Do we really need an ALDI supermarket in Oak Park?
By my count we have five major big box supermarkets plus two specialty stores. ALDI — short for Albrecht Discount — was owned by Karl and Theo Albrecht, Germany’s two richest men. The discount grocery chain is very popular and successful, with limited choices and no frills service. The company is interested in reopening a new store at 644 Madison Street in the historic Foley-Rice Cadillac property originally built as the Hill Motor Sales Company, a wonderful building in what once was the automobile district.
The upside of having ALDI in Oak Park is the impact on local revenues, cost savings, the convenience and the competition created by the business concept. Furthermore, the long dormant property would be filled with what would presumably become a successful business.
The downside issues are the following:
The formula bound chain’s proposal includes the gutting of the existing building, and constructing a new one-story structure behind the south and east historic façades which would be retained. This is a perfectly good and healthy building that would most likely be a protected historic structure except that the owner has resisted nomination. Essentially, ALDI wants to build a standard big box plan behind the existing façade similar to the brilliant Walgreens down the street. The strategy is the same but beauty is in the details. ALDI has not developed or offered the refinement that was achieved in the drug store. They simply say, “Corporate says no.”
To make the corporate merchandise plan work, they intend to obscure or blank off the majority of the windows to the street. This would rob the building of its soul. If we consider the window of a building as the eyes, the plan would sadly close those eyes. Encouraging or demanding that ALDI work with what is there is not asking too much. Simply by lowering the racks to below eyelevel would open up the space and greatly take advantage of harvesting the sun to illuminate the interior and aid in selling their products. Driving by we would see their colorful products and people which enliven the street and the experience of the interior. Again, “Corporate says no.”
ALDI’s slogan, “Keep it simple and save” is not the only virtue of contemporary living. Architecture is a balance of firmness, commodity and delight. It would be a sad world if everything was judged by commodity or function. ALDI is all about providing grocery through the most functional delivery system at the best possible price. This is good for everyone but not at the expense of our urban culture. ALDI needs to take a more proactive and less rigid approach to building in Oak Park and to become a good neighbor in the process.
The Ohio based store architect, MS Consultants, has proposed that the two-story portion be removed and the arched masonry façade braced and retained similar to a Western Storefront. This would mean that the monumental second-story windows would be closed and a clumsy “tower” would be built as the new entry. The design seeks to copy the original language of the brick and terracotta structure. This building contributes a great deal to the walk-ability of Madison Street with its pattern of fenestration, friendly color and materials, unique decorative tile work and charming iconic symbols of mechanics and salesmen.
“When you shop at ALDI you pay for food — not frills.” So the issue of delight is not on the radar for this value based grocer. We all have the choice to be a good neighbor or an adversary. It is time for ALDI corporate to say yes to Oak Park.
Oak Parker Garret Eakin is an award winning architect, preservationist and an adjunct professor at the School of the Art Institute.