As COVID numbers drop, Loop activity begins climbing again

• After a decline in pedestrian activity in August likely due to a Delta variant surge, pedestrian activity in September improved, especially over Labor Day weekend, remaining over 50 percent of normal levels.
• Sundays on State pedestrian counts compared to the same Sundays in 2019 are within an 11-percentage-point range of 2019 levels, showing the event has been effective at bringing vibrancy back to the Loop. The two Sundays on State events in September met or exceeded normal pedestrian levels.
• Chicagoland’s office human occupancy rose back to 35 percent of normal, matching the record in July 2021 for the highest rate since the pandemic began. This is likely due to the decline in COVID-19 positivity and workers returning from summer vacations. The recent news that SMS Assist, LLC, signed a long-term lease to move from the Magnificent Mile to the Loop in Q1 2022 is further indication of growing confidence in the Loop office market.

• Along with office occupancy rates, parking garage occupancy rates increased to 62 percent of 2019 levels. Digital parking bookings have been over 100 percent of normal levels for eleven weeks, showing that the Loop continues to attract visitors to the many open venues and experiences downtown. As theaters kicked off their 2021-22 seasons in October, parking and pedestrian metrics are expected to rise, all other factors remaining equal.
• Preliminary CTA data suggests that ridership also trended upward in September, hitting 57 percent of normal.
• The opening of Urbanspace’s first Chicago food hall at State and Washington is expected to contribute to continued increases in foot traffic on State Street.

• Hotel occupancy in August fell but stayed above 50 percent of normal, which was expected after major July events like the Chicago Auto Show and Lollapalooza. This hotel data is always provided one month behind.

“September and the early weeks of October brought a variety of good news for the Loop,” said Chicago Loop Alliance President and CEO Michael Edwards. “Not only did Urbanspace open the first of two locations in the Loop, but Petterino’s reopened with a brilliant reconcept, and theaters that have been dark for a year and a half opened their doors to audiences once again. Businesses continue to show interest in and sign leases for Loop office space, and the city’s COVID-19 numbers are trending downward in an encouraging way. As vaccines become available for children younger than 12, and as the city continues to make progress with adult vaccinations, we are very encouraged that we’ll see a continued recovery for the Loop.”

Sundays on State, which has significantly boosted pedestrian activity during each event, wrapped up on Sept. 12. Chicago Loop Alliance recently released a comprehensive report on the event series’ impacts, including that attendees came from every Chicago neighborhood and beyond, and that the event had an economic impact of over $12 million. Read the full report aquí.

Para aquellos trabajadores de Loop que continúan regresando al centro de la ciudad, la Chicago Loop Alliance ha creado un kit de herramientas para volver al trabajo que se puede encontrar en LoopChicago.com/BackToWork. El kit incluye consejos de expertos para trabajar en el centro de la ciudad en el Loop para quienes nunca han estado allí, así como para quienes regresan por primera vez. Aquí encontrará información útil sobre cómo llegar de forma segura al centro de la ciudad; qué novedades hay en el Loop; cómo luce el lugar en estos días; lugares para almorzar y disfrutar de happy hour; y mucho más.

La Chicago Loop Alliance invita a la gente a compartir sus experiencias en el centro de la ciudad a través de las redes sociales utilizando #BackInTheLoop.