Hy-Vee's big plans for Bloomington

Southtown Shopping Center has snagged a big replacement for the bygone Herberger's store.

Driving the news: Hy-Vee is planning to fill the spot in the Bloomington retail center along 494 with a grocery store and liquor store concept, according to documents filed with the city.

Details: At 132,500 square feet, the Iowa-based grocer is proposing a store much bigger than the full-service ones Hy-Vee has been building here, which typically range from 75,000 to 100,000 square feet.

• Plans also include one of Hy-Vee's new Wall to Wall Wine and Spirits stores across the parking lot. At 26,000 square feet, that store will be about the size of a Total Wine, and offer a large selection of craft beer, wine and spirits, as well as cheese and charcuterie.
• The Herberger's, which closed in 2018 after its parent company went bankrupt, would be demolished.

The intrigue: A site plan also includes a 21,000-square-foot store next to the liquor store. A user is not identified.

What's next: Kraus-Anderson, owner of Southtown, said the proposal will go before the Bloomington Planning Commission in October.