Rivian To Open Showroom on Rush Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast

Almost two years after pulling the plug on a planned showroom in Chicago, electric vehicle maker Rivian has picked a new location for its first retail location in the city.

Rivian plans to open a showroom at 871 N. Rush St., according to people familiar with the lease and signs on the property saying the showroom is coming soon.

The Gold Coast deal is a continuation of Rivian’s plan to add “family friendly” showrooms throughout the country to grow its brand in an increasingly crowded field of EV players.

The maker of trucks and sport utility vehicles has leased space at Rush and Chestnut streets after backing out of a retail deal in Chicago’s Fulton Market district in late 2021.

At the time, Rivian told CoStar News it was “still exploring our options” for another space in Chicago. The company already has a service center west of Fulton Market at 2033 W. Walnut St.

It’s unclear why Rivian ultimately chose another neighborhood for the showroom after giving up plans for 932 W. Randolph St. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CoStar News.

The long-vacant Gold Coast retail space on Rush Street is at the base of a 39-story residential tower.

It is less than a block away from a Tesla showroom. The industry giant is seeking to sublease its space at 901 N. Rush in a sign that it plans to close, Crain’s Chicago Business reported in May.

Irvine, California-based Rivian’s upcoming space is surrounded by some of the city’s wealthiest residents, as well as luxury shops on Oak, Rush and other retail streets.

EV makers offer a different model than traditional car makers, selling directly to consumers without dealerships.

As new companies jump into competition with Tesla, such as Lucid, Fisker, VinFast and Polestar, they need retail spaces to market their brands. Their real estate footprints are expected to include service centers and so-called studios, or retail spaces for potential customers to learn about the vehicles.

Showrooms are opening in shopping malls and urban retail corridors such as Chicago’s Gold Coast.

Rivian recently opened what it calls a Space retail and experience center in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, beneath the High Line elevated park, just its second showroom after one in Venice Beach, California, in late 2021.

The New York space is temporary, staying open only until a long-term location in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood is completed, Rivian told CoStar News in June. Rivian said it plans to open more than 10 locations in the United States and one in Canada this year, with showrooms ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet, the company said last month.

It’s unclear how large the Chicago showroom will be, but marketing materials for the space from leasing brokerage Maven Commercial said as much as 5,160 square feet were available for lease.

Rivian’s first factory is in Normal, Illinois. The first trucks rolled off the central Illinois assembly line in September 2021.

The tenant and the property owner, an affiliate of JBS Properties, were represented by Maven Commercial broker Lorraine Adney.