With the recent opening of a new Aldi Food Store at 201-275 W. Roosevelt Road in Lombard, the Roosevelt Plaza retail center has transitioned to a grocery-anchored shopping center. That is good news for owner and manager of the plaza Next Realty: Grocery-anchored centers rank as one of the most preferred retail real estate asset types.
Next Realty, which owns and manages Roosevelt Plaza, recently leased the 22,951-square-foot space that previously was occupied by X-Sport Fitness to Aldi as part of the grocery store chain’s expansion plans locally and across the country.
In a press release, Next Realty said that Aldi was attracted to Roosevelt Plaza because of the population density of the Lombard area and the other strong demographics of the surrounding communities.
Aldi joins Hobby Lobby and Harbor Freight Tools as anchor tenants of the center. Other tenants of the center include Fruitful Yield, Roadhouse 38 and Starbucks.
Transforming the former gym to a grocery store was not simple: Construction crews tackled an extensive buildout of the space that included installing freezer and cooler spaces and removing the locker room facilities previously used by the fitness-center tenant.
“With its diverse tenant mix, Roosevelt Plaza has been a very strong center,” said Amy Levin, director of leasing for Next Realty, in a written statement. “The introduction of Aldi Foods will undoubtedly elevate its standing even further within the marketplace, offering our patrons an even broader range of choices and convenience.”
Grocery-anchored retail centers are popular among consumers, often bringing in more activity than other types of centers. This isn’t surprising: Grocery stores are essential businesses and serve as significant traffic generators.
These centers usually boast a diverse tenant mix, too. The are also resistant to the impact of e-commerce as most consumers still prefer to shop in person for their groceries.
