CherryVale Mall
An enclosed regional shopping mall serving Rockford and northern Illinois.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
CherryVale Mall is a regional enclosed shopping center in Rockford, Illinois, near the municipal boundary with Cherry Valley. The mall occupies a strategically positioned site near U.S. Route 20, Interstate 39, Interstate 90, and several major surface roads, giving it access to communities across the eastern Rockford area and the wider northern Illinois market. It is described as the largest shopping mall in northern Illinois outside the Chicago suburbs. The center opened in 1973 as The Mall at CherryVale, developed by the Richard E. Jacobs Group on a large site approximately six miles from downtown Rockford. Its original department-store anchors included Sears and Marshall Field's, with Marshall Field's notable for being among the department store's first Illinois locations outside the Chicago metropolitan area. The mall initially opened with more than twenty additional retailers and soon added H.C. Prange and Prange Way, establishing a broad department-store and specialty-retail mix. CherryVale was the first fully enclosed mall designed in Rockford, although other shopping centers in the region had opened earlier. During its early decades, the property also benefited from surrounding outlot development, including restaurants, a bank, an automobile dealership, a bowling alley, a toy store, a gas station, and a water park. Entertainment was part of the center's offer as well: a free-standing three-screen cinema opened in 1975, followed by a four-screen theater inside the mall in 1983. The property adopted the shorter CherryVale Mall name by the beginning of the 1980s. Its first major renovation followed the closure of the Prange Way sub-anchor in 1989. That project converted the former space into a food court, added a north-side upper-level entrance, and refreshed the mall's internal circulation. The anchor lineup subsequently changed several times as H.C. Prange became Younkers, Younkers was replaced by Bergner's, and Marshall Field's was converted to Macy's after Macy's acquired the former chain. CBL & Associates Properties acquired CherryVale Mall in 2001. Under CBL's ownership, the surrounding road network and nearby commercial development expanded, while a substantial mall renovation in 2004 modernized the center court and food court and added JCPenney as a fourth major anchor. In 2007, the property added a lifestyle-oriented expansion anchored by Barnes & Noble, broadening the tenant mix beyond traditional department stores. The mall's more recent history reflects the restructuring of American department-store retail. Bergner's closed in 2018 after the bankruptcy and liquidation of its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores. Sears closed in 2019, and its former two-story space was redeveloped as a Tilt Studio and Tilted 10 family-entertainment and arcade destination, which opened in 2020. Furniture retailers subsequently occupied the former Bergner's space, with Home Trends Furniture & Mattress becoming the current occupant after earlier Choice Furniture and Galleria Furniture operations. Today, CherryVale Mall combines department stores, specialty retailers, books, furniture, dining, and entertainment. Its principal anchors are JCPenney, Macy's, Barnes & Noble, Tilt Studio/Tilted 10, and Home Trends Furniture & Mattress, while a former Bergner's upper-level space remains vacant according to the referenced description. The property also joined the Tesla Supercharger network in 2015, adding an electric-vehicle charging amenity to its parking facilities.
History
CherryVale Mall opened in the fall of 1973 as The Mall at CherryVale in Rockford, Illinois, close to the border with Cherry Valley. Developed by the Richard E. Jacobs Group, the center was built on a 233-acre site near the U.S. 20 bypass and the Northwest Tollway, now Interstate 90. Although Rockford already had older shopping centers, CherryVale was the city's first mall designed as a fully enclosed shopping center. Its location away from the downtown core was offset by access to major highways and surface streets serving the eastern side of Rockford. The original opening featured a two-story Sears, which began operations on September 26, and a three-story Marshall Field's, which opened on October 1. The Marshall Field's store was significant because it was among the first locations of the Chicago-based department-store chain outside the Chicago metropolitan area. The mall also opened with more than twenty specialty retailers, including apparel, books, music, and fashion tenants. H.C. Prange became another anchor in 1974, accompanied by a Prange Way discount store. CherryVale added entertainment uses during its first decade. A free-standing three-screen cinema opened in 1975 near the Sears parking area, and a four-screen theater opened inside the mall in 1983. By the early 1980s, the property was commonly known as CherryVale Mall rather than The Mall at CherryVale. Commercial activity also spread to