Planned opening of O’Fallon Meijer store threatened by construction delays
The long-anticipated Meijer retail and grocery store development is still in the works for the southeast corner of Green Mount Road and Pierce Boulevard near Interstate 64, but delays continue to push back a previously targeted opening in spring 2026.
Although construction on the store hasn’t started on the vacant farmland, the company has worked on mine mitigation for the southeast corner of the building pad. Mine remediation work underground had to happen so that mine movement wouldn’t disturb Meijer’s foundations.
“City staff have been in conversations with Meijer, and they are still working to address concerns regarding the site layout and traffic impact,” Community Development Director Greg Anderson said.
The O’Fallon City Council approved the Meijer development in July 2023. The last undeveloped area at the intersection of North Green Mount Road and Pierce Boulevard is being turned into a 160,000-square-foot Meijer retail and grocery store.
Plans include a drive-through pharmacy window, online curbside-pickup, home department, store pickup area, and outdoor garden center.
Based in Michigan, Meijer pioneered the supercenter concept in 1962. The company has over 240 stores in six states and employs about 70,000 people.
Currently, the chain’s closest store is in Springfield, and one in Glen Carbon is under construction. It has faced similar delays like O’Fallon.
Initially, construction was to begin in 2025, after final plans were submitted, with a store opening in 2026.
Earlier this year, Anderson said preliminary grading was underway, and extensive road improvements are planned, including a right-turn lane at Pierce.
The Shops at Pierce
The adjacent development, The Shops at Pierce, is to be a mix of restaurants, retail and office space, on five commercial lots on the northeast quadrant.
Meijer acquired that 6.68-acre site from GBT Realty of Brentwood, Tennessee, this summer.
A Planning Commission public hearing regarding The Shops at Pierce, which had been set for Oct. 14, has been moved to Dec. 9, Anderson said. It will start at 6 p.m. at city hall.
They requested the continuation so they can provide more information on the traffic impact and site layout. Tenants haven’t been named yet.
The city’s third-party traffic consultant, CBB Transportation Engineers and Planners, is conducting an updated traffic study.
Approved in 2023, the city authorized five lots to accommodate three fast-food restaurants, one sit-down restaurant with alcohol sales for on-site consumption, and one medical/office building.
Meijer has requested a change in layout. The revised plan proposes four commercial lots designed to accommodate a fast-food restaurant with a multi-lane drive-through, a medical/dental office, a Meijer-branded convenience store and fueling station, with alcohol sales for off-site consumption, and a coffee shop with drive-through service.
Pierce Boulevard Business District
The Pierce Boulevard Business District, bounded by the intersection of Pierce Boulevard and Green Mount Road, and the westbound off-ramp of Interstate 64, includes the 6.68-acre parcel for The Shops at Pierce, but not the adjacent site for Meijer.
The council established the business district and its plan, a redevelopment agreement and authorization to impose taxes within the business district boundaries two years ago.
City officials say the business district will attract stable business and commercial growth so that is the purpose behind the financial incentives that will allow the developer to collect up to an additional 1% sales tax on retail goods, which is above what is currently collected in the city and is not a sales tax rebate.
Public improvements expected to total $2 million must be made to accommodate the project and address inadequacies of the adjoining street network and safe access to Pierce Boulevard.
The public improvements will include turn lanes into and out of the proposed development, a new internal public street system, improvements to the Pierce and Green Mount intersection, and extension of utilities within.
The developer indicated that another source of funding is necessary to cover the infrastructure improvements, which meets the city’s criteria for a business district. The tax increase will be able to financially assist in covering those costs.
“The proposed project will further solidify O’Fallon as a key business center within St. Clair County. This project and the Meijer grocery store bordering the district to the southeast will complete the development of the Green Mount/I-64 interchange,” City Planner Ryan Auer wrote in a staff report.
“It is anticipated that the new commercial district will attract additional retail sales. It will also provide additional commercial services to the residents of O’Fallon and attract business patronage from residents in surrounding communities,” Auer stated.