Chicago Save A Lot stores face more delaysChicago Save A Lot stores face more delays

Grocery store developer Yellow Banana has some final touches left to complete at several of its six Save A Lot stores in Chicago and is asking the city for another deadline extension, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Yellow Banana had until the end of March to officially complete all of the store reopenings, but now will have an additional six months to finish the work. External signs still need installation at some locations, and the opening of the sixth and final store in West Lawn may be delayed until April as Yellow Banana waits for city inspections.

“Save A Lot and the Yellow Banana team are grateful to the city of Chicago for their continued partnership and guidance through this long process to remodel and upgrade six stores,” Save A Lot said in an emailed statement to Supermarket News. “The extension granted in the RDA will allow us extra time to finalize the last remaining piece for these stores—exterior signage—and fully deliver on our commitments. With all stores complete and open shortly, we will pivot back to daily operations and focus on how we can continue to engage the communities we serve through the partnerships we’ve cultivated.”

In a letter to the city’s Department of Planning and Development, Yellow Banana explained that the sign delay occurred because the company hired to make them shut down, the Tribune reports.

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Yellow Banana received $13.5 million from Chicago to refurbish the six Save A Lot stores across the city, but the project has encountered a series of construction delays.

Renovations at each location included new flooring, lighting, equipment, HVAC systems, dairy and meat cases, paint, décor, fixtures, and signage. The Auburn Gresham store, which opened in mid-January, faced additional complications when an unexpected subsurface condition required more geotechnical work, and other investigations delayed redevelopment for months.

The opening of the Save A Lot on West 63rd and Halsted was delayed for months as the company worked with residents and community leaders to ensure the new store would feature local products.

The project has also faced scrutiny from local media. The Chicago Sun-Times reported in February that the store in West Garfield Park had garbage overflowing in the back alley and expired products on the shelves.

When Supermarket News visited the site in March, it found no outdated products and a clean back alley. The store appeared to be in great shape.

The Sun-Times also reported that Yellow Banana owed contractors around $1.7 million in unpaid payments, but Yellow Banana confirmed that all issues had been resolved.

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A Sun-Times investigation in August revealed that the six-store project had forced the company into $2 million in debt, which included unpaid taxes, utility bills, and business fines.

In addition to the renovation work, Yellow Banana must keep the six stores in business for the next 10 years to receive all $13.5 million in city funding.