Von Maur stores coming to county

Two locations?

Fans of upscale department store Von Maur likely will have two Will County options in the next couple of years.

With one store already planned in Plainfield, the family-owned company is looking to open a new store in New Lenox by 2010 as part of the Forest City lifestyle center The Birches at New Lenox, said James Von Maur, president of Von Maur Department Stores.

Last year, Von Maur announced a plan to build a 130,000-square-foot department store in Plainfield as part of the Poag & McEwen lifestyle center, The Shops at the Polo Club.

The New Lenox store could be slightly larger than the Plainfield one, Von Maur said.

"We're excited to be able to be a little bit more convenient to the customers in that part of the Chicagoland area," Von Maur said.

Known for its high level of customer service, luxury merchandise and even in-store pianists, Von Maur has 22 locations, with three in the Chicago area in Lombard, St. Charles and Glenview.

"We get a lot of customers from Plainfield and Naperville. I think we're excited to have more of a convenience factor for them instead of having to drive to Lombard," Von Maur said. "Just the opportunity to be able to serve our customers in a more convenient way. We're excited about that."

The Plainfield project, at 119th Street and Illinois 59, is on track, Von Maur said. But the opening date, originally projected for sometime in 2009, may be delayed a year, he said.

Some smaller potential tenants are scaling back expansion plans, which has had some effect on the lifestyle center project, Von Maur said.

"We are committed to open in either 2009 or 2010 (in Plainfield)," Von Maur said. "It's up to McEwen to decide if it's going to be '09 or '10. We're prepared to open in 2009."

Maureen O'Connor, vice president of marketing for Poag & McEwen, said the opening date for the Plainfield lifestyle center is still "up in the air," but that the company could still open the shopping center by the end of 2009 or early 2010.

"Of course the economy is affecting many retail stores. The way we kind of look at it is, retailers are being a lot more selective about where their new locations are opening," she said. "We're very confident that our projects are very selective projects. We're still moving forward and we've gotten great response."

Having Von Maur as a tenant helps market the lifestyle center, O'Connor said.

"We're thrilled to have them. They really do compliment the type of tenants that are usually in our centers," she said.

Besides its Will County projects, Von Maur is planning a new department store in the St. Louis area and plans to open two new stores this year in Kansas City and Dayton, Ohio.