Saturday, November 29, 2014

Lincoln Mall- ( Matteson, IL)


What can I say about Lincoln Mall, this isn't just any ordinary post, as I'm typing, the minutes are ticking before the mall closes for good come January. Lincoln mall has reached the end of its service as the mall to the people of Matteson, IL. The mall is located along the famous US RT. 30 Lincoln Higway and I-57 about half an hour from downtown Chicago.

The current anchor stores... I mean store, for the mall is:

First of all, I'm not saying this mall is bad, no mall is bad, and that is the point of Trip to the Mall, we report mall news and post stories and reports of malls across the country that see millions of people, and others that wish they could see a customer. Lincoln Mall, like many malls in its position, it never started out that way, the mall was booming when it first opened in 1973, but demographics change, and stores close, and the rest just follows sue. As of November, the management company finalized an agreement to close the mall in January after not finding a buyer and refusing to bring utilities up to code, the mall is fit unsafe for customers and has reached the end of its run.

Lincoln Mall opened in 1973 with Carson Pirie Scott, Montgomery Ward, Wieboldt's, and JCPenney as original anchor stores.





Lincoln Mall was developed by the same building corporation that made Randhurst Mall and Lakehurst Mall, which both also had Wieboldts's.

Wieboldt's closed in 1987 after filing for bankruptcy.

The mall underwent renovations in 1993.

In 1995, Sears opened a store in the old wieboldt's store

In 1999, Montgomery Ward closed before going bankrupt and closing all stores in 2001.

Former Wieboldt's/ Sears
In 2000, JCPenney closed as well which in made the mall destined to die after loosing two major anchor stores that would interior stores in the wings of those former anchor stores.

In 2007, JCPenney returned to the mall property with the opening of an out parcel store in October and Target opened next store in July.

In 2012, Sears began a liquidation sale.

In August 2013, the village of Matteson attempted to sue the mall owners and order the mall to be closed, due to fire and electrical problems, safety issues and out dated building codes, a damaged foundation and crumbling roof.




On November 11th, the mall was ordered to close permanently January 5th, making this the last Holiday shopping season for the people of Matteson to share with the mall.

Here is what the mall looked like July 2013:














Best Buy closed August 2012

Former Best Buy


















Former Sears



Former Montgomery Ward



These seem to be doing well


Former JCPenney

This is from 2000!
























Here are a few pictures from a rainy day October 2012, the was just about to close and the security was following us around, so this is all that surfaced:














Here is a link to the malls website: http://www.lincoln-mall.com/

If anyone has any stories of time spent at the mall or pictures, please feel free to post below

Thanks for reading.