Orland Park Place

Orland Park Place is a shopping center in Orland Park, Illinois, a suburb southwest of Chicago. The property began as an enclosed mall developed under the name Orland Court, after an earlier working name, Orland Greens. Construction took place in the early 1980s, with Montgomery Ward opening on March 19, 1981, and Wieboldt's opening on August 13 of that year. The project was developed by American Income Properties and was intended to serve as a regional shopping destination with department-store anchors and a broader enclosed-mall tenant mix. The original development encountered serious financial and operational difficulties almost immediately. In 1981, lender BA Mortgage initiated foreclosure proceedings against American Income Properties over unpaid obligations connected with the mall's construction financing. American Income Properties filed for bankruptcy in 1982, and ownership passed to a group of lenders. Chicago developer Spatz & Co. acquired the property in late 1984 and announced a major renovation, including additional anchors and a food court. During this period, the center was renamed Orland Park Place, a name reportedly inspired by the Monopoly board-game property. New tenants and anchors such as MainStreet, Spiegel Outlet, and Sportmart were added, but the center did not achieve sustained success. The mall's decline accelerated during the late 1980s and 1990s. Wieboldt's closed in 1987, and Heller Financial later pursued foreclosure in connection with financing used to acquire and renovate the property. Tri-Land Properties became involved in management and proposed converting the center into an off-price retail destination. Suggested tenants included value-oriented chains such as Nordstrom Rack, T.J. Maxx, and Filene's Basement, but redevelopment proposals encountered local and financial obstacles. By the mid-1990s, occupancy had fallen below 10 percent, and several tenants either left or planned replacement stores elsewhere. The enclosed mall closed in April 1997, although several freestanding or remaining stores continued operating temporarily. A new ownership and redevelopment phase began in 1998, when Hiffman Shaffer Associates acquired the property and pursued conversion into an open-air shopping center. The redesigned Orland Park Place held its grand opening in November 1999. Its tenant roster included Barnes & Noble, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Sportmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Cost Plus, followed by additional retailers such as Wickes Furniture, Stein Mart, and Old Navy. The open-air format gave the site a more flexible layout and enabled it to compete as a convenience-oriented shopping center rather than as a traditional enclosed regional mall. The property continued to change hands and tenant composition in the 2000s and 2010s. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 after its parent chain entered bankruptcy, and replacement plans included Galyan's and Office Depot. Galyan's was converted to Dick's Sporting Goods after Dick's acquired the chain. Nordstrom Rack opened in 2008, followed by HHGregg and Ross in 2011. Office Depot later relocated to a smaller store, while Sports Authority, which had taken over the former Sportmart business, closed in 2016 during bankruptcy proceedings. HHGregg closed in 2017; its former space was divided between Ashley Furniture HomeStore and Hobby Lobby, which opened in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Bed Bath & Beyond and Stein Mart closed in 2020 as their parent retail chains exited or contracted their store networks. Steinhafels opened at the center in November 2024. Orland Park Place is owned and managed by Pine Tree LLC. Its current identity is that of a suburban open-air retail center serving Orland Park and nearby communities, with a tenant mix oriented toward furniture, home goods, apparel, books, sporting goods, discount retail, and general shopping. Its history illustrates the transition of a financially troubled enclosed mall into a more adaptable outdoor shopping-center format.

Orland Park Place originated as Orland Greens, a proposed suburban shopping development announced in July 1979 by American Income Properties. The project was subsequently known as Orland Court. Its initial anchor plan included Montgomery Ward and Wieboldt's, with Montgomery Ward opening before the full center on March 19, 1981. Wieboldt's opened on August 13, 1981, when the developer also previewed the mall for local officials and business representatives. The development's early financial structure proved unstable. In November 1981, BA Mortgage sued American Income Properties and sought foreclosure, alleging that the developer owed approximately $24.5 million in principal and interest on a $20 million construction loan. American Income Properties filed for bankruptcy on May 21, 1982. The property was ultimately awarded to lenders including Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, BA Mortgage, and Mercantile Bank of Canada. Spatz & Co., a Chicago developer, purchased the property in late 1984 for an undisclosed amount reported as less than $24 million. It announced a $20 million renovation program involving new anchor stores and a 300-seat food court. MainStreet and a Spiegel Outlet were announced in April 1985, and Sportmart followed later that year. The property was renamed Orland Park Place during this redevelopment period. MainStreet opened on November 21, 1985, but the investment did not reverse the center's long-term competitive problems. Wieboldt's became the first major anchor to leave, closing on March 20, 1987. In 1989, Heller Financial sought foreclosure in connection with a $39.5 million loan associated with Spatz's acquisition and renovation of the property. Heller eventually took control and brought in Tri-Land Properties to manage the site. Tri-Land announced plans in 1993 to reposition the center as an off-price retail destination. A proposed tax-increment-financing district was discussed in 1994, with Tri-Land warning that the property might close without public assistance. Proposed off-price conversions did not receive approval, and one later proposal was publicly rejected by Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin. The center's condition continued to deteriorate. Sportmart announced in 1995 that it would build a larger replacement store because its mall location was too small. At that point, occupancy was reported at more than 80 percent vacancy. Heller sold the property to Tri-Land in 1995, although ownership was subsequently challenged in litigation involving the First Lien Company. In 1996, occupancy fell below 10 percent, and Kohl's had closed both of its mall entrances. The enclosed mall closed in April 1997, with Montgomery Ward, Kohl's, and Sportmart among the remaining operations; Sportmart was expected to leave after its replacement facility was completed. Hiffman Shaffer Associates acquired the property in 1998 and planned a fundamental physical conversion from an enclosed mall to an open-air shopping center. The redesigned center opened in November 1999 with tenants including Barnes & Noble, DSW Shoe Warehouse, an expanded Sportmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Cost Plus. More tenants arrived in 2000, including Wickes Furniture, Stein Mart, and Old Navy. This redevelopment replaced the enclosed regional-mall model with a format based on separate storefronts, easier vehicle access, and a more flexible tenant mix. The center continued to experience retail-chain turnover. Montgomery Ward closed in March 2001 after the chain filed for bankruptcy. Galyan's and Office Depot were announced as prospective occupants of replacement space in 2002. Hiffman Shaffer Associates put the property up for sale in October 2003 and announced a buyer in 2005, though the buyer was not identified in the cited account. Galyan's became Dick's Sporting Goods in 2004 after Dick's acquired the chain. Nordstrom Rack opened in 2008 while the property was owned by Inland Real Estate Corporation. HHGregg and Ross opened in 2011. Office Depot closed its existing store in December 2012 in preparation for relocation to a smaller site. Sports Authority closed in 2016 during bankruptcy proceedings, and HHGregg closed in 2017. The former HHGregg area was divided for Ashley Furniture HomeStore, which opened on July 21, 2018, and Hobby Lobby, which opened on March 4, 2019. Bed Bath & Beyond closed in September 2020, followed by Stein Mart in October 2020. Steinhafels opened on November 25, 2024. The property is identified as owned and managed by Pine Tree LLC and remains an active open-air shopping center in Orland Park.

