4-Story Building to Replace Demolished Bell Studio on Southport

Developers plan to build a 4-story building where Bell Studio once stood in Lake View, twice as tall as the building they demolished to make room for the new project.

The now-leveled lot at 3428 N. Southport Ave. is half a block north of the Southport Brown Line station. Demolition permits were approved in August, with the City of Chicago giving the green light for construction on Sept. 11.

The permit outlines plans to build the 4-story structure with a commercial space on the ground floor and three residential units above it. It’s estimated this phase of construction will cost $725,000.

Frank Campise, CEO of JAB Real Estate Opportunity Funds, owns the prime piece of real estate. He told Patch in August he planned to build something in context with the neighborhood, but said additional details—including the potential retail tenant—were under wraps.

Forever Yogurt was once rumored to fill the space, and even listed as an upcoming franchise on the company’s website, but the deal fell through.

The Bell Studio building sits just across the street from Candyality and Coobah, two other storefronts in transition. New owner L3 Capital told Patch they’re considering either merging the two for one larger store, or demolishing the two and rebuilding.