Downtown slowly comes back to life after three-month ‘stay-at-home’ order

Tulips on State Street near Jackson Boulevard. (Photo provided by Chicago Loop Alliance.)

July 6, 2020 – Chicago Loop Alliance says they are seeing “a gradual increase in activity” downtown as businesses and workers move into Phase 4 of the city’s framework for emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statewide stay-at-home order that started on May 21, according to CLA, led to an 80 percent drop in pedestrian activity in the Loop. However, during the week of June 10-16, pedestrian activity on State Street was up 26 percent from the week before.

“We’re grateful for the essential workers who never left the Loop, including our very own Chicago Loop Ambassadors who’ve been hard at work keeping State Street clean and safe all this time,” said CLA President/CEO Michael Edwards.

CLA says construction is underway of a Primark store at 35 North State Street. The international fashion retailer is taking over a three-story space previously occupied by Gap. An opening date has not yet been announced.

Steven Dahlman is the editor and publisher of Loop North News. With over 40 years of experience as a journalist and 20 years as a commercial photographer, his career includes work as a radio news director, reporter, and anchor. He is the co-author of three books on Chicago’s evolution, including Chicago’s River: At Work And At Play and Changing Chicago: A Portrait in Postcards and Photos. His first solo book, Marina City: The Definitive History of a Chicago Landmark, is scheduled for publication by Trope Publishing Co. on October 28, 2026.