Park City Aldi moving to Fountain Square

What was once the parking lot for the defunct Lakehurst Cinema may soon be occupied by an Aldi Foods store — replacing the one in operation about a half-mile east in Park City.

A preliminary plat for redevelopment is scheduled to go before the full Waukegan City Council next week. Council approval of the project could come later this month following a unanimous recommendation of the project Monday by the council’s Judiciary Committee.

The future store would occupy three lots on the 10-acre property. Since the theater was demolished in 2007, the site has added a McDonald’s, a Holiday Inn Express and Tires Plus.

In his application to the city, Highland Park developer Shai Lothan stated that the addition of Aldi’s will “help this property be more compatible with the new development surrounding it.”

“The existing (property) is currently a sea of asphalt that awaits development,” Lothan wrote. “New commercial development on this property will enhance its value and those of surrounding properties.”

Lothan told aldermen that Aldi’s move from Park City stems from a desire for more space. One issue that remains to be worked out is access to the property from McGaw Road, which borders it on the south.

“I’m very excited about this,” said 9th Ward Ald. Rafael Rivera, whose ward includes Fountain Square of Waukegan. “This is going to be a good thing for the entire sector, (and) it’s going to help everyone out there.”

Aldi’s move from Park City to Waukegan comes nearly 20 years after the reverse took place. The company had a store next to the Waukegan Kmart on Belvidere Road and moved west in 1991. Aldi opened another Waukegan outlet on North Lewis Avenue in 1992.