Sure, we’re suckers for the notion of a Crate & Barrel on Madison Street. An “urban” Target? By all means. But what we’ve got to date is an upscale Walgreens, a downscale wig shop and beauty supply store in the old Walgreens, and now a proposal for a new Aldi in a notable but obsolete auto dealership which saw its best days 60 years ago.
Welcome to 2011.
This being Oak Park, we’re going to have a debate. Historic preservation vs. economic development. The last time we had this debate, about five years back, we frittered away the last chance to redevelop key parcels in downtown Oak Park before the economy imploded. Now we have a $5 million-plus parking lot on Lake Street.
Let’s see if we’ve learned anything.
Aldi seems to want to buy the old Packard building. Empty how long? We’re guessing five years. Everyone and his uncle has looked at the building. Fenwick High School thought about it. The park district considered it for the gymnastics center. Everyone agrees it is a wreck. How could it not be? It’s 90 years old. No one has spent a nickel on it in the 40 years since Oak Park’s five-decade run as the Auto Row of the western suburbs ended in the early 1970s. The back third of the building is made up of fortress-like concrete ramps designed to carry oversized Packards between floors.
Yes, the building is handsome. Yes, it was designed by E.E. Roberts, who built more buildings here than you-know-who.
But the only worthwhile question is how the hell is someone going to make a buck selling something on this large parcel in this century? Before you say “plastics,” we say discount groceries. Everyone’s got to eat.
Aldi has already accepted the Oak Park reality that the façade of the Packard showplace must be preserved. They’ll prop it up and build a grocery store behind the history. It’ll be like Hollywood except with crackers and canned peaches.
Let’s declare victory and focus on getting the best deal to preserve the largest part of the façade. Let’s make our demands about building the closest thing to an upscale Aldi that exists in its repertoire. And then let’s count the pennies from the sales taxes.