Trip to the Mall: March 2017

Friday, March 31, 2017

Woodfield Mall New Stores Update: 3/2017

Just a few major updates to one of my favorite malls by far, Woodfield in Schaumburg, Illinois. I learned that a Super Dry Japanese clothing store in opening in June. I can't wait to shop here, I loved when Uniqlo opened on the Mag Mile in downtown Chicago. All Woodfield needs is a Primark, a chain from Ireland.

The RadioShack is closing will the rest of the chain.

A Crocs store that might not make it to the end of the year.

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Lincoln Mall in Matteson- What's Left Before Demolition (Update: 3/2017)

     The latest news on the closed Lincoln Mall in Matteson, Illinois plans for a court-ordered demolition that could begin as soon as next month. According to the Daily Southtown, the village board and a court approved receiver will return to court to discuss demolition estimates that will be reported to Matteson. If the court approves the estimates, demolition will begin in late April and finish in late July.

     According to potential developer's, the master plan calls for a "walkable" town center, the main focus is a relocated Carson's, housing such as apartments and office space, closely reflecting the redevelopment of the land once occupied by the former Plaza mall in Evergreen Park or even The Crossing at Northwest in Suburban St. Louis, Missouri. The mall is such a muddle, anything done soon will improve it, even if nothing fills the space, just remove the hazard.

     I have never heard of a place that is open for business and two-third of it are demolished and left untouched for over a decade. So many water and electrical problems finally brought the Mall to its closure in January 2015. Plans such as whats anticipated don't always follow through, lets hope something will come and turn the land around.

Here is my original post of the mall featuring in in depth view of the inside and outside of the mall through several years leading to its closure.

Here are some photos of the what is currently the condition of the Lincoln Mall before any unforeseen demolition has started.

The entire Family Christian Stores chain is closing, including the Matteson location.

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The Plaza In Evergreen Park Update: 3/2017

With much anticipation, things are shaping up with the redevelopment progress of the old Plaza Mall in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Since the last time I was here, the old Carson Pirie Scott store was still whole, as the new store recently celebrated a grand opening. Now most of the Old Carson's is demolished and more new store fronts have popped up. I imagine that the large old bank building will remain, but I am unsure, I guess I will see in a future update. I am also curious to know what all these new tenants will be considering the major redevelopment across 95th Street and Western Avenue with a Meijer and Menards build a few years ago, and a few national retailers such as Micheal's Crafts and Ross.

I believe Evergreen Park is shaping up for the better with all these new stores giving the people that live here and surrounding southside suburbs places to shop and jobs. The Plaza, as many malls, started out strong, but suffered a steady decline for several years before finally closing and being abandoned. In the case for The Plaza, the land will be used for a new line of stores, a rebirth of a major shopping destination for years to come.

Here is my original post of The Plaza featuring many photos from trips to the mall in March and July 2013.

Here is my post of the demolition proceeding in November 2015.

Here is my post of the redevelopment progress in September 2016.

I cannot wait to see what all of these stores are going to be, considering so many chains have closed, it might be hard to fill all these in.

Carson's is looking good.

A sliver of the former Carson's still stands next the old bank I am unsure if it will be torn down or not.

The old entrance where Circuit City was once on the left of the driveway.

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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Huntley Outlet Mall... The Final Walk Through.

The Huntley Outlet Mall is no more, yes, after nearly a decade of decline and slow sales, the outlet mall is scheduled to be demolished in the course of several weeks. Since these pictures were taken, I am sure that a large portion of the center is raised.

When I finally got around to take a trip out to Huntley to see the condition the center was in, there were only about five stores open, all of which were promoting closing sales. According to the Chicago Tribune, when the mall opened in 1994, it drew crowds from all across the Northwest suburbs and as far as Rockford, sales boasted in 1996, and 1997, and had an occupancy rate of 92% in 1999.

Simon Property Group bought the mall in 2010 and sold it soon after, a toll road built with the intention of making mall access easier didn't work, and the store decline continued. Other outlet mall in Aurora, Chicago, and most recently Rosemont took the breath out of Huntley. The recent expansion of the outlets in Aurora was the final push that forced the Huntley mall to close, and now the land will mostly be re-zoned for business and office usage.

Here are the photos I took of the Huntley Outlet mall in February 2017, the exact day the last few stores were closing. It is a ghost town and although sad, I cannot wait to see what will be constructed here in the next few years.