Developer: Block 37 site has 13 new retailers

The embattled developer of downtown’s Block 37 site said today it has signed 13 new retailers for the project, which is scheduled to open later this month.

Joseph Freed and Associates LLC, which is fighting a foreclosure attempt, said the new tenants will open before Christmas or through next spring. It said two of the leases still need approval from the project’s lenders, a group led by Bank of America Corp.

Bank of America has filed a foreclosure suit and asked that a judge appoint a receiver to take the project from Freed’s control. A hearing on the request is scheduled for Nov. 20.

The new tenants are: Sephora, L’Occitane en Provence, Michelle Tan, Claudia Kleiner Malabar Collection, GNC Live Well, Simply Thalia, Local Charm, Spirit of the City, Accent Chicago, iCandylicious, the Comic Vault, Bleeding Heart Bakery and Alternative Shoes. Some are Chicago-based.

They would join street-level retailers Puma, Zara, Steve Madden and others in commitments for space. But the foreclosure has raised questions about whether the project can open as scheduled.