Kane County Reporter

Leaders in the Village of Bartlett want another grocery store to open up in town after a store closed almost a decade ago, leaving residents only one option for groceries within the village. 

In the past nine years, officials have tried to work with other grocers, hoping to entice them to a location within the village limits. In that time, only Aldi expressed consistent interest. 

"Attracting a second grocery store to the village has been the top economic development priority for the past nine years, since Dominick’s Finer Foods closed," Trustee Stephanie Gansey said at the board's meeting on March 7. "Staff has engaged with over a dozen, including Aldi, for many years in an effort to attract a store to town, culminating in a series of meetings and communications throughout 2022."

Aldi has started pursuing the possibility of opening a store, thanks in part to the rebranding of downtown Bartlett to the Streets of Bartlett last year. 

The village has negotiated several incentives with Aldi to cement this deal, including an infrastructure grant and tax rebate, according to minutes from a previous meeting. The village agreed to a $250,000 site improvement grant payment to Aldi, as its normal site improvement costs range between $700,000 to $800,000, but with current inflation, supply costs are topping $1 million. The village also waived the permit and zoning fees for Aldi, though it still will have to go through all the processes same as everyone else. The fee waivers amount to a roughly $30,000 savings for the grocer. Finally, the village also proposed a 50% sales tax sharing agreement with Aldi. This would run up until $220,000 has been rebated to Aldi. By the village’s estimate of the store earning around $150,000 per year in sales tax, this should be reached near the end of the third year of operation. 

Aldi's current plan is to build a roughly 19,500-square-foot free-standing building in the Streets of Bartlett area. It'll be located close to the company's corporate headquarters, and will feature the newest corporate design and serve as a flagship for the brand's identity. 

Gansey walked the board and community through this agreement during the meeting before the board voted its approval. A representative from Aldi was also at the meeting and addressed the board, commenting on how eager the grocer is to start business in the village and bring its newest store version to the residents. The company is expecting to start work on the location this year and potentially begin service within the calendar year, although some aspects may not be available right away depending on supply availability.