One of Westfield Old Orchard Mall's most recognizable areas will soon be demolished to make way for new buildings set to contain hundreds of apartments, a new common area and event space, new retail and restaurant options, a parking garage and potentially even a hotel, according to a press release from mall developer Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
The plans for an apartment building, green space and more were initially introduced in 2022 as part of a major redevelopment plan for the mall. Last week, the Village of Skokie authorized the project to continue moving forward, the release said, beginning with the demolition of the mall's once bustling Bloomingdale's department store.
According to the release, "Phase 1" of the project includes the demolition of the giant store, which originally opened its doors at the mall in 1995. Bloomingdale's shuttered in 2022, leaving Nordstrom's and Macy's as the mall's only department store anchors.
The brand later opened a smaller, more curated concept shop at the mall in a different location called Bloomie's.
In place of Bloomingdale's huge footprint, the mall plans to construct five and-seven-story mixed-use buildings with more than 400 residential apartments, 16,000 square feet of restuarant and retail space and an event space, the release said.
A second phase of the project will include demolition of "existing" retail space at the north end of the shopping center to construct two mixed-use buildings -- one eight stories high, one seven stories -- that will contain additional residential units, retail and restaurants, a parking garage and the potential for either more residential units or a 200-key hotel.
According to officials, 2.5% of the units in Phase 1 and 2 will be designated as "affordable."
According to developers, Phase 1 demolition will include "approximately 260,000 square feet of existing retail space." It wasn't immediately clear which additional stores or restaurants would be part of the demolition in either phase.
Groundbreaking could begin as early as Q3 of 2025, a spokesperson said.
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Meanwhile, the decades-old mall has welcomed dozens of new stores in the past few years, and recently redeveloped the former Lord & Taylor building to house ZARA, Pottery Barn, Arhaus and Puttshack.
“Westfield Old Orchard has been a long-standing member of the Skokie community, serving as a central hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment for generations," Stephen Fluhr, senior vice president of development for Unibail Rodamco-Westfield said in the release. "We are excited to enhance this beloved space, creating a vibrant, sustainable environment that will continue to serve and bring joy to the community for years to come.”
Below are updated renderings of what the new construction and apartments could soon look like.
