Could Morton Grove Dominick's Be 1 of 10 Slated For Purchase?

As shoppers clear out the Morton Grove Dominick's store, it remains scheduled to close on Dec. 28, with no new buyer declared. 

Some independent grocers affiliated with the Joliet-based Centrella cooperative are in negotiations to buy up to 10 Dominick's stores, according to Crain's Chicago Business. 

Morton Grove Mayor Dan DiMaria said he and the village have been proactively and aggressively reaching out to grocers, including independent grocers, to get a new full-service food store for Morton Grove.

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"The day before yesterday, we sat down and reviewed a big list--the ones which fit the area, the ones that are expanding," he said Friday. 

Since neither Jewel nor Mariano's intend to buy the Morton Grove Dominick's, DiMaria said the village is looking intensely at independents. 

"We know the need for this," he said. "Believe me, I knocked on 1,100 doors in  February.

"We're looking for independents. With Dominick's being gone, I think that opens doors for us big time." 

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Crain's reported that Treasure Island, Strack & Van Til and Tony's Finer Foods are among the independents that may be pursuing the Dominick's stores. Treasure Island and Strack & Van Til do not have stores nearby; Tony's Finer Foods has one at Greenwood and Ballard in Niles.

Centrella, the brand name of Central Grocers, is a $2 billion cooperative that serves 400 independent grocers in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area, according to its website.