Northbrook Court
A regional shopping mall serving Chicago's North Shore suburbs from Northbrook, Illinois.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Northbrook Court is a regional shopping mall in Northbrook, Illinois, serving communities in Chicago's North Shore suburbs. The property occupies approximately 130 acres and is positioned on Lake Cook Road between the Tri-State Tollway and the Edens Expressway, roughly 25 miles from downtown Chicago and about eight miles from Westfield Old Orchard. Its location gives it access to Northbrook, Glenview, Highland Park, Skokie, Buffalo Grove, and other northern suburban communities, with connections provided by both road infrastructure and Pace bus routes. The mall opened in 1976 with Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Sears as its principal anchors. It was financed and developed by Homart Development Company, then a Sears subsidiary, with Architectonics, Inc. serving as architect. The original design included sculptures by Charles Owen Perry, whose works were named for historical figures associated with scientific research, including Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci, Gerardus Mercator, and Giovanni Domenico Cassini. These works helped give the center a more curated architectural identity than a purely utilitarian suburban retail complex. Northbrook Court's anchor and tenant mix changed repeatedly over the following decades. Sears departed in 1983 after the company concluded that its market area overlapped too heavily with nearby Hawthorn Mall and Golf Mill Mall. The space was briefly converted into a prototype JCPenney, then redeveloped in 1995 for Marshall Field's, which became Macy's in 2006. I. Magnin closed in 1991; its former space was later used for a General Cinema complex that opened in 1996 and was converted to AMC Theatres in 2002. The property also added a free-standing Crate & Barrel home-furnishings store in 2002, later replaced at that location by Arhaus. Food and entertainment have been important parts of the center's repositioning. A traditional food court was removed in 2007 and replaced by a smaller restaurant-oriented configuration, with much of the former food-court area later allocated to Forever 21. California Pizza Kitchen opened in 2010, and Arhaus opened at the mall in 2014. The property currently includes a 14-screen AMC Dine-In cinema on the south side, Neiman Marcus, restaurants, and specialty retailers, although its tenant base has contracted in recent years. Macy's announced in 2019 that it would close its Northbrook Court store, and the former anchor building was demolished for a proposed redevelopment. Lord & Taylor permanently closed its stores in 2020 amid the economic pressures surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Brookfield Properties presented a redevelopment concept involving outdoor retail in part of the existing Neiman Marcus parking area and mixed-use development on the former Macy's site. The proposal had not begun construction in the available reference material and was described as repeatedly delayed. Northbrook officials declared the mall blighted in 2023 and introduced a one-percent sales tax intended to help fund improvements. Additional retailer departures were reported in 2025, including Apple, Lululemon, Forever 21, Sephora, Auntie Anne's, Louis Vuitton, and the Lego Store. The mall has also had a role in popular culture. Exterior and interior areas appeared in John Hughes's 1985 film Weird Science, while Neiman Marcus and an escalator were used for a scene in the film Ordinary People. Despite substantial tenant turnover and uncertainty surrounding redevelopment, Northbrook Court remains an operating suburban shopping center anchored by Neiman Marcus and AMC Theatres.
History
Northbrook Court opened in 1976 in Northbrook, Illinois, as a large suburban shopping center serving Chicago's North Shore. Homart Development Company, a subsidiary of Sears, financed the project, while Architectonics, Inc. designed the mall. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Sears; I. Magnin was also part of the original-era department-store mix. The property was built on approximately 130 acres along Lake Cook Road, with convenient access to major expressways and suburban communities north of Chicago. The center's original visual program included sculptures by Charles Owen Perry. The works were named after figures connected with the history of scientific inquiry, including Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci, Mercator, and Cassini. This public-art component distinguished the mall from many conventional retail developments of the period. Sears closed in 1983 because the company believed its customer base overlapped too substantially with nearby Hawthorn Mall and Golf Mill Mall. The former Sears space became a prototype JCPenney that same year. JCPenney subsequently closed, and the building was demolished in 1995 for a new Marshall Field's department store. Marshall Field's was converted to Macy's in 2006. Macy's later announced its closure in 2019, and the building was demolished as part of a prospective redevelopment effort. I. Magnin left the mall in 1991. Its former location was later used for a General Cinema complex, which opened on November 22, 1996, with 14 auditoriums. The cinema was converted to AMC Theatres in 2002 and developed into a Dine-In format. A stand-alone Crate & Barrel home store also opened in 2002 on the mall's northwest