Shops and offices have started opening in downtown Naperville’s new Main Street Promenade East development.
The 54,000-square-foot facility was constructed at Main Street and Van Buren Avenue, attached to a parking garage and across the street from the original Main Street Promenade. Both were developed by Ruth and Dwight Yackley of BBM Inc.
“I hope it adds something that brings more people to the downtown, different people,” Ruth Yackley said. “That’s what you always want, different things that attract different people. That’s how you keep it bustling.”
J.Crew, Evereve and DavidsTea all are up and running now on the first floor.
Taking up about three-quarters of the second floor is Regus, a company that rents out office space for both short and extended terms.
Anthropologie and Frost gelato shop are expected to open in October and Michael Graham Salon and Spa will follow in November, according to Yackley.
“We were trying to get things we didn’t have,” she said. “We’re always looking for destination stores.”
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She said they tried to attract retailers geared toward younger shoppers, though it can be difficult to draw such businesses away from traditional shopping malls.
“We have a lot of young people in our community and they like to be in downtown, but they don’t always have a place to go,” Yackley said.
The Yackleys are in negotiations on two other first-floor spots as well. In a few years they also plan to expand the original Main Street Promenade.