Laskowski Ace Hardware opening next month as anchor of revived and revamped Lindenhurst Center

Well before he began earning paychecks, Rich Laskowski was involved in the family business, although it was more play than work for a young kid.

“I used to climb up these things all the time,” he said with a nod to empty metal storage racks at the soon-to-open 10th Laskowski family Ace Hardware store.

The 21,000-square-foot Ace announced last summer is nearing the finish line for a March opening. It was created by consolidating five separate spaces at Lindenhurst Center on Grand Avenue west of Sand Lake Road.

The vintage strip commercial area, once an eyesore and problem property in a high-profile location, is making a remarkable comeback under new ownership and village commitment.

That has provided an opportunity for the Laskowski family to grow in a town it has long wanted to be in, as well as a milestone for the village as the revamped center nears full occupancy.

“It’s a testament to having a vision and following it,” said Village Administrator Clay Johnson. “To turn around as well as it has as quickly as it has is really exciting.”

That observation also could be applied to the Laskowski family, which after considering options for years is finally able to open a store in Lindenhurst. Rich Laskowski’s father is retired and this 10th store is long overdue, he added.

“We tried a lot of times to buy some property. It just didn't work out,” he said.

Last week, amid the clatter of a team of hired hands installing shelving and displays, Rich and sister Kathy took time from the breakneck pace to update visitors on what is and will be happening.

The first 53-foot semitrailer of electrical, plumbing and hardware products have arrived and will be the first items to be sorted by category and shelved.

Trucks of merchandise — eventually totaling about 85,000 items — will be arriving in the next three weeks.

Exterior signage has been installed. Inside, heavy work like removing cinder block walls to create a continuous space, updating utility services, grinding the concrete floor and painting — a “smoked paprika” color on the walls and “steel wool” hue for the ceiling structure — is complete.

The colors were chosen by another sister, Debbie. All five Laskowski siblings worked in the family business at some point but only Debbie, Kathy and Rich remain as the second generation continued to build and grow the family business.

That business has grown considerably since July 1, 1962, when Laskowski’s parents, Rich and Joanne, opened a 4,000-square-foot Ace storefront in a commercial plaza on Railroad Avenue (Route 134) in Round Lake.

They moved west within the plaza a few years later and expanded in stages to the current 46,000-square-foot store, the largest in the portfolio, which includes locations in Gurnee, Libertyville, Mundelein, Wauconda, Grayslake, Waukegan, Antioch and McHenry.

A commitment to customer service, selection and availability of quality products, convenience and knowledgeable staff are among the reasons the business has continued to grow and stay competitive in the big-box era, the family says.

The Laskowski siblings grew up and lived in Round Lake and the first family Ace is where Rich, now president of operations, played in the storage racks.

“Getting someone like Ace in here is really important,” said Lindenhurst Mayor Dominic Marturano. As a village trustee in 2007, he began the effort to land a Laskowski hardware.

“I said, ‘You guys have got to figure a way to come back here,’” Marturano said.

As time passed, the state of what was then called Linden Plaza had become a problem. The former center owners were cited for numerous violations and taken to court but wouldn't pay, Marturano said.

The village won an $80,000 judgment and placed a lien on the property.

With acquisition and demolition a consideration, the village created a special financing district along Grand Avenue.

In August 2023, Boston-based Good Harbor Commercial Real Estate, known for reviving underperforming properties, bought and renamed the property.

Rather than being added to general funds, the $80,000 collected was directed to the new owners to reinvest and was used to repave the parking lot, upgrade signage and refresh the facade, among other improvements.

Several new businesses, including restaurants and a coffee shop, have opened and joined many long-standing tenants in the center, which has 80,000 square feet of leasable space. HitZ the Spot, an entertainment center, plans to open this year.

The village has primed the pump with grants and other incentives. Ace, for example, will get a sales tax rebate of up to $60,000 and a lump-sum payment of $100,000.