NORTH CENTER — Outlining plans to rebuild their Montrose Avenue store, representatives from Aldi recently met with members of the community to tout enhancements that include wider shopping aisles, updated decor and eco-friendly features like rooftop solar panels and permeable pavers.
Matthew Kessler is one neighbor who won't be around to enjoy the benefits of the new-and-improved store.
Kessler lives at 2451 W. Montrose Ave., where he's rented an apartment for the past seven years. Aldi bought the building, along with a house at 2421 W. Montrose Ave., in order to expand its store from 12,000 to 15,000 square feet and add a handful of parking spaces.
Patty Wetli says Kessler and others will need to move:
Asked when he learned of the deal between his landlord and Aldi, Kessler responded: "Officially? I haven't yet."
One of fewer than a dozen residents who turned out on a frigid January night to hear Aldi's presentation, Kessler pressed Chris Stair, Aldi director of real estate, for more information about the project's timeline as he attempted to get a sense of when he'll be forced to vacate his home.
Pending permits from the city, Stair anticipated that demolition of the existing Aldi and the neighboring buildings would begin in June, with a six-month construction process to follow.
"Tenants will receive 30 days notice," Stair said.
The added detail provided Kessler with little comfort.
"Aldi can do whatever they want, it's a capitalistic society," he acknowledged, but added, "what do I do now?"
Currently unemployed, Kessler said he has little hope of finding a comparable two-bedroom apartment for himself and his aging dog in the same neighborhood.
"I love it," he said of the area. "It takes me 45 minutes to walk around the block" because so many people stop to say hello to him and his pet.
"I'm going to get priced out," Kessler said.
Given what he viewed as nominal changes to Aldi's current store, Kessler questioned whether the company's rebuilding plan was necessary.
Stair, though, said the work would be worth it.
"It's definitely a nice upgrade. This store is going to be completely different," Stair said.
Aldi has occupied the location at 2431 W. Montrose Ave. for nearly 30 years and "we plan on being here another 30 years," Stair said. "But we can't continue in this building."
Though none of the residents in attendance at the meeting opposed Aldi's plan — which requires no zoning change or aldermanic approval to move forward — others agreed with Kessler's assessment that the proposal didn't go far enough in terms of improvements.
Renderings of the facade showed a wall of brick and stone along Montrose, which Stacey Meekins called "really uninviting to pedestrians."
"To expand the store and make it completely brick," she said. "I have realistic expectations — I'm not looking for a six-story mixed-use development. But for a 'green' store I would like to see it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly."
Stair said he would pass along feedback.
Founded in Germany in 1946, Aldi operates more than 9,000 stores worldwide, including 1,300 in the United States. In 1966, the company split into two separate entities: Aldi Nord, which owns Trader Joe's, and Aldi Sud, which runs the Aldi supermarkets.
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