New grocery-anchored center planned for Naperville

Naperville in the western suburbs of Chicago boasts an all-star resume: best public schools in America, best city to raise a family, best city to buy a house.  With retail centers like Chicago Premium Outlets and The Promenade, it’s also one of the best cities to shop…and the best city in which to build a shopping center.

That’s Thompson Thrift Retail Group’s estimation. The company with a wide-spectrum retail portfolio in Indiana, Arizona, and Texas has announced it will build its first center in Naperville, which will be just its second in Illinois. To be anchored by a nationally known, but unnamed grocer, the center will occupy the former site of the Fair Oaks Ford dealership that closed shop eight years ago.

"Many developers have wanted to redevelop this parcel over the years," said Christine Jeffries, president of Naperville Development Partnership. "We are pleased that Thompson Thrift will be moving forward with their plans and will add another link to our efforts to revive business growth along Ogden Avenue."

Naperville has appeared on Money magazine's Best Places to Live List seven times since 2004.