Amazon has won approval to build its largest store format to date in suburban Chicago, the e-commerce giant’s latest maneuver to compete with rivals such as Walmart and Target.
The village board of trustees in Orland Park, Illinois, on Monday voted to approve Amazon’s plans for a large-format store at the southwest corner of 159th Street and LaGrange Road.
The village board voted 5-2 in favor of Amazon’s plan during its regularly scheduled meeting.
Amazon’s project is expected to be closely watched by rivals and real estate industry professionals as one the world’s largest companies rolls out a sprawling, warehouse-sized store.
The board’s vote came after Orland Park’s plan commission previously signed off on the plan for a 229,000-square-foot structure on the 35-acre site. The store is expected to sell a wide range of items, such as groceries and household goods, with a small warehouse component to support operations of the facility.
Orland Park officials first unveiled Amazon’s plans for the site earlier this month.
Amazon’s planned store is about 25 miles southwest of Chicago’s Loop business district. Nearby stores include Costco, Aldi, Jewel-Osco, Walmart Supercenter and Target.
The site is also near the Orland Square shopping mall.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the approval and expected development timeline.
Seattle-based Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in 2017, and the online retailer has experimented with several store formats throughout the country.
The rollout has included Amazon Fresh, Amazon Grocery and Amazon Go. Other formats, such as Amazon Pop Up, Amazon 4-star and Amazon Books, have been discontinued.