Development in Oak Park

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Barnes & Noble will be opening a new 25,000-square-foot store in 2026 at the corner of Lake Street and Harlem Avenue in the building located at a “gateway” into Oak Park.

The bookseller will be re-tenanting a space that has been vacant for nearly 15 years, within the historic Marshall Field and Company Store building at 1144 Lake St. The property was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and the Village worked with Cook County on a Class L property designation to enable reinvestment in the property to maintain much of its historic character. The Oak Park location is one of four Chicago area stores that Barnes & Noble plans to open in 2026.

The Office of Economic Vitality worked with the landlord at 1144 Lake St. on a Cook County Class L designation in order to attract a new Barnes & Noble store to Oak Park. The Village’s Historic Preservation Commission approved a landmark designation for the 1144 Lake St. building. The property was once home to a Marshall Field’s department store as well as a Border’s bookstore. The Village Board subsequently approved a Cook County Class L designation.

The Cook County Class L designation provides the landlord with a reduced assessed valuation for 12 years. The landlord pays 10% of market value instead of 25% for 10 years. Then the landlord pays 15% of market value in year 11 and 20 % in year 12. Then the landlord pays 25% of market value in year 13. The Village Board also approved a formal redevelopment agreement with the landlord to invest over $5 million in the rehabilitation of the property. 

Once the landlord completes the rehabilitation of the building, Barnes & Noble will undertake their own buildout and open a 25,000-square-foot store on the first level and basement level of the property.

Barnes & Noble is expected to open by June 2026.

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A new Holiday Inn Express is opening in early 2026 in the heart of Downtown Oak Park. The hotel will offer 68 rooms within the historic Oak Leaves Building at 1132-1142 Lake St., just east of Harlem Ave., with parking accessible via the adjacent Holley Court parking structure.

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The Village is undertaking efforts for the redevelopment of the former Mohr Concrete property located on Harlem Avenue just south of I-290 at Garfield. This 2.3-acre site is an opportunity to bring commercial or mixed-use development to the southwest side of Oak Park.

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A new 55,000-square-foot Pete’s Fresh Market store is slated to open in 2026. The grocery store is currently under construction at 668 Madison St. at the northeast corner of Madison and Oak Park Ave. This will be the second Pete’s Fresh Market location in Oak Park, in addition to an existing store at 259 Lake St.

Pete’s Fresh Market operates 20 stores in the Chicago metropolitan area including the store on Lake St. in Oak Park. Pete’s Fresh Market is a 55,000-square -foot store that will generate significant sales productivity and create hundreds of new, full-time and part-time permanent jobs in Oak Park. Construction of the store also created hundreds of full-time and part-time temporary construction jobs. The nearly $10 million store is expected to open in June 2026.

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Beyond Hunger purchased the vacant, former Body Worx space at 6209 W. North Ave., and plans to transform the property into their offices and food warehouse space.

The 15,000-square-foot property will allow Beyond Hunger to move from the basement of United Church of Christ and offer their services to a larger segment of families in need in the area. The Office of Economic Vitality learned about the property being offered for sale and notified Beyond Hunger of the property availability.

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A new Dutch Bros double drive-thru coffee shop is expected to open later this year. Dutch Bros will raze the vacant former KFC unit on Madison St. and transform the site into a new coffee shop and double drive-thru facility. Dutch Bros has applied for permits and is working to redevelop the site.