West Dundee Spring Hill Mall Redevelopment

West Dundee is courting developers for the former Spring Hill Mall site, using interactive modeling to pitch a mixed-use future for the property.

Village officials and design firm Houseal Lavigne Associates presented two conceptual models this week to spur interest in the 100-acre site near Routes 31 and 72, the Daily Herald reported. West Dundee spent $13 million to acquire multiple mall parcels, including some previously held by landlord Kohan Retail Investment Group, a New York-based firm that has turned its attention to buying Chicago office buildings at steep discounts.

The village last year demolished the 1980s-era shopping center to prepare the land for construction following its closure.

The marketing pitches prioritize housing density and retail. An “urban village” concept proposes 778 housing units in buildings up to five stories, paired with 320,000 square feet of retail space. A “mixed-use boulevard” alternative features 1,326 residential units and 400,000 square feet of retail. Both designs incorporate pedestrian-focused streetscapes and convert a stormwater pond into a park.

Village President Chris Nelson emphasized the models function as starting points rather than mandates. Nelson expects the full redevelopment timeline could span 10 years.

The preparation reflects a broader trend across Chicagoland, where municipalities are taking direct control of dying retail hubs. While some towns take the wheel directly — such as Bloomingdale buying Stratford Square Mall for $17 million — private players are also stepping in, evidenced by Xroads Real Estate Advisors this year paying $12.3 million for the distressed purchase of Lincolnwood Town Center to execute the village’s mixed-use master plan.

Other properties are trading hands or advancing through varying stages of repurposing. In Niles, the Sterling Organization listed the 1.1 million-square-foot Golf Mill Town Center after securing approvals for a $440 million open-air, mixed-use overhaul. Meanwhile, residential additions are underway at Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie and Yorktown Center in Lombard.

Unlike these mixed-use paths, Chicago’s Ford City Mall is headed for a retail-to-industrial conversion, after a Cook County judge closed it down due to unsafe fire suppression systems. Kurv Industrial, formerly known as Bridge Industrial, is under contract to acquire the 66-acre property from Namdar Realty Group for $150 million, planning a complete demolition to build a 913,000-square-foot logistics campus.

The Spring Hill marketing effort covers only West Dundee’s holdings. The neighboring village of Carpentersville owns the remaining 20 percent of the former mall footprint, which includes a vacant Kohl’s store.

— Sam Lounsberry