Walmart Adding to 'Express' Presence in Chicago Area

CHICAGO -- Another Walmart Express is on the drawing board in the Chicago area. This will be the second on the North Side; another is already planned for the River North neighborhood.

According to Crain's Chicago Business, the retailer has signed a lease for a 14,086-square-foot store at 3636 N. Broadway in the Lakeview area. Walmart Stores has also filed a building permit for interior construction at the location about five blocks east from Wrigley Field.

If all goes according to plan, the new Walmart Express would be near a Walgreens drugstore and just a block from a Jewel supermarket at Broadway and Addison Street. The site is also a mile north of a mid-sized, grocery-focused Walmart Market store planned for 2840 N. Broadway, a development that raised the ire of some residents and community groups in the Lakeview neighborhood, according to the news outlet.

Alderman James Cappleman (46th), whose ward includes 3636 N. Broadway, says he heard about the deal from residents at a community meeting last week and was first contacted by Wal-Mart on Tuesday afternoon, after Crain's initial inquiry.

"One of my concerns is I'm just now finding out about it," Cappleman said. "I've been very clear from the very beginning that I'm an alderman that works with the chambers and community organizations. We need to hear from any interested business very quickly so we can make decisions about what's best for this community."

He told the news outlet that his preliminary understanding is that Walmart won't need a zoning change, and says he's arranged meetings with Walmart executives and the owner of the property, known as the Recycled Paper Greetings buildings, 3636-38 N. Broadway.

"We want each of our Chicago stores to be a reflection of the surrounding neighborhood, and think a Walmart Express can offer Wrigleyville a convenient and affordable option for their grocery needs," a Walmart spokesman said in an e-mail to Crain's. "We look forward to engaging with the alderman and community to listen to concerns, answer questions and share information about Walmart and our newest format."

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