New tenant could move into half of vacant Dominick's in Carol Stream

The new owner of the Geneva Crossing shopping center in Carol Stream is close to signing a lease with a tenant who would move into a portion of the vacant Dominick's store, village officials say.

The Tabani Group, a real estate firm based in Dallas, bought the shopping center northwest of Geneva Road and Main Street last year.

Officials won't publicly name the prospective business until the deal is finalized, but Tabani has indicated the tenant would fill about half the 70,000-square-foot anchor space previously occupied by Dominick's, said Tom Farace, the village's planning and economic development manager.

Dominick's parent company, Safeway, announced in October 2013 stores were closing across the Chicago area. But Safeway still continued to pay rent, seemingly leaving property owners with little incentive to attract new tenants.

Safeway merged with Albertsons, the parent company of the Jewel-Osco grocery chain, more than a year ago. Albertsons has since been working to fill Dominick's stores that remain empty.

Former rivals such as Jewel have opened in shuttered Dominick's stores in Bensenville, Fox River Grove and Lake Zurich. Whole Foods plans to renovate one in Wheaton.

In Carol Stream, no plans have been submitted yet to the village on remodeling and splitting up the building to make way for the potential business, which isn't a grocer, Farace said.

Despite the gaping hole left by Dominick's departure, the rest of the shopping center remains primarily full and includes a Goodwill store and Lou Malnati's. Last week, Tabani signed a lease with Athletico Physical Therapy to move into a 2,500-square-foot corner space.