Threadless wants to move to the West Loop

05/04/2010 11:02 AM

By Micah Maidenberg
Editor

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The former FedEx property at 1260 W. Madison seen here last winter. Photo by Micah Maidenberg.

The T-shirt retailer Threadless plans to shift its headquarters from Ravenswood to the West Loop, taking over a vacant, 45,000 square foot property at 1260 W. Madison last used by FedEx.
Threadless representatives told West Loop residents at a meeting Monday the move would allow the firm to consolidate its business and
warehousing functions under one roof, advantages it can’t realize in its current North Side location.
Next week, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) will introduce an ordinance to downzone the property back to its original commercial designation, a bill that will jettison a plan that would have allowed a 90-foot, 318-condo project to rise at 1260 W. Madison.
That proposed building was killed by the housing market collapse, however, and last fall Jameson Realty purchased the property.
Threadless, a 10-year-old Chicago company, is seen as a crowdsourcing exemplar, allowing customers to drive its business through a sophisticated Web site, Threadless.com.
There, artists from around the globe upload designs for T-shirts, which are rated on a zero-to-five scale by a community of users. Staff then picks the most popular designs, has them screen-printed and offers them for sale online and through two retail outlets in Wicker Park and Lake View.
Check Chicago Journal's May 6 newspaper and Web site for additional details about this story.


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