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| Vacant 71st/Jeffrey space by Eric Allix Rogers/flickr |
Even though just last week Mariano's announced their going to build on land that was once home to a large steel mill on east 87th, it seems the question of the former Dominick's space near 71st/Jeffrey refuses to go away. Mariano's CEO Bob Mariano passed on the space but will still tour city owned lots in South Shore with 5th Ward Ald. Leslie Hairston to find an appropriate spot for another Mariano's store. In the meanwhile Mr. Mariano's justification:
“It’s the location,” Mariano said about passing on the former Dominick’s at Jeffery Plaza, 7131 S. Jeffery Blvd. “It’s not the neighborhood.”On top of this Ald. Hairston added:
Mariano made his remarks last week, just before announcing plans to open a new Mariano’s location in South Chicago.
He also said he thinks the parking lot is the wrong size for the 65,000-square-foot store, he believes the entrances and exits to the parking lot don’t serve the store well and he did not like that the Metra tracks passed in front of the store on 71st Street.
“We’re not going to bring a store to the neighborhood that is below the standards of Mariano’s,” Mariano said.
On Tuesday, Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) said she was aware of Mariano’s objections to the former Dominick’s location.So where could they bring another Mariano's on this part of town? I could compare this to the two Walmarts located nearby us one on 83rd and another on 111th. While the one on 111th had been approved first the one on 83rd was completed sooner because the site was already set up for a store to be built. The site near 111th well they had some work to do before all was said and done.
“Do I think Jeffery Plaza could be updated? Absolutely,” Hairston said. “But you’re not going to get rid of the trains.”
She said the city is still actively negotiating with several grocers to the move into the Dominick’s, which closed Dec. 28. She said she is also still courting Mariano’s to move to South Shore.
This would be the case for Mariano's on the former steel mill site. Could they possibly find a site within South Shore which is ready made for a store much sooner that the store coming in 2016?
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