Gordmans moving into Algonquin's old Wickes store

Algonquin has finally secured a tenant for an important piece of property along its retail-rich Randall Road corridor.

Gordmans, an Omaha-based low-price retailer, has signed a lease with Inland Real Estate Corp. to anchor the upscale Algonquin Commons in the highly visible 47,500-square-foot store Wickes Furniture left in 2008, officials announced Wednesday.

The retailer sells designer clothing, fragrances and housewares at deep discounts, according to its website. Gordmans, founded in 1915, operates 68 stores in 16 states, according to a news release.

The Algonquin store is due to open in fall 2011, will occupy the mall's largest free-standing building and company leaders hope to build an 11,000-square-foot addition, authorities said.

Gordmans representatives will appear before the village's planning and zoning commission on Nov. 8 to seek preliminary approval for that addition. The proposal, if approved, would eventually move to the village board for a final vote, said Russ Farnum, the village's director of community development.

Meanwhile, the opening will mark Gordmans' first appearance in the Chicago area it now operates eight other stores in Illinois.

Farnum called the move “huge” for Algonquin, given the state of the economy.

“The trend is the stores are closing in this environment and here we have a major Midwest retailer that's actually expanding and moving into our marketplace,” Farnum said. “Just the sales taxes that's generated ... are a substantial benefit for the community as a whole, because it keeps everybody else's taxes down.”

Wickes moved to Algonquin Commons in 2005 after having left Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee.

But the furniture giant went out of business in 2008, forcing it to close its Algonquin store.

A Mount Prospect-based furniture store had moved in since then but was gone in about a year.

A representative from Gordmans was unavailable for comment Wednesday.