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JOLIET, IL — Joliet’s Kmart store was built in 1965 and now five years after it closed, approximately 30 union contractors are bringing the property back to life this week as a Tony’s Finer Foods — and a Planet Fitness.
That’s right, Planet Fitness will occupy the corner property at the former Kmart that decades ago was a ShowBiz Pizza Place.
On Wednesday morning, Joliet Patch was on site to interview Chris Marczuk with Unified Construction Group, the general contractor for the Tony’s redevelopment in Joliet.
Marczuk said the Tony’s is expected to open by next spring. The front area of the grocery store at Larkin Avenue and Jefferson Street will feature a sushi bar and a Gelato bar, he said.
As for the building remodeling taking place this week, “Right now, we are basically doing five new storefronts, a Planet Fitness and a Tony’s Finer Foods in the old Kmart space,” Marczuk told Joliet Patch.
“Our plan is to have it done, hopefully by April, depending on material and weather and things like that,” he said. “So, the whole storefront was demo’ed. It’s going to be bumped out about 20 feet or so. On the east side, that’s where the five storefronts are going to be going. I don’t believe there are any tenants yet, but there might be, I’m not 100 percent sure.”
This week, about 30 union workers are on the site of the old Kmart, including Crowther Roofing Sheet Metal in Romeoville and Pullara Construction Industrial in Minooka.
“Hopefully, it will bring a lot of jobs, a lot of opportunity for a lot of different people. It will be a good thing,” Marczuk said of Tony’s Finer Foods.
Last December, the city of Joliet announced that Tony’s had acquired the vacant Kmart property. Kmart closed in December 2016.
The Tony’s Fresh Market redevelopment project calls for city tax incentives. Joliet officials said that Tony’s plans to hire about 100 full-time workers and 150 part-time employees.
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