Brian J. Rogal

Brian J. Rogal is a lifelong Chicagoan if you count a childhood spent in the suburbs. The Bucktown resident is a graduate of DePaul University and then spent several years as an investigative reporter with The Chicago Reporter, mostly writing about the CHA’s transformation. He has covered commercial real estate full-time since 2013.

The food court sits empty in the Ford City Mall on May 6, 2026, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Ford City Mall to shut down over safety concerns, ending 60-year run on the Southwest Side

May 15, 2026 at 7:50 p.m.

Chicago's iconic Ford City Mall will shut down permanently in about five weeks due to what city attorneys have described as unsafe conditions, ending its more than 60-year run as...

Builders broke ground Friday in West Town near the former Lincoln Yards site on what will become the city’s only Cadillac dealership. (Jack Carter Automotive Group)

Chicago’s only Cadillac dealership breaks ground at former Lincoln Yards site

May 15, 2026 at 2:05 p.m.

Builders broke ground Friday in West Town near the former Lincoln Yards site on what will become the city’s only Cadillac dealership.

Emanuel Congregation has reworked its proposal for a new apartment development along the lakefront. The new proposal includes a passageway that would traverse underneath the entire site, providing pedestrians along Sheridan Road with views of and access to Lake Michigan. (Eckenhoff Saunders Architects)

North Side synagogue unveils updated proposal for a new Edgewater apartment complex

May 5, 2026 at 12:05 p.m.

Emanuel Congregation has reworked its proposal for a new apartment development along the lakefront after listening to concerns from neighboring residents.

The eight-story Water Tower Place will be replaced by a three-story retail center with small shops, flagship stores and a collection of new restaurants, according to a statement by its owner. (Neumann/Smith)

Water Tower Place to get $170 million makeover, accelerating the Magnificent Mile’s recovery

April 27, 2026 at 5:57 p.m.

The 813,000-square-foot mall, long the retail anchor of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, fell on hard times after getting hit by the rise of online retail and then the pandemic.

Chicago and U.S. flags are planted on the grass across the street from Soldier Field on April 23, 2026. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

University of Chicago student contest tackles the city’s sports stadium funding debate

April 27, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Nearly 100 graduate students on 16 teams at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and its Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation brainstormed throughout the school year on...

A woman passes a fountain inside the Ford City Mall in Chicago on April 16, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Ford City Mall restores broken fire suppression system and gets temporary reprieve from a shutdown

April 24, 2026 at 4:24 p.m.

A Cook County judge agreed to postpone until May 15 a hearing originally set for Thursday, when the judge could have ordered the giant indoor mall’s immediate closure due to...

People view photographic prints displayed in the gallery space at the new Leica Store & Gallery Chicago at 800 N. Michigan Ave., during a photo exhibit reception April 16, 2026. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Luxury camera store coming to Magnificent Mile, aims to be ‘community center’ for artists

April 21, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

German luxury camera brand Leica will open later this month a multistory store and gallery on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile across from the historic Water Tower.

A person passes an empty store inside the Ford City Mall in Chicago on April 16, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

City reaches deal to shut down Ford City Mall over safety concerns, but remaining retail tenants want more time

April 16, 2026 at 6:51 p.m.

City officials reached an agreement this week with Namdar Realty Group to shut down the main mall after two years of fruitless attempts to repair a fire suppression system and...

The National Confectionery Sales Association said Thursday it will open the first Candy Hall of Fame Experience next year at 830 N. Michigan Ave. (Canvas Real Estate)

Magnificent Mile lands nation’s first Candy Hall of Fame as retail district continues recovery

April 9, 2026 at 6:55 p.m.

The National Confectionery Sales Association said it will open the first Candy Hall of Fame Experience next year at 830 N. Michigan Ave.

Construction workers install windows in the former Signature Room and Lounge of 875 North Michigan Avenue, formerly known as the John Hancock Center, in Chicago on April 8, 2026. The construction will expand 360 Chicago, creating a two-story observation deck open to the public in 2027. (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)

Construction about to start on an expanded 360 Chicago observation deck at top of former John Hancock Center

April 8, 2026 at 5:14 p.m.

The 95th and 96th floors of the building formerly housed the legendary Signature Room restaurant and the Signature Lounge, which closed abruptly in 2023.

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