the surrounding outlots, bringing additional services and attractions such as restaurants, a bank, an automobile dealership, a bowling alley, a toy store, a gas station, and a water park. The mall underwent its first major renovation in 1989 after Prange Way closed. Its former lower-level space was converted into a food court, including Sbarro and Quencher's Smoothies, and a new north entrance was added on the upper floor. Anchor changes followed in the 1990s. H.C. Prange was acquired by Younkers in 1992, and the store continued under that name until the end of 1996. The location then became Bergner's in 1997. Both mall cinemas eventually closed: the free-standing theater in 1999 and the lower-level theater in 2000. The indoor theater space was converted to retail, while the external cinema building remained unused for many years before later redevelopment. CBL & Associates Properties acquired the mall in 2001. During the early 2000s, road improvements around the property connected important local routes and encouraged new nearby commercial development, including grocery, restaurant, and convenience uses. CBL carried out a second major renovation in 2004. The project altered the center court by replacing two inclined moving walkways with a glass elevator, renovated the food court with new furniture, lighting, flooring, and brick-faced square pillars, and added JCPenney as a fourth anchor. The expansion increased the mall's reported retail area to approximately 806,900 square feet. In September 2006, Marshall Field's became Macy's. The following year, the mall added a 75,000-square-foot lifestyle component anchored by Barnes & Noble. This expansion was designed to attract a broader and somewhat more affluent customer base while replacing the role of the former Kroch's and Brentano's bookstore. In 2015, six Tesla Superchargers were installed in a lower-level parking area. The property later experienced the effects of department-store consolidation and retail bankruptcies. Bergner's closed on August 29, 2018, after The Bon-Ton Stores entered liquidation. Sears announced its closure in December 2018 and ceased operations in March 2019. Nickels and Dimes subsequently announced Tilt Studio and Tilted 10 for the former Sears space; the two-story arcade and entertainment venue opened in summer 2020. The former Bergner's lower level passed through Choice Furniture and Galleria Furniture before Home Trends Furniture & Mattress became the reported occupant in 2024. CherryVale Mall remains an active regional shopping center. Its reported anchor lineup includes JCPenney, Macy's, Barnes & Noble, Tilt Studio/Tilted 10, and Home Trends Furniture & Mattress. A portion of the former Bergner's upper-level space is reported as vacant. The mall continues to serve as a retail, dining, entertainment, and services destination for Rockford and the surrounding northern Illinois region.
- 2024
Home Trends Furniture & Mattress arrives
[1]Home Trends Furniture & Mattress replaces Galleria Furniture in the former department-store space.
- 2020
Tilt Studio and Tilted 10 open
[1]A two-story arcade and entertainment venue opens in the former Sears space.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes after being included in a nationwide store-closing plan.
- 2018
Bergner's closes
[1]Bergner's closes during the liquidation of parent company The Bon-Ton Stores.
- 2015
Tesla Supercharger installation
[1]The mall joins Tesla's charging network with six Superchargers.
- 2007
Barnes & Noble lifestyle expansion opens
[1]A 75,000-square-foot addition anchored by Barnes & Noble expands the mall's lifestyle-oriented retail offer.
- 2006
Marshall Field's becomes Macy's
[1]The original Marshall Field's anchor is rebranded as Macy's.
- 2004
Second major renovation and JCPenney addition
[1]CBL renovates the center court and food court and adds JCPenney as an anchor.
- 2001
CBL acquires the mall
[1]CBL & Associates Properties acquires CherryVale Mall.
- 1989
First major renovation
[1]The former Prange Way space becomes a food court and the mall gains a north-side upper-level entrance.
Products and positioning
A major enclosed regional shopping and entertainment center for Rockford and northern Illinois, combining department stores, specialty retail, books, furniture, dining, family entertainment, and convenient highway access.
Apparel, beauty, accessories, and general merchandise · 1973
Department-store retail
The mall's department-store offer is represented by JCPenney and Macy's. These anchors provide broad assortments spanning apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and seasonal merchandise. Macy's occupies the former Marshall Field's location, while JCPenney was added during the 2004 expansion.
Books and lifestyle retail · 2007
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble anchors the mall's 2007 lifestyle-oriented expansion. The store broadened CherryVale's offer with books, magazines, gifts, games, and related leisure merchandise, taking the place of the center's earlier large-bookstore role associated with Kroch's and Brentano's.
