State Street shopping: Local shops to join Block 37

In this week's "Almost perfect" issue, I said State Street needs a better selection of stores. And guess what? Crain's just reported that a bunch of new stores have signed leases to be a part of Block 37. We already knew about Zara, Anthropologie and Puma opening in the space, but the new list includes Sephora (which will be a big competition for the Ulta down the street), GNC and L 'Occitane.

Yes, these seem like typical mall fare, so what's more exciting about the list is the addition of a few local shops in the mix. Local designer Michelle Tan is opening a second outpost of her namesake boutique in the mall's second level. Other local-owned businesses slated for Block 37 include Bleeding Heart Bakery, Comic Vault, Alternatives Shoes and a second location of Claudia Kleiner Malabar Collection.

Of course, with a foreclosure lawsuit filed against its developer, the mall's opening (currently scheduled for later this month) could get pushed back. Kleiner seems optimistic, though, and tells us she's hoping to be open by December 1. "I love the development [of the mall]," Kleiner told me in an e-mail. "It looks fantastic and is going to be a totally different mall than what Chicagoans are used to, this will be the first to showcase 'hometown talent' designers stores, so it won't be only big national retailers, and we are so proud to be part of that."