With Borders set to close all its stores by the end of September, including the high-profile location in Oak Park, village hall is trying to help attract a replacement. And number one on officials’ wish list is an Apple Store.
Over the years, residents have often clamored for a local Apple location, according to Village Manager Tom Barwin. Harlem and Lake would seem to be the perfect spot, he said, with two nearby universities and swaths of creative and intellectual shoppers nearby who crave Apple’s products.
“They’re so popular in the creative community and the knowledge community that it just seems like a logical successor,” Barwin said. “And with Borders closing, we now have a vacuum that needs to be filled.”
Oak Park hopes to set up a meeting with Apple sometime in the near future. But the timing on the recruitment effort is uncertain, as it’s unclear when the Borders space might become available, Barwin said. In a press release on Monday, the Michigan-based chain of 399 bookstores said liquidation sales could start as soon as Friday, and stores will likely close by the end of September.
Village hall is also soliciting input from residents on what stores they’d like to see open in Oak Park. Those interested can email suggestions to business@oak-park.us by the end of the day on Monday. The village has also posted a survey on the topic, which can be found here.
For more on this story, see the July 27 print edition of Wednesday Journal, and check OakPark.com for updates