Walmart Lot Won’t Remain Empty For Long, Plainfield Officials Hope

PLAINFIELD, IL — Walmart surprised many by announcing Wednesday they would be closing three stores in the Chicagoland area, including in Plainfield.

Village staff addressed the closure in a news release Friday, saying they “are sorry to lose them” but are on the hunt for commercial redevelopment opportunities and “looking forward to working with the development community to fill the space.”

The company said it made its decision to close the Plainfield center — along with stores in Homewood and Lincolnwood —after reviewing more than 5,000 stores nationwide, some of which have not met financial expectations, Patch reported.

Walmart executives said the Plainfield location’s underlying business is strong, yet it “hasn't performed as well as we'd hoped.”

Walmart Supercenter, at 12690 S. Route 59, will close March 10. Officials confirmed they have not yet received proposals for the space, contrary to rumors that have floated around.

Until a new business takes over the Route 59 lot, village staff is working with Walmart “to ensure that the site is secured and maintained properly once they close.”

RELATED: Plainfield's Walmart To Close: 'Hasn't Performed As Well As We Hoped'

“Walmart has been a great community partner and we are sorry to lose them,” Mayor John Argoudelis said in a statement. “The retail marketplace continues to change and the Village is planning for the future and will take advantage of this great redevelopment opportunity.”