The former Ace Hardware store at 1158 Lillian Street in Elgin is slated to become a grocery store, with city officials and documents pointing to an early 2027 opening. Elgin's City Council approved zoning changes for the project.
The council approved a zoning request on Wednesday allowing the future grocery store to sell accessory package liquor and to build an outdoor refuse enclosure, according to the Daily Herald. That approval follows building permits approved back in May to convert what the newspaper described as a 17,000-square-foot space into the new store. A commercial listing for the property, however, puts the building at 15,244 square feet on 1.06 acres, according to a Showcase commercial property brochure.
What's Changing at the Property
Plans for the site include new landscaping, seal-coating and restriping of the parking lot, and swapping out the old pole sign for signage mounted directly on the building, per the report. A new refuse enclosure is slated for the north side of the property, addressing the waste-collection needs of the incoming grocer. Once finished, the store is expected to operate seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The zoning approval also followed a public hearing process. A notice from the City of Elgin stated the request sought departures from municipal code requirements tied to the location of the refuse collection area, the number of off-street parking spaces, and any other departures deemed necessary to build a refuse enclosure in the street yard.
Property Details and Ownership
The building was constructed in 1959. The property has 61 parking spaces. City documents identify J. Alfredo Sanchez Lopez as the owner of Lillian Street Property LLC, the entity tied to the site, the Daily Herald reports.
Neither the Daily Herald's reporting nor the available property records identify the grocery chain or operator that will eventually occupy the space, and a firm opening date beyond early 2027 has not been confirmed.
One Neighbor Welcomes the Change
Elgin resident Tish Powell welcomed the prospect of a grocery store at the former hardware site. She said she was happy to see something going there and excited for the neighborhood to have another amenity, according to the Daily Herald's reporting. Her comment reflected her enthusiasm for another neighborhood amenity.
