Buffalo Grove pressures Jewel over vacant grocery store

Buffalo Grove officials said Monday they are considering citing Jewel-Osco for inadequate maintenance of a former Dominick's grocery store in Chase Plaza at Lake-Cook and Arlington Heights roads.

Village President Beverly Sussman, Village Manager Dane Bragg and village staff met about a week and a half ago with Jewel representatives for an update on the status of the store. Residents would like to see a grocery store return there.

"Unfortunately, representatives from Jewel say that they have nothing new to report regarding the lease and or sale of the property," Community Development Director Christopher Stilling said at the village board meeting.

Albertsons is the parent company of both Jewel-Osco, which owns most of the plaza, and Safeway, which owned Dominick's before shuttering the chain a few years ago. Albertsons generally doesn't lease to other grocery store chains for competitive reasons.

Stilling said village staff provided Jewel representatives with a list of property deficiencies, including deteriorating brick, a collapsing retaining wall and dead trees. Stilling said formal notice will likely be given within the next week, if nothing is corrected.

"From there, we can issue a citation within 14 days," he said.

Jewel-Osco officials said in a statement, "The Jewel-Osco Maintenance Department is working on some of the issues raised by the Village Board."

Stilling said Jewel informed the village it preferred to find a tenant, as opposed to selling the property. Despite the fact that the village has received multiple inquiries about the property from parties interested in the site, Jewel has not formally presented any prospective tenants to the village.

"Jewel did indicate that they would consider selling the property, but could not provide an asking price," Stilling said. "They are going to be a little less likely to want to sell to somebody that has direct competition to their store, i.e. another grocery store."

The village has an ordinance that prevents Jewel from putting in a deed restriction blocking a grocery store, but it can't force Jewel to sell, he said.

Stilling said another property owner said Jewel is responsible for maintaining the center out of a fund to which that owner contributes.

"The other owner is very worried. He feels that there is very little work that is being done on Jewel's part in terms of trying to find a tenant for the space and that it is taking a toll on the existing tenants within the shopping center," Stilling said. "We think that there are some strong opportunities for something to happen and they have got to be willing to come to the table."