WEST GARFIELD PARK — The city has selected a development plan to replace the shuttered West Garfield Park Aldi, bringing an affordable apartment complex to the area that includes a restaurant and grocery store.

Development group Westgate Partners, 3835 W. Madison St. has been selected for the city’s Planning Department to replace the former Aldi at , with a five-story building containing 55 affordable apartments, a ground-floor restaurant and a 10,400-square-foot grocery store. and Development announced last week.

Plans also include a public plaza and 72 parking spaces for residents and customers.

New development will replace an Aldi Closed suddenly in 2021It prevents 15,000 residents from accessing a local grocery store and worsens the food desert on the city’s West Side.

After the grocery store closed, the municipality purchased the property and A request for proposals was made for the redevelopment of the site.. This process ended with two proposals, of which Westgate Partners’ plan was selected.

“This will be an exciting revitalization for an important corridor and a block with many underutilized properties,” said Peter Strazzabosco, deputy commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development. “It will add another grocery option for area residents, add density, showcase the street, and create tons of affordable housing.”

In addition to the former Aldi location, Strazzabosco said the city also has 3801 W. Madison St. as part of the development site. He said he is also in the process of purchasing Madison Discount Muffler, an auto store at .

Westgate Partners is a partnership of three local black-owned development firms: TRUdelta, CBBC and East Lake.

“We believe the talent in our community must lead the change we all want to see, and we know real change is possible when we have the right partners,” Westgate principals said. 2023 declaration about their offers. “We see a thriving Black Business corridor in Madison. We see security, opportunity and shared prosperity. We see the perfection of a bright Black Future.”

Strazzabosco said the Department of Planning and Development selected the Westgate project “because of the composition and experience of the team, including minority and community-based representation, and the financial viability and design of the project.”

The project, with an estimated cost of $45 million, will receive up to $20 million in Tax Increment Financing funds and/or Housing and Economic Development Bond funding, $690,000 in Neighborhood Opportunity Fund proceeds, low-income housing tax credits and New Market Tax Credits.

This development could create 250 temporary jobs and up to 20 permanent jobs, according to the city.

The Westgate project was chosen over the “Garfield Gather” proposal, which called for an $86 million, two-building development with 101 affordable apartments, a grocery store and a large plaza.

The Garfield Park Community Council has been advocating for development of the site since the 2021 Aldi closing and pushing for the city to purchase the property. The community council also co-chairs the Sankofa Wellness Village Community Grocery Store Initiative, which, along with West Side United, will select grocers for the Westgate project.

“We are encouraged to work with the Westgate development team,” said community council President Mike Tomas. “We are excited about their interest in the community actually owning the commercial space, in the community where the grocery store will be located.”

The Westgate project will now go before the Community Development Commission in the coming months before being presented to the City Council.

The Garfield Park Community Council will meet in St. Louis on Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the project. St. Michael Missionary Baptist Church will host a community meal at 4106 W. Monroe St.

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