“Barnes & Noble plans to open four stores this summer in the Chicago area, including in Wicker Park and Lincoln Park, as well as in Northbrook and Oswego.

“In Wicker Park, the bookseller will set up shop in a historic former bank building previously occupied by Walgreens. The pharmacy chain closed its store in the Noel State Bank Building at 1601 N. Milwaukee Ave. in January 2023.

“The property is part of Chicago’s Milwaukee Avenue District, a landmark area recognized as a prominent commercial center since the late 19th century. Principal features cannot be altered without permission of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

“The retailer’s return to Lincoln Park, where it shuttered last spring when its lease ended, ‘will be a huge benefit for residents and visitors,’ said Kim Schilf, president and CEO of Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, in an email.

“‘Bookstores offer not only books, but often act as cultural hubs and meeting spaces — especially if they’re planning to include a cafe. We hope they will be involved in the neighborhood and appreciate their investment,’ Schilf said.

“‘Every community, we think, needs a bookstore,’ Janine Flanigan, Barnes & Noble’s senior director of store planning and design, told Crain’s Chicago Business. ‘We were really missing the Chicago market.’

“Barnes & Noble plans Chicago expansion, including at Walgreens’ former Wicker Park store; The bookseller plans to open four stores in the Chicago area, as part of a larger plan to open 50 locations across the U.S. in 2024.” (Amy Yee, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/8/24)

Read the full story at Chicago Sun-Times

• Barnes & Noble to Open 5 Chicago-Area Stores, Including at Iconic Wicker Park Building, Eunice Alpasan, WTTW Chicago, 2/8/24
• Barnes & Noble opening in Wicker Park in former Noel State Bank building, ABC 7 News, 2/7/24
• Wicker Park’s landmark building welcomes Barnes and Noble as newest tenant, NBC 5 Chicago, 2/8/24
• Barnes & Noble opening store at Walgreens’ former Wicker Park flagship, Rachel Herzog, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2/7/24
• Is Walgreens Closing Its Flagship Wicker Park Store Inside Old Bank? Neighbors Told Yes, But Company Says No Decision Made; A Walgreens representative said the branch was closing at a community meeting Wednesday — but the company said Thursday it has not made any decision regarding the location, Quinn Myers, Block Club Chicago, 10/7/22
• From drugs to dollars to deli: the story of Walgreens and the landmark Noel State Bank, Architecture Chicago Plus Blog, 11/27/12
• Milwaukee Avenue District Chicago Landmark Designation Report, May 3, 2007