It's the end of a shopping mall era in West Dundee, as Spring Hill Mall, built in 1980 on 100 acres of land, will permanently close March 22.
"It's really sad kind of because I grew up coming here as a kid, and that’s kind of why we were all here today, just to go one last time," shopper David Stone told NBC Chicago. "There’s really nothing left in there."
The mall is owned by the New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group. Spokespeople issued the following statement to NBC Chicago:
"We want to express our gratitude to everyone who has been a part of our journey as we close our doors at Spring Hill Mall," their statement said. "Although this marks the end of our time here, we're eager to see what the future holds for the local business landscape and believe that great opportunities await."
West Dundee's mayor was not taken aback by the mall's closure.
"It didn’t come as a surprise at all," Mayor Chris Nelson said. "We anticipated it.”
The village bought the property for $7 million after spending $3.25 million to buy the former Sears and Macy's storefronts.
All tenants will be required to move out of the mall by the March deadline except for the Kohl's, which is owned separately, and the Cinemark Theater.
"We’re going to try to reformat the area," Nelson said. "There’s a term everyone is using these days, mixed-use; we’re certainly aiming for that.”
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Nelson said they’d like to see a strong residential component on the property, with roads and sidewalks to create a neighborhood feel.
He said demolition could start in the next 12 to 18 months, though redevelopment could take as long as five to 10 years. Despite that, Nelson said developers have already reached out with interest.
"Our job here is to be a stakeholder for the community and see to it that it’s redeveloped in a positive way," he said.
Eighty-five percent of the mall is in West Dundee, while the remaining 15% crosses into Carpentersville. Nelson said he plans to work with the Village of Carpentersville on redevelopment.
Village of Carpentersville officials told NBC Chicago that any business forced to leave the mall that wants to remain in the area should reach out to the Carpentersville community development department at 224-293-1672.