corner; the site later became associated with Arhaus, which officially opened at the center in 2014. Northbrook Court adjusted its food and restaurant program over time. In 2007, the conventional food court was removed and replaced by a smaller experimental format. Much of the space was eventually used by Forever 21, while several restaurant spaces remained. California Pizza Kitchen opened on the north side in August 2010. Other dining venues associated with the property have included NM Cafe inside Neiman Marcus, California Pizza Kitchen, Di Pescara, and an outparcel P.F. Chang's, alongside earlier operators that later closed or moved. The mall's department-store roster contracted further when Lord & Taylor announced in August 2020 that it would close all stores. Brookfield Properties presented a redevelopment proposal in April 2023, envisioning outdoor retail in the existing Neiman Marcus parking area and mixed-use development on the former Macy's parcel. The plan remained delayed in the available reference material, with no confirmed construction start date. In June 2023, Northbrook classified the mall as blighted and introduced a one-percent sales tax intended to support improvements. Subsequent tenant departures increased pressure on the property. Apple announced in February 2025 that its store would close, and the location shut on April 26, 2025. Other reported 2025 departures included Lululemon, Forever 21, Sephora, Auntie Anne's, Louis Vuitton, and the Lego Store. The Lego Store was reported to have moved to Westfield Old Orchard in December 2025. At the time covered by the reference material, Northbrook Court remained open, with Neiman Marcus and AMC Theatres as its principal active anchors. Northbrook Court has also appeared in motion pictures. John Hughes used portions of the mall for exterior and interior scenes in Weird Science, and a scene from Ordinary People shows Mary Tyler Moore's character shopping at Neiman Marcus and riding an escalator. These appearances form part of the property's cultural association with Northbrook and the Chicago suburban setting.
- 2025
Apple and other retailers close
[1]Apple closes its store on April 26, followed by reported departures of several other prominent specialty retailers.
- 2023
Redevelopment plan and blight designation
[1]Brookfield presents a redevelopment concept, while the mall is declared blighted and a one-percent sales tax is introduced for improvements.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor exits
[1]Lord & Taylor announces the permanent closure of all stores.
- 2019
Macy's closure announced
[1]Macy's announces that its Northbrook Court anchor will close; the structure is later demolished.
- 2018
GGP becomes part of Brookfield Properties
[1]GGP becomes a subsidiary of Brookfield Properties, which manages and co-owns Northbrook Court.
- 2014
Arhaus opens
[1]Arhaus officially opens at the mall's east side.
- 2010
California Pizza Kitchen opens
[1]California Pizza Kitchen opens on the north side of the mall in August.
- 2007
Traditional food court is removed
[1]Northbrook Court replaces its conventional food court with a smaller experimental restaurant format.
- 2006
Marshall Field's becomes Macy's
[1]The Marshall Field's department store is converted to Macy's.
- 2002
Cinema converts to AMC and Crate & Barrel opens
[1]The cinema becomes an AMC operation, and a free-standing Crate & Barrel home store opens at the mall.
Products and positioning
Regional suburban shopping center and retail real-estate destination serving Chicago's North Shore.
Regional shopping mall · 1976
Northbrook Court shopping center
Northbrook Court is a suburban retail property with department-store, specialty-retail, dining, home-furnishing, and entertainment uses. The center's tenant mix has changed substantially since opening, but its core proposition remains a destination for North Shore shoppers seeking a combination of fashion, luxury, restaurants, services, and leisure activities.
Cinema and entertainment · 2002
AMC Dine-In Theatres
The property's south-side cinema traces its history to a 14-screen General Cinema complex opened in 1996. It became an AMC location in 2002 and operates as a Dine-In theater, combining film exhibition with restaurant-style food service.
Luxury department store · 1976
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus has been an anchor at Northbrook Court since the mall opened in 1976. The store represents the property's luxury-oriented department-store component and also contains the NM Cafe dining venue.
Brand decisions
2023
Proposed mixed-use and outdoor-retail redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The mall faced anchor departures, vacant space, and ongoing tenant turnover, including the demolition of the former Macy's building.
Action taken
Brookfield Properties presented a concept for outdoor shopping in part of the Neiman Marcus parking area and mixed-use development on the former Macy's site.
Aftermath
The plan was described as delayed, and no official construction start date had been announced in the reference material.
2019
Former Macy's anchor slated for redevelopmentOtherBackground
Macy's announced the closure of its Northbrook Court department store.
Action taken
The anchor building was closed and later demolished, creating a redevelopment parcel.
Aftermath
The site became part of the later mixed-use redevelopment concept.
Sources2 sources
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