CRYSTAL LAKE – Plans are solidifying on a proposed move and expansion of Aldi's Crystal Lake location, city officials said Friday.
The discount grocery store submitted its plans for a new 17,825-square-foot location at 5831 Route 14, a spot previously filled by a tavern and seasonal Halloween store since Skorberg’s Furniture Store closed, according to a release from the city of Crystal Lake.
The building currently on the site, which is across from the shopping center that houses Best Buy and The Fresh Market, will be demolished to make way for a new state-of-the-art grocery store that will match Aldi’s new flagship design, the release said.
The store will be nearly 3,400 square feet bigger than its current Crystal Lake location at 320 S. Virginia St., which also is along Route 14, said James Richter, the city’s planning and economic development manager.
“Aldi’s expansion plans are yet another reflection of the success that can be attained on Crystal Lake’s Route 14 corridor,” Mayor Aaron Shepley said in a news release.
The store’s soon-to-be-former location won’t be vacant for long, Richter said, adding there has been strong interest in the building.
The property is being listed for $1.3 million.
Aldi plans to start construction on the new store in the spring, Richter said. The permit drawings are currently under review by the city, but the store was designed to meet the city’s zoning requirements.
That means the project won’t need to come before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Council, Richter said. The only items the city hasn’t seen that could change that is the layout and size of the store’s signs.