The Pullman community reached another economic milestone Thursday with the opening of a new Chipotle Mexican Grill at 11211 S. Corliss Ave.
The launch of the Far Southeast Side’s first Chipotle completes the lease-up of Pullman Gateway, a new 8-acre retail development now 100% occupied by four well-known restaurant chains. It replaced a parking lot and former off-track betting parlor.
“This is a continuation of the renaissance of the entire area that we’ve been working on for the last 12 to 15 years,” said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th. “People in the community have long sought new dining options, both places to sit down and have a cup of coffee or a full meal.”
Pullman Gateway customers can now choose between the new Chipotle, Jimmy John’s, Dunkin’ and Chick-fil-A. A CTA office supporting the Red Line Extension is also located in the center.
Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives developed Pullman Gateway in partnership with the Hope Center Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago.
The developers also announced Thursday plans for another community retail complex. Pullman Park Retail Center will be constructed on 111th Street just west of a retail corridor completed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives in 2017.
“We acquired the Pullman Gateway site about three years ago, and it’s been great to complete its buildout in a relatively short period of time,” said David Doig, president of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives. “There are about 500 jobs on that site, so we want to keep the momentum going. It’s all a testament to the area’s maturation and how people have discovered that this is a good place to do business, a place where you can find good employees.”
Other businesses in the neighborhood near the Pullman Gateway complex that were recruited by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives include Lexington Betty Smokehouse, a Potbelly sandwich shop and a Culver’s that opened in 2021.
Starbucks, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria have agreed to anchor the Pullman Park Retail Center. Former Chicago Bear Matt Forte is a significant investor in Slim & Husky’s, and this will be the Nashville-based chain’s first Chicago location.
A 2024 restructuring plan by Starbucks led to the closure of many Chicago locations, making it doubly significant the Seattle-based coffee chain decided to invest into Pullman, Beale said.
“The old saying is, if you get a Starbucks, you’ve arrived, and I think we’ve arrived,” he said.
The neighborhood suffered for years from disinvestment and job losses. The Ryerson Steel plant near 111th Street and the Bishop Ford Freeway in Pullman closed for good in 2006, tearing a big hole in the local economy. Retailers fled and property values fell.
But development efforts led by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives generated nearly $1.5 billion in economic impact for the Far South Side between 2009 and 2023, including $693 million for Pullman, according to a 2025 study by Anderson Economic Group LLC.
Thousands of jobs were created. Dozens of businesses, including restaurants and retail, advanced manufacturing facilities and new warehouses, have filled up much of the land vacated by Ryerson. An eco-friendly Method Products soap factory was built on a 180-acre site called Pullman Park, which also includes distribution facilities for Whole Foods, Amazon and SC Johnson.
“When I started here 15 years ago, there was a McDonald’s, but beyond that there was nothing,” Doig said. “Pullman is now definitely on the map and we’re seeing a lot of optimism.”
Beale said there is more work to do. A long-term goal is to draw more tourists to Pullman National Historic Park, created in 2022 to preserve the 19th-century company town founded by railroad tycoon George Pullman.
In February, Gov. JB Pritzker announced a $100 million public-private partnership that will renovate several historic neighborhood sites, including Pullman’s Hotel Florence, built in 1881. A hotel development group also recently began construction of a 101-room, $30 million Hampton by Hilton Hotel at 111th Street and Doty Avenue near Pullman Park.
“The hotels have all been approved, but now we have to get them done,” Beale said.
