Trader Joe’s in Plainfield? Maybe, Says Property Owner

A local Trader Joe’s store has long been on the wish list of many residents, and it could happen, according to the company that owns the site occupied by the soon-to-close Barnes & Noble store on Route 59 in Plainfield.

Edwards Realty Co. Vice President Ramzi Hassan said reports that his company is in negotiations with the high-end specialty grocer are premature, but noted they have been "courting" Trader Joe’s to bring a franchise to the site, located at 12700 S. Route 59.

“We have not entered into any negotiations with anyone definitively for the site,” Hassan said. “That’s not to say we don’t hope to in the future.”

Hassan said he spoke with village officials about the possibility of a Plainfield Trader Joe’s, adding that the retailer is “always at the top of the list” of resident surveys on most-wanted businesses.

A Plainfield village official said he couldn’t confirm any negotiations between Edwards and Trader Joe’s.

Edwards Realty is working with Mid-America Asset Management to reach out to several retailers that could be a good fit for the site, Hassan said.

“That’s not to say we’re not courting [Trader Joe's],” he said, adding of the company, “ … That’s not to say they aren’t looking at it at all.”

Village officials confirmed that Barnes & Noble will close at the end of the year, citing an inability of the company to reach a lease agreement with Edwards Realty. According to Hassan, the closing date is Dec. 31.

Hassan said community support could help encourage Trader Joe’s to come to Plainfield.

On its website, Trader Joe's provides a location request form for residents who want to see a store come to their communities.

Hassan added Edwards hopes to have a tenant or tenants in the former Barnes & Noble store by late 2013.

The retailer’s Chicago-area locations include Naperville, Downer’s Grove and Glen Ellyn. According to the Trader Joe’s website, a new location is planned for Evanston.