Full Size Jewel Grocery Store slated for Near West Side

Finally - retailers moving in to serve residents in the booming Fulton Market District. Jewel's parent company plans to break ground on a new full-size grocery store at the corner of Kinzie Street and Des Plaines Avenue.

Though the size - at 65,000 square feet - is smaller than suburban-style groceries, it's considered large for this in-city location.

The Fulton River neighborhood has seen more than 1,500 townhouse, condominium and rental units built in the past five years. And nearly 3,000 more units are under construction or planned in the area, including a six-building, 2,400-unit development by Fifield Cos., and three buildings with a total of 210 units by RDM Development.

There are only two other grocery stores - both Dominicks stores - within a mile of this location, and residents complain that the area is uderserved.

One cool feature will be an enclosed walkway to the RDM Development buildings. The walkway could contain as much as another 9,000 square feet of small retail stores.