ATI Physical Therapy is opening a new clinic location in the former Blockbuster store at 109 N. Harlem Ave. in early March, said a spokeswoman for the company.
“We are aggressively expanding our practice right now,” said Kim Waterman, press secretary for ATI corporate headquarters in suburban Bolingbrook. “This is our 74th clinic in Illinois,” she said. There are 147 locations in the United States, she said.
ATI has another location at 800 Desplaines Ave. “Even though it’s in Forest Park, this will be our ‘Oak Park’ location,” Waterman said. The Desplaines location was formerly Orth Sport Physical Therapy and was acquired by ATI.
The clinic specializes in workman’s compensation injuries and sports medicine, said Waterman. Licensed physical therapists work with injured patients.
The Blockbuster building is 5,500 square feet with parking. “We wanted to have another location in the western suburbs,” said Waterman. “We seem to be moving into a lot of [former] Blockbuster locations. They [usually] have high visibility.”
Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in fall of 2010 and closed local stores in Oak Park, Berwyn and Forest Park.
Correction: Story was updated to include information for how patients should go about receiving therapy.
Owners of Craig’s Shoes to open women’s shoe shop in April
Madison Street Shoes, a women’s shoe store that also sells clothing and accessories is scheduled to open in April, at 7500 Madison St., in the corner shop that formerly housed @ Work Design.
Craig Cohen, who owns Craig’s Shoes in Berwyn, says the shop will sell “moderately priced, every-day, understandable urban/sophisticated women’s shoes and accessories.” The 1,000 square foot shop is too small to duplicate the children’s inventory at Craig’s Shoes on Cermak Road, said Cohen.
Cohen said the storefront appealed to him right away. “I love that little spot with the wood floors and the exposed brick.” The property is owned by Art Sundry, owner of Cafe deLuca on Madison Street and a commercial landlord along the street.
Cohen says he’ll construct “cool awnings,” although they will not have the colorful stripes of the Craig’s Shoes awnings in Berwyn at 6548 Cermak Rd. “This is a totally separate concept [from Craig’s Shoes],” he said. He acknowledged that there are other shoe stores on Madison, but he thinks he’ll fill a niche. “I hope we can all get along.”
