CHICAGO — Amazon’s expansion into large-format physical retail continues in suburban Chicago, with a second store now proposed in Oak Brook, following earlier plans in Orland Park.
According to local officials, quoted by the Chicago Tribune, the Oak Brook proposal calls for a roughly 225,000-square-foot Amazon retail store on a 22-acre site along Butterfield Road, replacing seven existing office buildings facing Interstate 88. The redevelopment also plans for a 150,000-square-foot, two-level flagship store for Ashley Furniture Industries.
Thorvardur de Shong
The Oak Brook store will be retail-only, with no warehouse or distribution facilities, according to village leaders. Similar to the nearly 229,000-square-foot Amazon project moving forward in Orland Park, this format introduces a new large-box concept for the e-commerce company as it expands its brick-and-mortar presence.
A Growing Big-Box Footprint
The Oak Brook proposal is the second planned Amazon superstore in the Chicago suburbs and highlights the company’s effort to compete more directly with traditional mass retailers. The format does not require a membership fee and is designed as a wide-ranging retail store rather than a warehouse club.
Village President Larry Herman said the project would greatly increase sales tax revenue for Oak Brook, which does not impose a municipal property tax. He added that the development could generate several million dollars annually in new sales tax revenue and attract additional retail investment to the Butterfield Road corridor.
As part of the agreement, the developer will fund a new traffic signal and dedicate land for potential future westbound Interstate 88 access ramps at Meyers Road to reduce congestion.
Office-to-Retail Conversion
The redevelopment reflects broader suburban real estate shifts, as underperforming office assets give way to retail and mixed-use concepts. Herman described the existing office buildings as outdated and economically unviable in a post-pandemic environment, noting that several had reverted to lender control.
Village officials have been actively working to reposition the Butterfield Road corridor as a more prominent retail hub connecting Oakbrook Center and nearby shopping districts.
Next Steps
The proposal will be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a public hearing, then returned to the Village Board for review. If approved, demolition could start later this year, with construction lasting through 2027.
For mass merchants and big-box retailers, the second Amazon project in the Chicago area indicates that the company’s superstore trial is not a single experiment but part of a larger plan to expand physical retail in markets where it sees strong omnichannel prospects.
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