A suburban-based home improvement retailer plans to shut down all of its stores in the Chicago area and Wisconsin by the end of the year if it can’t find a buyer.
Waukegan’s Home Owners Bargain Outlet, also known as HOBO, filed notice last week planning to close the doors of seven stores between Chicago and Milwaukee by Dec. 20.
The closures would result in the loss of hundreds of jobs just before the holidays, according to officials.
Forest Park Plaza reps said employees were informed by leadership that the closures were due to “major financial challenges” predicted.
The chain has five stores in the Chicago area - including ones in Forest Park, Oak Lawn, Crest Hill, Waukegan and Villa Park - and two in Wisconsin.
“This store closing would definitely be a blow to this area,” Melody Winston, director of real estate, operations and construction for Forest Park Plaza, said in a statement. “We are very concerned about the employees and their jobs, especially during this upcoming holiday season. One of the things we strive to do is to make sure people are working in the community.
The Forest Park store opened for business in September 2017, putting nearly 100 people to work.
Winston said she hopes to meet with HOBO’s owners to urge them to keep the location open through the holidays and possibly for the remainder of their lease.
“I hope that they will honor their commitment to this community,” Winston said.
Meanwhile, she said she is working to find other options for the plaza.
“We worked very hard to help them relocate into this store and to hear a year later they were restricting and likely leaving...just devastating news,” said Village Administrator Timothy Green.
State Rep. LaShawn Ford also said he’d like to talk with owners about the move to see if the state could help their financial problems.
HOBO could not immediately be reached for comment on the matter.
