Edens Plaza Wants to Subdivide Vacant Borders Store

The managing company of Edens Plaza has applied for building permits to subdivide the vacant bookstore space into at least two stores.

Wilmette village manager Tim Frenzer confirmed the application from Joseph Freed and Associates. The Borders space has been the largest Edens Plaza vacancy for six months, since the national bookstore chain began closing stores and liquidating the company.

A spokesman for Joseph Freed declined to confirm the building permits or its overall plans for the site, which at 30,000-square-feet is considered too big for most retailers.

“We’ve heard various rumors about a new anchor tenant ready to sign a lease,” said Frenzer. “Very few retailers want 30,000 square feet, an extremely large space. A restaurant like Buffalo Wild Wings, that’s about 10,000 square feet. We’re not surprised they want it to be subdivided.”

One of four vacancies

Edens Plaza has three other storefront vacancies by the back of the mall. One empty storefront advertises “Swim lessons coming soon…Big Blue Swim School.”

“As a policy Joseph Freed and Associates does not disclose merchandising strategies, nor do we announce prospective tenancy opportunities until such time as we have definitive, executed leases,” said company spokesperson Jan Nocita. “That being said, Edens Plaza is a high-quality shopping center, is certainly in a premier location that has generated significant interest from retailers and we are excited about the future of the center.”

Joseph Freed gives little information other than its contact number in a sign in the window of the vacated store. Inside, a few empty bookshelves still remain, while one forlorn-appearing sign, “Health and Medicine,” still hangs from the ceiling.

Frenzer said he's heard speculation that a new drug store might be coming to the space.

“From the village’s perspective that would be fine," he said. "The west side of the village isn’t served by one, compared to the Green Bay Road and Sheridan Road corridors.”

The nearest chain drug store is a , two miles west in Glenview. Walgreens stores are clumped closer together than two miles in Skokie and Morton Grove.

Business employees, shoppers back drug store

Employees of both neighboring and endorsed the drug store concept. One Fresh Market worker said shoppers have come in looking of hygiene products or to use an ATM, but both commodities – staples at a drug store -- are not featured at the grocery store.

Bed, Bath and Beyond shopper Mary Reinhardt of Chicago said she'd like to see a drug store added to the area.

“A Walgreens or CVS here would be good,” she said.