Historic Midtown block flourishes

The block with Willy’s Overland Lofts and Avalon in Midtown is flourishing with its historical roots.Excerpt:As Robinwood has declined in the past decade, Willis has flourished.
The multi-unit buildings on the street, some of which have been
converted to condos, date from the World War I era, but they look like
they’ve had a lot of TLC. The Avalon Bakery, a natural food store,
clothing boutique and art space on the north side of Willis, near Cass,
give the street the feel of a thoroughfare in Chicago or Brooklyn.And
one of the final pieces in the street’s gentrification is gradually
coming alive — the Willys Overland Lofts, a five-story former showroom
and garage that was built in 1917.Converting old buildings
in the WSU area has, happily, become business as usual in the past
several years. But visiting one of the newly occupied Willys Overland
units was eye-opening. The space — more than 2,200 square feet — the
two-level configuration and the nifty fixtures and exposed brick walls
were impressive bordering on stunning.Read the entire article here.