Old Town gets an upgrade: A new Whole Foods to take over vacant Treasure Island site

A new Whole Foods Market is set to move into the vacant former Treasure Island store at 1639 N. Wells St. in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood, after the company signed a lease for the site, local leaders said Monday, per the Chicago Business Journal.

Ald. Brian Hopkins, the Old Town Triangle Association and the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association announced the deal, the Chicago Business Journal confirmed. According to the report, the move would bring back a full-service grocery store to a space that has sat empty since Treasure Island closed in 2018.

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“From the beginning of the redevelopment review, I was clear that restoring a full-service grocery store to this location had to be a priority,” Hopkins said in a statement, per CBS News. “Whole Foods Market is an established operator with the capacity to serve the neighborhood for the long term. There is still work ahead, but the signed lease is a concrete and welcome step forward.”

Long-awaited grocery return

Treasure Island, once known for its upscale offerings and called “America's most European supermarket” by Julia Child, operated for 55 years before shutting down across Chicagoland in October 2018, according to CBS News.

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Old Town residents had “consistently emphasized” the need for a full-service grocery store at the Wells Street site, Ray Clark, president of the Old Town Triangle Association, said in a statement, per the Chicago Business Journal. Pam Farley, chairwoman of the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association, said, according to the same report, “We think this will be a great addition to the neighborhood.”

Hopkins said more information, including a timeline for building and completion, will be released soon. Whole Foods already operates stores in Chicago and the suburbs, and the company also plans another location at the Lakeview Connection building, CBS News confirmed.