Ground Officially Broken at Trader Joe's Site

Officials broke ground Monday on a planned Trader Joe's store in Libertyville, with the store expected to open later this year.

Trader Joe's announced in February that it will open a 12,500-square-foot store on the site of the old Frank's Nursery, located at 1600 S. Milwaukee Ave. The real estate developer handling the project, Paragon Real Estate, also plans to build an 8,100-square-foot multi-tenant building on the 3-acre parcel.

"We are fortunate to have Trader Joe's as our anchor tenant," Tom Williams, managing partner of Paragon Real Estate, said in a prepared statement. "This unique grocery store draws loyal customers from a wide area and is sure to be a popular and convenient stop for the surrounding workforce."

Many readers on Libertyville Patch echoed those sentiments when the store was announced in February. "Hip, hip hooray!!! Great choice!!" wrote one reader, while another said, "Score for Libertyville! Trader Joe's was missing in central Lake County, and I'm glad they chose our town for the location … convenience and tax revenue!"

"The development has excellent visibility along Milwaukee Avenue, which has a steady flow of consumers driving by," said Williams.

He added that "the village of Libertyville has been a big supporter of this development, and the surrounding community has also voiced great enthusiasm for having Trader Joe's come to their neighborhood. It's a win-win for all parties."