“The now-defunct longtime home of the Blue Man Group could be transformed into housing and retail, creating 66 residential units in a dense pocket of Lakeview.
“JAB Real Estate has proposed a mixed-use redevelopment of the Briar Street Theatre building at 749 W. Briar Place. The theater was home to the Blue Man Group for nearly 30 years before the show ended its run earlier this year.
“The proposal, designed by Moth Architects, would preserve the two-story theater building at the corner of Briar Place and Halsted Street and add a three-story addition above it. The adjacent parking lot would be replaced by a new five-story building.
“The redevelopment would give new life to the former theater building, which has stood for more than a century. Originally constructed as a stable for Marshall Field & Co., the building on Briar Place is listed as ‘orange-rated’ on the city’s Historic Resources Survey, meaning it possesses potentially significant architectural or historical value. It was designed by architect William Ernest Walker, whose work includes the University Club, the Saddle and Cycle Club and the Casino Club.
“The building was turned into the Briar Street Theatre in 1985, according to the Tribune. For Chicagoans, the Briar Street Theatre was the home of the Blue Man Group — and many local artists and performers have donned the blue makeup or played accompaniment in its 30-year run.
“After Blue Man Group announced the end of its local run, cast and crew members, along with members of the Chicago arts community, staged a demonstration and threw a funeral in protest of the show’s closing. (Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 5/21/25)
Read the full story at Block Club Chicago
- Closed Briar Street Theatre Could Be Redeveloped Into 66 Apartments; The theater closed following the end of Blue Man Group’s nearly 30-year Chicago run. Plans call for an addition and a five-story building on its parking lot, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 5/21/25
- Developer proposes residential redevelopment at Blue Man Group’s longtime Lakeview home, Rachel Herzog, Crain’s Chicago Business, 5/21/25
- Mixed-use development proposed at 749 W. Briar; The former Briar Street Theater will be converted into retail and apartments, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 5/19/25