W E D N E S D A Y
January 29, 2020 Vol. 39, No. 26 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Connects Page 19
Pete’s Market presents Madison Street plan Initial site plans unveiled to attendees By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The community got its first look at the plans for the proposed Madison Street Pete’s Market during a Jan. 24 public meeting at Oak Park’s main library. If the application, which will soon be submitted by Pete’s to village staff, is approved, the grocery store will be built on the 600 and 700 blocks of Madison Street, between Oak Park and Wesley Avenues, across from a planned senior residential project. The new grocery store would help “revitalize Madison Street.” Oak Park currently has a Pete’s Market, 259 Lake St., the popularity of which inspired the grocery store chain to build a second location in the village. “We feel we can replicate that success with some lessons learned,” said Stephanie Dremonas, daughter of Pete’s co-founder Jimmy Dremonas. Such lessons learned include the importance of having parking more readily available to customers, as well as employees. Finding parking at the Lake Street location is difficult, as spaces are limited. The plans for the two-story, 49,000 square feet grocery store include 115 underground employee parking spots and 131 surface level parking spots for customers. “Parking was a main focus of the design,” said See PETE’S on page 13
Fine dining
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Christine O’Neill, left, and Holly Ashworth, both of Oak Park, chat over drinks and food prepared and served by their kids during Seed Cafe Night at Seed Montessori School. Story on page 7.
Site donated for Oak Park rec center By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The Park District of Oak Park is inching closer to achieving its goal of building a community recreation center, thanks to a notable land donation made by Mary Jo and Stephen Schuler, local philanthropists and long-time park backers. Now underway is a capital campaign organized by the Parks Founda-
tion of Oak Park and a renewed effort to gain state construction grants. “It felt right for us to donate the parcels for the purpose of building a community center,” said Mary Jo Schuler. The donation is an acre of land on Madison Street, comprising six property parcels located between Harvey and Highland Avenues and three parcels west of Highland. “It’s become clear from my volunteer
work and from the community feedback collected by the park district over the last decade that there are program and recreation needs in the community,” said Schuler. Mary Jo and Stephen Schuler were both born and raised in Oak Park, where they developed their appreciation for the village’s public parks and the district’s See REC CENTER on page 16
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