenn (August 29, 2014). "Six Corners in Chicago Neighborhoods". Chicago Detours. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  16. 1 2 Final Landmark Recommendation adopted by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, March 7, 2013 Archived Copy
  17. 1 2 3 "Portage Theatre in Chicago, IL - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  18. ↑ DeVore, Molly (August 27, 2026). "Portage Theater Will Reopen, Owner Says As He Launches Foundation To Pay For Repairs". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  19. ↑ Bentley, Chris (March 12, 2013). "Chicago's Portage Theater Gets Landmarks Nod, Still Faces Uncertain Future". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  20. ↑ nadignewspapers@aol.com (March 13, 2013). "Portage Theater gets approved for landmark status". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  21. ↑ Bey, Lee (April 8, 2012). "Commission puts landmark status in the picture for Portage Theater". WBEZ. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Portage Theater Granted Landmark Status". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 Tribune, Chicago (August 7, 2005). "Project for Six Corners advances". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sears To Celebrate 75 years at Six Corners". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 Pojoga, Madalina (October 10, 2024). "From Retail to Residential: The Transformation of a Chicago Sears Store". Multi-Housing News. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 nadignewspapers@aol.com (December 7, 2020). "Preservation Chicago concerned Six Corners Sears would get razed". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  27. ↑ Zumbach, Lauren (May 16, 2018). "Big developments planned for Sears' Six Corners, Galewood stores". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2026.
  28. 1 2 "What's That Building? The Former Real Estate Legacy Of Sears". WBEZ. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Sears at Six Corners, last in Chicago, closing permanently next month". ABC7 Chicago. June 8, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
  30. ↑ Sun-Times, Heather Cherone | For the (April 13, 2018). "Sears closing its last store in Chicago". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
  31. ↑ "This Massive Above-Ground Gas Tank Used To Tower Over Six Corners". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Peoples Gas Moving Campus From Irving Park To Sauganash, Bringing 400 Jobs". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  33. ↑ nadignewspapers@aol.com (August 3, 2017). "Peoples Gas acquires 9.43-acre site at Peterson-Pulaski in Sauganash". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  34. ↑ Reed, Robert (August 16, 2018). "The Battle for the Soul of Six Corners". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  35. ↑ nadignewspapers@aol.com (September 17, 2026). "Construction of Irving Park-Kilpatrick project expected to start in 2027". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  36. ↑ DeVore, Molly (May 5, 2026). "Long-Awaited Overhaul Of Peoples Gas Site In Portage Park Could Start This Summer". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Chicago Landmarks - Landmark Details". webapps1.chicago.gov. Archived from the original on March 16, 2026. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  38. 1 2 "PetSmart to Fill Vacant Storefront Left by Blockbuster". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
  39. ↑ Six Corners Economic Development Master Plan
  40. ↑ "Six Corners Economic Development Master Plan". www.chicago.gov. Archived from the original on April 2, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  41. ↑ nadignewspapers@aol.com (September 17, 2026). "Construction of Irving Park-Kilpatrick project expected to start in 2027". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  42. 1 2 3 Parrella-Aureli, Ariel (February 23, 2023). "4 Neighborhood Groups Seek Control Over Six Corners Services". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Special Service Area (SSA) Provider List". www.chicago.gov. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  44. ↑ Parrella-Aureli, Ariel (November 1, 2022). "Six Corners Chamber Of Commerce Has City Funding Yanked After Mismanagement Allegations". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  45. ↑ Parrella-Aureli, Ariel (April 21, 2023). "Portage Park Chamber Of Commerce Picked To Oversee Six Corners Business District". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  46. ↑ DeVore, Molly (October 30, 2026). "Six Corners Association Dissolving At The End Of The Year". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved October 30, 2026.
  47. ↑ "'Crossing Six Corners' Unfolds Oral History Of District At Filament Theater". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved September 6, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Keith Huff completes Chicago cop trilogy with 'Six Corners'". Chicago Sun-Times. February 15, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Realignment of Dangerous Damen-Elston-Fullerton Intersection Begins". myFOXChicago. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Construction Starts at Six Corners Intersection". May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Realignment of Dangerous Damen-Elston-Fullerton Intersection Begins". Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  52. ↑ "Construction to Begin at Damen-Elston-Fullerton Intersection". Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Reconstruction Of Bucktown Six-Corner Intersection Set To Begin". May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  54. ↑ "Bucktown's six corners sees burst of development". www.chicagobusiness.com. August 3, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  55. 1 2 Sudo, Chuck. "Don't Call Wicker Park's Most Famous Intersection 'Six Corners'". chicagoist. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  56. ↑ "Stop Calling Wicker Park's Main Intersection 'The Crotch,' Alderman Says". DNAinfo Chicago. May 24, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2026.

41°57′14″N 87°44′50″W / 41.9538°N 87.7472°W / 41.9538; -87.7472