Office Depot Leaving Crystal Lake

will close its doors in Crystal Lake by the end of the month. But expect a new business to fill that space fairly soon.

“Believe me, we won’t have a vacancy for long,” said Pam Daniels, property manager for Inland Real Estate Corporation management firm for Crystal Point retail center at 6000 Northwest Highway.

Office Depot has leased a 33,000-square-foot space at Crystal Point since 1998.

Daniels said Office Depot’s lease expired.

“Their lease expired and, in fact, they are staying a little longer. We don’t expect to have any vacancies for long,” Daniels said.

According to an e-mail response from Office Depot corporate communications, the corporation decided against renewing the lease.

“Our lease at this location ended and we decided not to renew it. We are, however, at the location until the end of February 2011. And we are committed to the Chicago market,” wrote Melissa Perlman, manager of public relations for Office Depot, based in Boca Raton, Fla.

Office Depot suggested customers visit the Algonquin store.

The store closing came as a surprise to local management at the Crystal Lake store.

“The store was performing well; there were no problems. It was a surprise to us,” said Brian Steif, assistant manager of the Crystal Lake Home Depot.

The store’s closing will put 21 employees out of work. Steif said the store has six full-time employees while rest work part time.

Steif said higher value items were shipped out and the rest of the inventory is on sale at a 50 percent discount.

Steif said corporate management at Office Depot has not informed Crystal Lake staff of the reason for not renewing the lease.