Salt Shed Wants To Build 15,000-Person Outdoor Music Venue Next Door

GOOSE ISLAND — An outdoor amphitheater, plaza and bar could grow the Salt Shed music venue s footprint along the Chicago River. The owners of the popular state-of-the-art Salt Shed music venue, 1357 N. Elston Ave., are looking to expand the venue s entertainment district into the adjacent vacant lots sometimes used for parking during shows. Blue Star Properties and 16 on Center, the hospitality group that operates the Salt Shed, want to build a large-scale outdoor venue next door at 1401-1459 N. Magnolia Ave., between Blackhawk and Le Moyne streets, according to a zoning application filed last week for the project and a notice affixed to the property. The four lots for sale — 10.5 acres — have been eyed by the Salt Shed owners since last year, when they were exploring options to buy the properties for the expansion project, Crain s Chicago Business reported in 2025. The proposed plan for the Salt Shed expansion at 1401-1459 N. Magnolia Ave. shows three sections of seatin