The Plaza (mall)

{{About|the shopping mall in Evergreen Park, Illinois|other uses|The Plaza (disambiguation){{!}}The Plaza}} {{short description|Chicago-area shopping mall}} {{Infobox shopping mall | name = The Plaza (formerly Evergreen Plaza) | image = File:Evergreen Plaza, Evergreen Park, Illinois.jpg | image_width = | caption = | location = 9500-9730 S. Western Avenue<br />[[Evergreen Park, Illinois]], [[United States]] | coordinates = {{coord|41.7184|-87.6833|display=inline,title}} | opening_date = August 24, 1952 | closing_date = May 31, 2013 | developer = [[Arthur Rubloff]],<ref name="plaza1">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929085637/http://www.theplazamall.org/plaza.php?page=history History info from The Plaza's official website]}}</ref> Charles R. Walgreen, Jr.<ref>[https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/VNU-0016-15456385.htm CNNMoney.com: Former Walgreens Chairman Dies at 100]{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | manager = | owner = | number_of_stores = 120+ | number_of_anchors = 3 | floor_area = 1.2 million ft.²<ref name="plaza2">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070114134802/http://www.theplazamall.org/plaza.php?page=leasing#more Leasing info from The Plaza's official website]}}</ref> | floors = 2 | parking = | publictransit = [[Pace (transit)|Pace]] | website = }}

'''The Plaza''', formerly known as '''Evergreen Plaza''',<ref name="plaza1"/> was a [[shopping mall]] in [[Evergreen Park, Illinois]], United States. It was legally organized by [[Arthur Rubloff]], who is also credited with coining the phrase "Magnificent Mile" describing the upscale section of Michigan Avenue north of the Chicago River to Oak Street. Rubloff secured the funding for the Evergreen Plaza from the Walgreen family who lived nearby in Beverly, Chicago. The Evergreen Plaza operated from 1952 to 2013. It featured over 120 stores, as well as a food court. The mall closed in 2013 and became an outdoor shopping center. Anchors include [[Whole Foods Market]], and [[Burlington Coat Factory]].

[[Category:Shopping malls disestablished in 2012]]

==History== In 1936, developer Arthur Rubloff conceived a shopping mall in the Evergreen Park area located between the corners of W 95th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street and Western Ave., 98th Street slightly west of Campbell Ave., 96th Street and Campbell Ave., and 95th and Campbell Ave.<ref name="encyc">[http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1068.html Retail Geography]</ref> Opened to the public in August 1952, the mall was originally an {{convert|500000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} open-air shopping center anchored by [[The Fair Store]], [[Henry C. Lytton & Co.|Lytton's]], Barnett's, and [[Walgreens]]. The center also contained a [[Jewel (supermarket)|Jewel]] supermarket, which featured a [[conveyor belt]] that carried groceries from the store to a parking lot kiosk.<ref name="encyc"/> The mall's Walgreens was the second self-service Walgreen pharmacy in the chain;<ref>[http://www.irma.org/retailersoftheyear/contentview.asp?c=5348 Irma.org]</ref> it was also the chain's first location in a shopping center.

Evergreen Plaza was regarded by some sources as the first [[regional mall]] in the United States.<ref name="CT1">{{cite web |last1=Kadner |first1=Phil |title=A new era as historic Evergreen Plaza is demolished |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-kadner-evergreen-plaza-st-1007-20151006-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=28 November 2020 |date=27 November 2020}}</ref> [[Chas. A. Stevens]] added a store in 1962, [[Carson Pirie Scott]] was added as another anchor. Also, The Fair Store was converted to [[Montgomery Ward]] in April, 1964. In 1966, the mall was enclosed, becoming an indoor mall.<ref>{{cite web |title=PHOTOS: The Final Days Of One Of America's First Malls |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-plaza-evergreen-park-_n_3392489 |website=HuffPost |access-date=28 November 2020 |language=en |date=5 June 2013}}</ref>

