Wheeling’s Walmart to expand

Wheeling’s Walmart will soon include a full grocery center, garden store and outdoor sales center.

On Tuesday, the village board unanimously approved an expansion project that will also completely redo the building’s front facade and install new signs, according to Wheeling officials.

“Thank you, now start immediately,” Mayor Judy Abruscato said after the vote.

About 23,000 square feet of the total 36,000 square-foot addition will be for grocery and storage.

Construction will begin this summer and should last about a year, said Greg Cresto, the project’s engineer.

“The store remains open during construction, so it takes a little longer,” he said.

After the addition, the store will also be open 24 hours a day, Cresto said.

Trustee Dean Argiris said the addition is a boon for Wheeling.

“This is a multimillion addition,” he said. “This is huge for us.”

Wheeling’s Walmart at 1455 Lake-Cook Road is about 106,000 square feet, said Mark Janeck, Wheeling’s director of community development.

This is the building’s first expansion since it opened in 1995, he said after Tuesday’s meeting.