Pete’s Fresh Market’s new Oak Park store location has been in-the-works for the better part of a decade, but with deadlines approaching village officials do not have knowledge of an opening date for the store.
The grocery store planned for the lot at 640-728 Madison St has been in development since 2018, three years after the family-owned chain store’s first location opened in Oak Park in a former Dominck’s store on Lake Street. After years of construction delays and permit extensions attributed to the Covid pandemic, supply chain issues, the loss of the site’s original architect and other factors, the building’s shell now appears to be largely complete.
But village officials told Wednesday Journal last week that they don’t yet know what day the new location is scheduled to open.
As part of the grocery chain’s deal with the village, Pete’s Fresh Market must have a Certificate of Occupancy permit secured by Sunday, Feb. 15 or face fines, village officials said in a statement.
“Based on the last and sixth Redevelopment Agreement amendment’s (ORD 24-143) schedule, staff has determined that Pete’s has until Feb. 15 to receive a Certificate of Occupancy without penalty,” village officials said. “If they do not, then they will be subject to the Default provision which states that if they fail to meet the project schedule the village shall be reimbursed for the village’s lost opportunity costs, (i.e., lost sales tax revenue, alcoholic liquor dealer lot tax revenue and lost increase in property taxes), which they will pay the village, on a monthly basis an amount of $45,760 each month or a portion thereof on a pro rata basis.”
Pete’s project manager Eugene Grzynkowicz told Oak Park’s village board in June that construction was moving at a pace that would allow the grocery store to open in either December or January.
“You all have seen the progress grade a lot of vertical steel standing now and masonry, we completed our north wall, I don’t want to get contentious with our neighbors but we are just about at the end,” Grzynkowicz said at a village board meeting over the summer. “We are on our next phase, which will be topping off with the top of the roof and we will be proceeding with the exterior masonry on Madison Street. Our parking lot is complete, as you see to the west. We have artwork up, which is looking nice. Once it is done it will close it up and decorate that corner. That is where we stand. We are on schedule and happy to open up as soon as possible.”
Grzynkowicz did not respond to requests for comment from Wednesday Journal over the last week.
The grocery store chain’s other location in the village is located at 259 Lake St.