[[Circuit City (1949–2009 company)|Circuit City]] came in the early 1990s, replacing a [[Silo (store)|Silo]] electronics store that was formerly in this space.<ref>[http://newsroom.circuitcity.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=155982 Circuit City Announces 19 Superstore Closings as Part of its Ongoing Initiatives to Improve Financial Performance]</ref> Montgomery Ward closed its four-story store in 2001 as the chain declared bankruptcy. Shortly afterward, Village of Evergreen Park officials submitted proposals for [[Target Corporation|Target]] to open in the former Wards; however, these deals fell through.<ref>[http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/sct0504/page138.php ICSC.org: Shopping Centers Today]</ref> Discount chain [[National Wholesale Liquidators]] opened in 2005, occupying two levels of the four-level anchor slot once occupied by Montgomery Ward until it closed in 2008. Walgreens closed in 2005, moving to a newer store about a mile away, and was replaced with an [[Office Depot]]. Circuit City also closed in mid-2005.

The movie theater, which had been converted to a triplex in 1977 and quadplex in 1983, closed in 1999. Office Depot closed its Evergreen Park location in 2008, along with many other small retail shops over the last few years. Following 2008, the mall began to gradually diminish as patronage numbers decreased, leading to the chronic closure of many of the original stores. Many businesses that had opened in more recent years had shorter longevity. [[Planet Fitness]] signed a 10-year lease to reside in the Plaza in 2011 in the original Walgreens space and began operation in November 2011.

The mall was scheduled for demolition in July 2013, to be replaced by an outdoor shopping center (which the Plaza once was during its first 14 years). However, the building was not demolished and more proposals and rumors started floating around. Two development companies, Debartolo LLC, based in Tampa, and Lormax Stern, a developer from a Detroit suburb, came together to reach a deal to demolish the existing property to build a new outdoor mall that will feature 30-40 brand new stores including [[Burlington (department store)|Burlington]] and [[Whole Foods Market|Whole Foods]]. [[Applebee's]] and [[Planet Fitness]] are staying, while [[Enterprise Rent-A-Car]] left. [[Applebee's]] has left and in its place is now a [[Chili's]]. Demolition began in October 7, 2015 and continued until the fall of 2017. Carson's opened a brand-new store in September 2016, replacing the older store that was later demolished.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/featured_news/article_134da136-c235-11e2-9aa6-0019bb30f31a.html|title = The Plaza sets closing date for interior mall}}</ref> The shopping center opened in Fall of 2017. On April 18, 2018, Carson's parent company [[The Bon-Ton|The Bon-Ton Stores]], announced that they will close all Carson's locations, including the Evergreen Plaza location following their bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/18/heres-a-map-of-all-of-bon-tons-stores.html|title=Bon-Ton is preparing to liquidate. Here's a map of all its stores|author=John W. Schoen, Lauren Thomas|publisher=CNBC|date=April 18, 2018|accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> However, on [[Black Friday (shopping)|Black Friday]] 2018, CSC Generation, Carson's new owner, reopened the location.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wgntv.com/news/carsons-to-reopen-evergreen-park-store-on-black-friday/|title=Carson's to reopen Evergreen Park store on Black Friday|date=30 October 2018}}</ref> On August 11, 2020, it was announced that Carson's would be closing again in October 2020.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_9cd3f72c-dbee-11ea-8c0b-2b651141fbee.html | title=Carson's set for closure once again }}</ref> On June 16, 2022, it was announced that [[Macy's]] would be opening in the former Carson's space. The first floor will hold Market by Macy's and the second floor will hold Macy's Backstage.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://therealdeal.com/chicago/2022/06/16/macys-refilling-empty-carsons-in-suburban-chicago/amp/ | title=Macy's Refills Empty Carson's in Suburban Chicago | date=16 June 2022 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.digitalpast.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/lakecoun004&CISOPTR=4440&REC=4 Digital Past: Item Viewer - 1950s postcard illustrating Lytton's store at Evergreen Plaza]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plaza (Mall)}} [[Category:Shopping malls established in 1952]] [[Category:Evergreen Park, Illinois]]