A suburb of Chicago has taken redevelopment of a dead mall into its own hands.
Bloomingdale’s plans to turn the long-defunct Stratford Square Mall site into a mixed-use development known as The Grove are coming into focus.
Renderings of the redevelopment plan, introduced by village president Franco Coladipietro, outline an ambitious vision for the 275-acre site, including apartments, retail and commercial space, lakeside restaurants, illuminated fountains, a winding boardwalk and an oval-shaped lawn for concerts, the Daily Herald reported.
“This is the first step,” Coladipietro said. “You have all these memories, wonderful memories, of Stratford … We’re trying to create a place where you can create new memories, somewhere that becomes relevant to your life again.” Stratford Square Mall first opened in 1981, but its decline began about a decade ago when anchor stores like JCPenney, Macy’s and Sears closed. After years of decreasing foot traffic, Bloomingdale officials made the bold decision to acquire the vacant department store spaces, eventually taking control of the entire mall.
The village has spent $17 million to purchase the real estate and is preparing to invest another $4.7 million in demolition costs, with work expected to begin next month. The redevelopment plan retains the Kohl’s store, one of the few remaining businesses at the mall.
The conceptual plan includes the use of the mall’s original columns as the foundation for a series of fountains, preserving a piece of the old structure while embracing modern design. Despite the challenges and risks involved with consolidating the mall’s ownership, Coladipietro believes it was necessary to prevent the site from languishing.
“We’re not in the business of purchasing property,” he said. However, “if we didn’t do anything, five years from now, it would be in the exact same position.”
— Andrew Terrell
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