After the land has sat vacant for well over a decade, Edgewater’s latest Starbucks store will be officially breaking ground on the former Carson’s Ribs property soon after the new year.

According to Alderman Patrick O’Connor, the Starbuck’s lease has been ‘fully executed.’ the owner of the property at 5970 N. Ridge Ave. (between Clark and Paulina), Crossroads Ridge LLC, is currently in permit review. The development is expected to take six months to complete.

The news comes after there was uncertainty earlier in 2017 whether Starbucks would follow through with their plans of opening a store at the location. But after a request was heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals on August 18th for a special use license to establish a one-lane drive-through, it was ultimately approved.

The property sits on the busy intersection of Clark and Ridge, a major gateway for people commuting to and from the city up to northern neighborhoods. The property sees a high amount of traffic, with an estimated 38,000 cars passing through every day.

This will be Edgewater’s fourth dedicated Starbucks store, the second with a drive-through option.