Trader Joe’s considers plans to open North Park store

Trader Joe’s could be opening at the Lincoln Village Shopping Center, becoming the first major grocer in the North Park center.

The national chain applied for building permits and signed a lease at Lincoln Village, 6199 N Lincoln Ave., according to an email from Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) to constituents last week.

But plans are still at an early stage.

“It will take some time before the store is ready to open. This is a very promising development, but please remember that they have not received all their necessary approvals yet and, as with all large projects, things could change very rapidly,” Silverstein wrote in her newsletter.

Trader Joe’s didn’t confirm plans for a store in North Park. “We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country, including a few in the Chicago area,” a spokesperson said in an email. “At this time, the only new location we have confirmed is in Oswego.”

Silverstein said on Monday, “I don’t want to get overly excited. But we are thrilled they are considering this neighborhood. It looks like it’s all moving in the right direction.”

There are smaller groceries in the ward, as well as a Mariano’s in Skokie and a Jewel-Osco in Evanston, she said. But Lincoln Village doesn’t have a major grocery store. Bringing one to the neighborhood has been one of her top priorities for years, Silverstein said.

Trader Joe’s has 10 stores in the Chicago area, according to its website.

Last year, the company laid plans for a potential store in Uptown. It applied for a packaged goods liquor license at 804 W. Montrose Ave in October.

A Trader Joe’s spokesperson said in an email, “We do not have any locations or timelines to confirm for Uptown.”

The company typically adds new stores to its opening soon list three to six months before opening, it said.