The site of a now-defunct suburban mall will soon be transformed into a brand new children's museum.
The new Matteson Children's Museum will redevelop a portion of the former Lincoln Mall site in the south suburbs, according to an announcement. The project is anticipated to open in 2028.
“It’s time to shift from Matteson’s retail-focused past to an experience-driven future,” Michelle Kennedy, Matteson resident and Founder of the Matteson Children’s Museum said in the announcement. “The Village of Matteson is on an upswing, with new businesses emerging and public parks in the pipeline.”
The planned 50,000 square-foot museum will occupy a four-acre site within the footprint of the old mall, the announcement said, and feature immersive themed exhibits around arts and culture, environmental science, engineering, chemistry, and human anatomy. The museum will also include a recording studio, performance space, music learning lab and private rental rooms for birthday parties.
There will also be outdoor amenities, with a children's garden, sensory sand tables, playgrounds, fountains walking paths and picnic areas. The plans also include a bike path, which would connect the museum directly to the nearby 22-mile Old Plank Trail, the announcement added.
According to the announcement, the museum will be designed to cater children of all ages, with specialized resources for elementary and middle school students and those on the autism spectrum.
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The concept for the museum began in 2021. It's currently in early planning stages, with "with fundraising efforts ongoing to cover pre-development costs," the announcement said.
Lincoln Mall in Matteson closed in 2015 after 41 years in operation, following an order from a Cook County Judge. The order was delivered because money the owner initially provided for its upkeep has been depleted, leaving nothing left to keep the mall operating, according to a press release from a village of Matteson public relations firm.
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“We regret that it was necessary to close Lincoln Mall, but this action was necessary because of persistent and long-standing building violations at the mall that have not been corrected,” then-Village of Matteson Administrator Brian Mitchell said in a statement at the time. “However, this sad day is just a stage in the process and we hope that in the years to come, it will be seen as a positive step towards the possible redevelopment and reuse of the Lincoln Mall property. Village officials are strongly committed to a replacement project at the Lincoln Mall site that is sustainable and brings long-term value to our community.”
According to reports, the mall was demolished in 2017.
