Lattof building swept aside for expected new grocery store

The Lattof Chevrolet building on Northwest Highway southeast of downtown Arlington Heights is being demolished to make way for a new grocery store.

The family-owned automobile firm did business in the village for 70 years until October 2008, when Al Lattof accepted a buyout offer from General Motors.

Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc., a Milwaukee company, is expected to operate a 68,000-square-foot full line grocery store on the site, said Charles Witherington-Perkins, director of planning and community development for the village.

Roundy's owns the Pick 'N Save and Copps Food Center stores in Wisconsin and the Rainbow Foods grocery stores in Minnesota.

A new name will be given to Roundy's new chain of stores in Illinois, said Vivian King, director of public affairs.

That name is not ready to be released, she added.

After the Lattof building is demolished, underground tanks will have to be removed and permits obtained before site work and excavation can begin, said Witherington-Perkins.

Neither King nor Witherington-Perkins would give a timetable for construction or opening of the store.

King said that once Roundy's has signed a lease with the developer of the new Arlington Heights store, the company would reveal when it would be built.

So far the project seems to be on time, said Witherington-Perkins. Getting financing and closing on the property, which occurred the third week in July was key, he said.

Roundy's is working on a number of sites in the Chicago area, and Witherington-Perkins did not know if the Arlington Heights store will be the first to start construction.

Roundy's has sales approaching $4 billion annually and nearly 19,000 employees throughout its network, according to its Web site.