Shopping centers typically rely on major storefronts or national retailers to act as anchors and generate foot traffic for the entire shopping complex.
In Hanover Park, however, the Greenbrook Shopping Center appears to have found a worthy anchor that’s far more locally based.
Last year, Caputo’s Fresh Foods opened its doors in the Greenbrook Center and helped fill a 2-year-old vacant storefront, which village officials desperately wanted used.
“I call these anchor stores `economic development engines’ because of the way they will hopefully drive the shopping centers,” said Village Manager Marc Hummel. “Since Caputo’s came, we’ve seen a growth in customer demand at the entire shopping center in general, and sales tax revenues are up.”
Hummel said other stores in the village were approved with the intent they would fulfill similar roles.
A new Dominick’s Fresh Store that is coming to the Tradewinds Shopping Center is one example, and the Waccamaw Pottery store in the Westview Shopping Center is another. All three of these stores received a financial inducement of one-quarter of one percent municipal sales tax rebate for a period of five years.
Tenants in Greenbrook said that foot traffic has increased at the center, but the loss of other storefronts there has left a mixed impression as to any real increase in business.
“We’re seeing more people stopping here to shop,” said Vicki Keppner, an employee of Little Rosa Pizza at 1230 Lake St. “We lost a Walgreens last year, and if someone would come in there, I think that would help all of us too.”
Aphram Abraham, who manages a tobacco store at 1226 Lake St., agreed that foot traffic has gone up.
Debbie Arnold, who together with her husband owns Windy City Bagels at 1238 Lake St., said foot traffic remains unchanged but added that her “busiest times are from 6:30 to 9 in the morning” so it’s hard to judge the impact yet.
Meanwhile at Caputo’s, it’s not uncommon to see 30 people lined up at the deli counter on a Saturday morning. Filomena Bartucci of Glendale Heights said she has shopped at Caputo’s in their Addison and Elmwood Park stores for 20 years before they came to Hanover Park.
“We get along with everybody here in the center,” said Caputo’s manager, Joe Caporale. “With a few more stores filled, we think the center can really grow.”
