In Oak Park, Illinois, the Park District has announced its plans to purchase the building that was once occupied by an ALDI supermarket. The ALDI store is currently empty and has been that way since February of 2010.

In a meeting held last July 21, Park District’s Board of Commissioners approved the contract to buy the building. Gary Balling, an executive director for Park District, said that the purchase is a good one and that the purchase price is good as well.

Prior to the decision to purchase the property, the board spent quite a long time searching for appropriate locations where they could put up a new gymnastics center. Among other areas that were considered for purchase included the one over at Madison that had a Volvo Dealership. The ALDI-containing property is currently valued at $980,000, an amount considered to be relatively affordable when compared to other alternative sites that were considered by Park District.

According to representatives from Park District, if everything goes well, the sale would be completed in forty-five days. This will be a great solution to Park District’s current problem of overcrowding. Because Park District’s Gymnastics Program is increasingly growing in terms of membership, the organization currently needs a bigger area for the gymnastics activities to be held. The old ALDI’s location would be just the perfect place. According to Marty Bracco, Park District’s Board President, the purchase will be made without the organization incurring any debt, and he was happy with it.