Wheaton group looks for new grocer for old Jewel site

A group of residents is trying to help a former Jewel Food Store in downtown Wheaton reopen as a grocery store.

Meanwhile, city leaders are anxious to bring everyone up to speed on what the future might hold for the vacant 19,500-square-foot building along Willow Avenue.

On Saturday, both sides will meet at an open forum planned for 10 a.m. to noon at Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St. While the meeting will allow people to ask questions about various issues related to downtown, the focus is expected to be on the shuttered supermarket.

"People have doubts about what's going on and why it's not moving as fast as they think it should," said resident Gregg Slapak, who has formed the group Citizens for A Downtown Wheaton Grocery Market/Store. "It will be to everyone's benefit that we can have some kind of an open hearing so people can ask questions and give input."

The store closed in February 2008 after more than four decades in operation. But before anything can happen at the site, CVS Caremark Corp. and Supervalu Inc. - Jewel-Osco's parent company - must sort out their co-ownership of the property.

Last month, a Jewel-Osco spokeswoman said Supervalu plans to acquire CVS' share of the site and become the property's sole owner. Then Supervalu plans to sell the property.

Councilman Tom Mouhelis says he's already met with representatives from a national supermarket chain interested in acquiring the vacant building. He also said there's a local grocer who might make an offer on the property.

Mouhelis said he plans to attend Saturday's meeting and share what he knows with the residents.

In addition to providing the latest information about the property, Mayor Mike Gresk says he plans to stress the city's committment to finding a replacement grocer.

"We want a three-function store in terms of pharmacy, liquor and food," he said. "We want to make the store what it was - make it whole again."

Slapak says his group wants to help the city make that happen because having such a store is key to the success of downtown Wheaton.

"A downtown has to be diverse," he said. "If you want to keep people downtown, you have to have reasons there to keep them downtown and to shop downtown."