Family entertainment and arcade · 2020
Tilt Studio/Tilted 10
Tilt Studio and Tilted 10 occupy the former two-story Sears space. The venue provides arcade games and family-oriented entertainment, giving the mall a destination use beyond conventional shopping and helping repurpose a large former department-store anchor.
Furniture and mattresses · 2024
Home Trends Furniture & Mattress
Home Trends Furniture & Mattress occupies space formerly used by Bergner's and later by Choice Furniture and Galleria Furniture. Its offer is centered on furniture and mattress products, adding a home-furnishings destination to the mall's anchor mix.
Dining · 1989
Food court
The mall's food court was created during the 1989 renovation in the former Prange Way space. It originally included tenants such as Sbarro and Quencher's Smoothies and was refreshed again during the 2004 renovation with updated seating, lighting, flooring, and architectural finishes.
Controversies
2006
Attempted planned attack on the mall
Derrick Shareef was arrested in December 2006 after attempting to obtain weapons and explosives for a planned attack at CherryVale Mall during the Christmas shopping period. The case resulted in a federal conviction and a 35-year prison sentence in 2008. The incident concerned an individual plot and was not reported as conduct by the mall operator or its tenants.
Brand decisions
2024
Furniture-anchor successionGeneration changeBackground
The former Bergner's space had passed through several furniture operators after the department store closed.
Action taken
Home Trends Furniture & Mattress replaced Galleria Furniture after the latter closed.
Aftermath
The property retained a furniture-oriented anchor use in part of the former department-store footprint.
2019
Conversion of the Sears anchor to entertainment useGeneration changeBackground
Sears announced the closure of its CherryVale location amid a nationwide store-closing program.
Action taken
Nickels and Dimes selected the former Sears space for Tilt Studio and Tilted 10, a two-story arcade and entertainment concept.
Aftermath
The replacement opened in summer 2020 and changed a former department-store anchor into a family-entertainment destination.
2007
Addition of lifestyle-oriented retailStrategyBackground
The mall sought to attract middle- and upper-income shoppers and diversify beyond traditional department-store traffic.
Action taken
A 75,000-square-foot lifestyle expansion anchored by Barnes & Noble was built in the parking area between Bergner's and Macy's.
Aftermath
The expansion added a major bookstore and broadened the center's lifestyle and leisure positioning.
2004
Major renovation and anchor expansionStrategyBackground
CBL sought to modernize the center and strengthen its regional-shopping position after acquiring the property.
Action taken
The operator renovated the center court and food court, replaced moving walkways with a glass elevator, added JCPenney, and expanded the reported retail area.
Aftermath
The project increased the mall's anchor count and refreshed its common areas and customer circulation.
Recent events
- 2024
Home Trends Furniture & Mattress replaced Galleria Furniture[1]
Product launch
Home Trends Furniture & Mattress took over the former furniture-store space after Galleria Furniture closed.
- 2019
Tilt Studio and Tilted 10 announced for former Sears space[1]
Product launch
Nickels and Dimes announced that its Tilt Studio and Tilted 10 concepts would occupy the former Sears space. The two-story arcade and entertainment venue opened in summer 2020.
- 2018
Bergner's closed during Bon-Ton liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy · Leadership change
Bergner's closed after its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, entered liquidation. The lower level was later used by Choice Furniture, while the upper level remained vacant.
- 2018
Sears announced closure at CherryVale Mall[1]
Other
Sears announced that its CherryVale location would close as part of a nationwide store-closing program; the store ceased operations in March 2019.
- 2015
CherryVale Mall added Tesla Superchargers[1]
Product launch
Six Tesla Superchargers were installed in a lower-level parking area, adding electric-vehicle charging to the mall's visitor infrastructure.
- 2007
Barnes & Noble lifestyle expansion opened[1]
Product launch
A lifestyle-oriented addition featuring a large Barnes & Noble store expanded the mall's retail offer and replaced the role formerly associated with the Kroch's and Brentano's bookstore presence.
- 2006
Marshall Field's store converted to Macy's[1]
M&A · Product generation
The mall's Marshall Field's department store was rebranded as Macy's following Macy's acquisition of the former chain.
- 2001
CherryVale Mall acquired by CBL & Associates Properties[1]
M&A
CBL & Associates Properties acquired the Rockford shopping center and subsequently pursued property improvements and surrounding commercial development.
Sources2 sources
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