Northcenter Steals Second Small Business from Southport

First Bell Studio announced they planned to leave Southport Avenue for North Center, and now a neighboring small business is following in its footsteps.

Lakeview Physical Therapy, P.C. opened in 2000 at 3548 N. Southport Ave., but now owner Bridged Ellingson says she’s being forced out of her 900-square-foot storefront. With rent prices on Lake View’s Southport Corridor growing to be some of the highest on the North Side, Ellinson says she had to make a move.

“I’m getting kicked out,” Ellingson said. “It came time for lease renewal and they decided they wanted a tenant that was going to pay twice as much as me. It wasn’t an option for me to stay, but now that’s it’s all happening, I’m pretty relieved.”

Her new storefront at 4001 N. Ravenswood Ave. will practically double her clinic’s space.

Southport’s move from small businesses to more nationally recognized retailers is also affecting longtime staples like Safari Cup, which closed Sunday, and Bell Studio, who is also moving to North Center next month.

Now rebranded as Therieau Art and Frame, Bell’s owner also chimed in on the move, saying his plan is to move back to where small businesses are more common.

“I’ve been on Southport for 12 years, and Lincoln kind of reminds me of Southport 12 years ago,” Paul Therieau laughed. “Southport is just being taken over by all these national chains. It’s going to be like a strip mall, and that’s not really my kind of place.”

Area officials say the transition of the popular shopping corridor is a natural progression and a consequence of a free market society. But in regards to Lakeview Physical Therapy’s clients, the move came as a welcomed change.

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Ellingson surveyed her customers asking what neighborhood she should relocate to, and out of the 100 responses, just three people said she should stay on Southport. Now she’s working with her architect and designer to hopefully open by the end of June.

“It’s for the best,” Ellingson said. “I’m getting a bigger space, better parking, a better view, better everything. … My business serves the local community and the families that live here, and it’s kind of exciting that all my clients are feeling good about this new location.”

Representatives with the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce say the broker handling the soon-to-be-vacant space on Southport is being very tight lipped about a potential replacement tenant.