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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Trader Joe's - The Most Popular Rumor in the Sloop

It's been awhile since we've talked about the most infamous rumor in the Sloop, so what the hell...here is an email from a hopeful reader:
Ok, I'm not trying to fuel a hopeless fire, but a friend who knows a manager at the Ontario location said that they had finally sealed the deal on the old Sam's space, and they are shooting to open in March. Still can't find any thing "official" online, but did find this post on the Frankel & Giles blog from Sept. They are in the real estate biz in the area...
We've emailed Trader Joe's corporate to see if there is any validity to this rumor. If we hear anything we will obviously post it. Our fingers are crossed.

(Hat tip: TR!)

27 comments:

  1. Please, please, please be true! This is the perfect location for them.

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  2. I noticed furniture in the space a couple of weeks ago. I don't believe it was there before.
    It looks like restaurant/lounge furniture. Not anything that Trader Joe's would use.

    I'm crossing my fingers anyways.

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  3. Furniture has been in there for months, no surprise there.

    Wouldn't say it's the perfect location, ever walked on the sidewalk outside the Roosevelt stop? Not exactly Trader Joe's clientele, unless they have organic cigarettes.

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  4. The furniture has been in there for awhile. Every once in awhile it seems to get moved around.

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  5. Although I'm not a fan of Aldi (which is exactlly what TJ's is!) - this would be great if only for one reason: it would make that absolute hellhole Jewel across the street clean up it's act!

    Further, I agree completely with the post regarding the "clientele" at/near this intersection. You usually don't see many of the "usual suspects" lined up in a TJ's.

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  6. That would be a great spot for a TJ's. The L and nearby student population would be great clientele, not to mention the many high-rise residents in the immediate vicinity. My only concern is the small parking lot. There was a construction garbage container in the lot a while ago, but I haven't seen any action yet. Please let it be true, or if not that location, what about somewhere else in the S. Loop? I don't know why TJ's is putting in another Lincoln Park store on Diversey and not expanding to other neighborhoods.

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  7. I don't feel the "non-Trader Joe's clientele" that hangs out on Roosevelt/State is a good representation of the people who actually LIVE in the area, and would frequent the store. The people hanging out on Roosevelt are waiting for the bus that heads west. Also, Trader Joe's doesn't have a Chicken Wing bar in the store, so I don't think the jewel clientele will wander over.

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  8. I don't think the parking lot is any smaller than the one at Ontario. There's been a couple times I've gone there, and there hasn't been any parking. You deal with it...you live in the city and can't expect there to always be parking.

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  9. I'm not excited about that location because I want to drive there...i'm excited because I can walk there! That's is the great thing about living in the sloop!

    I was just in NYC, and went by the TJ on 6th avenue...I didn't see any parking, and the place was packed.

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  10. I'd love to see one put in across from the prep school on Harrison and State. It is right next to the red line, walking distance from the loop, and plenty of parking could go in since the area would be new construction. The only downside would be that you'd be crazy to build new construction right now.

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  11. Regarding the parking situation...there was a drill rig doing test borings on the site in September. The work was being done to aid in the design of a parking garage that will go on the site of the existing parking lot. The comment was "Trader Joe's has closed a deal to move here on the condition that a parking garage be built.

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  12. "The comment was 'Trader Joe's has closed a deal to move here on the condition that a parking garage be built.'"

    Was this an actual statement by a rep of TJs or just a our wishful thinking?

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  13. The comment came from the driller of the test borings. I was quizzing him and he offered it up when I asked "what the heck can anyone build on a site like this?" Those guys are not supposed to identify their client or anything about the project their working on.

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  14. ok anon 4:32, so if he offered up that much information did he say that site could or could not support a parking structure?

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  15. Not a fan of the parking structure idea since it is so close to the busy intersection of Wabash & Roosevelt. I cringe at the traffic jams it would cause (similar to that seen near Roosevelt & Canal due to the Whole Foods lot).

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  16. He's a driller performing test borings...that is not his call. Engineers will use the information he collected to design the foundations. Of course the site can support a parking structure. It's large enough and the structural loads will be nominal, especially compared to some of the surrounding structures.

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  17. I hope it is true. It would be a great location, and the building itself has such beautiful terra cotta cladding and was nicely restored, it would be great for it to be fully used again. And to the comment about Aldi's ... come on! While Trader Joe's may be owned by the same company, the merchandise is light years away from what you'd find at an Aldi's store. And please, all the whining and occasional hysteria about the people who wait for the bus at Roosevelt and State is getting to be a bit much.

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  18. Bring it on please!

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  19. If it's true, I wish they wouldn't build a parking garage either, but for another reason. Trader Joe stores are small and don't handle a large amount of shoppers very well. Putting in a parking garage not only means more shoppers, but likely more shoppers with carts rather than baskets, thus crowding the aisles.

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  20. I was told by an architecture firm that they are working on TJ plans for the old Sam Club's space

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  21. I was told by a bunch of people on a blog that a TJ's opened in the old Sam's Space last year.

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  22. No way this is a "done deal." If that's true, why is the "for lease" sign stil plastered on the windows and why is there still very non-TJ-looking furniture stacked up all over the place?

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  23. Another source (Alderman Fioretti) says an "upscale" grocery store will open in the Sam's space: http://southloopconnection.blogspot.com/2010/11/trader-joes-coming-to-roosevelt-and.html

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  24. everyblock lists a liquor application at this location for....

    http://chicago.everyblock.com/business-licenses/by-date/2010/11/24/3574886/

    trader joe's.

    it's real! oh yeah!

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  25. TJ applied for a liquor licenses, so I guess it's true.

    http://chicago.everyblock.com/business-licenses/by-date/2010/11/24/3574886/

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  26. And...confirmed....Yippee!
    http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20101130/NEWS07/101139992/trader-joes-plans-new-grocery-store-in-south-loop

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