Cult brand Baggu to open second Chicago store in Lincoln Park

Baggu, the California-based bag and accessories brand, plans to expand its Chicago footprint with a second store in Lincoln Park.The new location is expected to open at 2118 N. Halsted St., according to a city permit filing. The 2,200-square-foot space was previously home to It’s A Secret Medspa.Records show Baggu filed a permit last month to renovate the space, as well as permits in February for signs. It’s unclear when the store will open.The area was designated a Chicago landmark in 2003, which means the permit approval process includes a landmark review. The city’s Department of Planning and Development didn’t respond to a request for comment regarding the status of Baggu’s approval process.Baggu didn’t respond to a request for comment.The building’s owner, Chicago developer Fred Latsko, on Tuesday confirmed Baggu’s plans to open. Latsko has owned the building since 2005, according to property records. He owns a number of retail properties in the city, including 901 W. Kinzie St., where Guinness opened its first Chicago brewery.Speculation over Baggu opening a second location ramped up when the brand posted a job opening for a Chicago store manager to its Instagram account. The job posting was uploaded to LinkedIn April 1. The brand’s new location is in a highly trafficked retail and dining corridor. Nearby businesses include boutique fitness studios like Solidcore, Barry’s and Orangetheory Fitness, as well as the popular restaurant Café-Ba-Ba-Reeba. The shop is also about two blocks away from the Armitage L stop, where trendy retailers like Buck Mason…

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