Willowbrook To Get Chain Grocery Store, Set For Long-Vacant Site

WILLOWBROOK, IL – A Trader Joe's grocery store is planned for a long-vacant property in Willowbrook, the village announced late last week.

The chain store is set for the former site of Willowbrook Bowl, 735 Plainfield Road, just east of Route 83, according to a village news release. It has sat unused for a decade.

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Last year, the village bought the site for $5.1 million with a loan from Hinsdale Bank & Trust, with plans to redevelop it. At the time, the village said it wanted to ensure that the property was improved so that it could generate sales tax income.

Willowbrook Bowl operated at the site from 1963 to 2016, dating back to the time when much of the area was farmland.

"Generations of Willowbrook families spent time at Willowbrook Bowl, and I know the community is eager to see this property come back to life," Mayor Frank Trilla said in the news release.

Trader Joe's operates more than 600 grocery stores across the country. Illinois has 23, including in La Grange, Naperville and Downers Grove.