Plainfield officials working on Walmart replacement

Plainfield officials on Friday said the village will pursue commercial redevelopment of the Walmart store.

Walmart announced Wednesday that it will close its store at 12690 Route 59 by March 10.

A statement put out by the village Friday said rumors that another project already is in the works are untrue, but the village has started looking for a new commercial use for the Walmart Supercenter store.

“The village is currently seeking commercial redevelopment opportunities and looks forward to working with the development community to fill the space,” according to the statement.

Mayor John Argoudelis said in an interview Friday that there are no proposals pending for the site, but he believes the property will be attractive for another commercial development.

“We look at it as an opportunity,” Argoudelis said. “While we’re sorry to see Walmart go, we’re excited to see what’s next.”

Argoudelis said there is little space left on Route 59, the primary commercial corridor for the village and home to other big-box stores, including Meijer, Target and Kohl’s.

“It’s a very healthy corridor,” he said.

Rod Baker Ford recently moved its Plainfield dealership to the Route 59 strip.

Closings in the Route 59 corridor are rare. A Barnes & Noble bookstore, located in the Target-anchored center across 127th Street from the Walmart, closed in the aftermath of the 2008 recession but was replaced by a Ross Dress for Less.

The Walmart Supercenter is an anchor for a shopping center that includes other stores, offices and restaurants.

The news release put out by the village refers to rumors that another proposal for the site is underway.

Argoudelis said there had been a posting on a fake news site that there already was a plan to redevelop the Walmart into low-income housing. He said there is no such project, and any housing on the Walmart property would require the village to rezone the site.

According to the statement put out by the village: “The village has not received any proposals for the site, and any rumors to the contrary are untrue. In the meantime, the village is working with Walmart to ensure the site is secured and maintained properly once they close.”