The site of a former art supplies store in Chicago's River North neighborhood will soon be a Walmart Express.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. signed a long-term lease for the space at 225 W. Chicago Ave., formerly a Pearl arts supplies store, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.
The 14,300-square-foot building is located underneath a Brown Line stop at the corner of Chicago and Franklin avenues. The owner of the property, Joshua Mintzer of Chicago-based Saxony Capital LLC, confirmed the deal and told Crain's he expects Wal-Mart to soon file for its building permit.
A Wal-Mart spokesman also confirmed the lease in an email: “We continue to engage with the River North community by listening to concerns, answering questions and sharing information about our small-format store.”
Wal-Mart opened its first Express store outside Arkansas, in Richfield, N.C., earlier this week.
The company has announced several stores in Chicago, including a mid-sized Neighborhood Market at 76th and Ashland and a convenience store at 83rd Street and Stewart Avenue. Wal-mart continues to engage Lakeview residents about a store at Broadway and Surf on the North Side.
