El Guero eyes closed Certified Warehouse Foods store in Joliet

Supermercados El Guero might put a store at the former Certified Warehouse Foods site on Jackson Street.

Joliet has been looking for a replacement grocer since Certified Warehouse Foods closed stores on Jackson and Richards streets in April.

El Guero is a regional supermarket chain with stores in Crest Hill and five other locations in Chicago and Aurora.

“In addition to purchasing the property and rehabbing the grocery store, they want to add up to 5,000 square feet for retail,” Joliet economic development director Steve Jones said.

The plan may depend on whether El Guero receives incentives. Jones noted that in the city’s marketing efforts to attract a supermarket to the site, it has promoted the possibility of sales tax rebates, property tax abatements and grant money through a special service area tax district that includes the Jackson Street site.

The departure of Certified Warehouse Foods raised concerns because it was the last mainstream supermarket on the city's east side. El Guero, however, would compete with several independent Hispanic grocers in that section of the city.

An El Guero representative could not be reached for comment Wednesday.