March 31st, 2015 2:00 PM

By Deborah Kadin

It will be the first quarter of 2016 when Fresh Thyme Market is ready for business in River Forest, company and village officials confirmed last week.

Pegged as the best option for redevelopment by the River Forest Economic Development Commission, the former Dominick's at 7501 North Ave. has been closed since late 2013 when its parent company, Safeway, abandoned the Chicago market.

But because of unspecified delays by the landlord, Mid-America Real Estate Group, plus the scope of work that will be needed, Fresh Thyme won't open in early December 2015 as it had planned, said Justin Haasch, chain's director of real estate.

Village Administrator Eric Palm told a meeting of the EDC just last week that building and fire inspectors and other village staff were just in the store getting a real first look inside the structure.

And from the looks of things, this will be bigger than the normal renovation of a store. A tremendous amount of demolition will be needed there, said Thomas Wall, the construction project manager for Fresh Thyme. The interior of the old Dominick's hadn't changed much since he shopped there in the 1970s, said Wall.

"We are going to take out everything and demolish the interior," Wall said. "We have to upgrade all the coolers and freezers, the boilers, air conditioning, the electrical system. All will have to be replaced."

Ceilings will have to be upgraded and floors will have to be stripped. The storefront will have to be redone to reflect the Fresh Thyme concept, he said.

"It is over and above what we intended to do," Wall said.

Village President Catherine Adduci didn't appear too fazed by the delay.

"The good news is that Fresh Thyme will be brand-spanking new," Adduci said. "It's all worth waiting for."

Because of all the planning needed prior to construction, it could be fall before the chain starts its work, Wall said.

Five to six weeks before the store actually opens, company operations people will hire and train staff, Wall said.

Michael George, a principal with Mid-America, said things with the transfer were in "pretty good shape," but would not comment further.

Roughly $4.1 million will be invested in the site to make it viable. The Phoenix-based Fresh Thyme chain will recoup up to $1 million in property taxes from Cook County to renovate the building.

As many as 100 part-time and full-time employees will be hired, Haasch said.

Based on the performance of other locations, Fresh Thyme is projected to have sales of $11.7 million in the first year, and sales are expected to increase by 5 percent from year one to year two.

Fresh Thyme estimates that the new store will generate $400,000 in sales tax annually, based on the performance of other stores.