An Apple Store in Oak Park?

Oak Park would like to take a bite out of the apple, Steve Jobs’ Apple that is.

Village officials and local business leaders say they'll begin luring Apple to the anchor location that currently houses , Village Manager Tom Barwin said.

How much longer the former book giant will be there is uncertain. The embattled company , including the location at 1144 Lake St.

Apple, Barwin said, is the "logical" successor for the space.

“It’s got visibility, and Borders established a traffic pattern for those who pursue intellectual property and entertainment in the region," he said.

Another reason to bring Apple here, Barwin said, stems from conversations around town about residents simply wanting a store here. After all, there are locations in Chicago and in Oak Brook, so why not right in between?

Until recently, the answer has been location — there's been nowhere suitable for the high-traffic stores.

But officials are saying the departure of Borders means the two-story space would leave plenty of room for a large retail area as well as a Genius Bar, where Mac devotees learn how to use its software and hardware programs. 

"With Oak Park’s demographics and proximity to several colleges, Apple could draw people all day long," Barwin said.

Apple currently has nine stores in Illinois, all of them in northern part of the state. Calls to the corporation were not immediately returned.