LAKEVIEW — Dust off those cherry red shopping bags, Lakeview: Target is almost here.
The retailer will open a small-format location at 3204 N. Clark St. on July 19, more than two years after Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) announced Target would anchor the neighborhood's first transit-oriented development.
It will be the first Target in Lakeview, although others are nearby in Uptown, Lincoln Park and Avondale. A second Target will replace the former Whole Foods at 3300 N. Ashland Ave. in the fall, now that the grocery chain has opened its massive new store one block south.
The small-format stores are tailored to meet the needs of nearby residents, and others already exist in Streeterville, Lincoln Park, Hyde Park and Downtown.
Target will open July 19 at 3204 N. Clark St., anchoring the Lakeview 3200 development that has 90 luxury apartments above the store. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
It's unclear what merchandise will be offered at the new Target, although the Ashland location will offer select clothing, apartment and condo-centric decor, health and beauty products.
The company is hiring 80 employees for the new store. Interested candidates can apply at Target.com/careers over the next month.
The store at Belmont and Clark is key to spurring new development along the central Lakeview corridor, officials said. Shop owners on the block are cautiously optimistic that the major retailer will draw more foot traffic and shoppers to the neighborhood.
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Officials are also looking to the new development for better security and lighting on the corner that is considered a hot bed of crime near the Belmont "L" station.