• 2024

  Steinhafels opens

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Steinhafels opened at the center on November 25.

• 2019

  Hobby Lobby opens

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Hobby Lobby opened on March 4 in space created after the closure of HHGregg.

• 2011

  HHGregg and Ross open

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  HHGregg opened on September 15 and Ross opened on October 8.

• 2008

  Nordstrom Rack opens

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Nordstrom Rack joined the open-air center's tenant roster.

• 2004

  Galyan's becomes Dick's Sporting Goods

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The Galyan's store was converted following Dick's acquisition of the chain.

• 1999

  Open-air redevelopment opens

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The property reopened in November as a substantially redeveloped open-air shopping center.

• 1997

  Enclosed mall closes

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed mall closed in April after severe vacancy and anchor-retailer losses.

• 1985

  Property renamed and renovated

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Spatz & Co. acquired the center, announced a major renovation, and changed its name to Orland Park Place.

• 1982

  Developer bankruptcy

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  American Income Properties filed for bankruptcy after foreclosure proceedings connected with the mall's construction financing.

• 1981

  First anchor stores open

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Montgomery Ward opened on March 19 and Wieboldt's opened on August 13 as the enclosed shopping center began operations.

• 1979

  Initial development announced

  [1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  American Income Properties announced the proposed shopping development, initially referred to as Orland Greens and later developed as Orland Court.

Suburban open-air shopping center serving Orland Park and the surrounding Chicago metropolitan area

• Retail property format · 1981

  Enclosed regional mall format

  The original Orland Court and early Orland Park Place operated as an enclosed shopping mall anchored by department stores and supported by a conventional interior mall corridor. Its principal anchors included Montgomery Ward and Wieboldt's, with later additions such as MainStreet, Spiegel Outlet, and Sportmart. The format struggled with vacancies, anchor departures, financing problems, and competition from other suburban retail destinations.

• Retail property format · 1999

  Open-air shopping center

  The current Orland Park Place format was created through the 1998–1999 redevelopment. Separate storefronts and an outdoor layout replaced the enclosed mall, allowing the property to accommodate larger-format retailers and a broader combination of specialty, discount, furniture, home-goods, apparel, book, and sporting-goods tenants. The open-air model remains the defining offering of the property.

• 2004

  Galyan's converted to Dick's Sporting GoodsGeneration change

  Background

  Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Galyan's, requiring the Orland Park location to transition to the acquiring chain's format and branding.

  Action taken

  The Galyan's store was converted into a Dick's Sporting Goods location.

  Aftermath

  The site retained a major sporting-goods tenant under a different national retail brand.

  Source

• 1999

  Conversion from enclosed mall to open-air centerStrategy

  Background

  Years of vacancies, anchor departures, failed repositioning proposals, and declining occupancy made the enclosed-mall format unsustainable.

  Action taken

  Hiffman Shaffer Associates redeveloped the property as an open-air shopping center and opened the redesigned center in November 1999.

  Aftermath

  The new format attracted a new tenant roster and became the property's continuing operating model.

  Source

• 1985

  Major renovation and repositioning under Spatz & Co.Strategy

  Background

  After acquiring the financially troubled property, Spatz & Co. sought to improve its competitiveness through a large renovation, additional anchors, and a food court.

  Action taken

  The developer announced a renovation program, recruited MainStreet, Spiegel Outlet, and Sportmart, and renamed the property Orland Park Place.

  Aftermath

  The investment added tenants but did not prevent a subsequent decline in occupancy and the eventual closure of the enclosed mall.

  Announced renovation cost. $20 million (1984–1985 announcement)

  Source

• 2024

  Steinhafels opens at Orland Park Place[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Furniture retailer Steinhafels opened a location at the shopping center on November 25, adding a major home-furnishings tenant.

• 2016

  Sports Authority closes its Orland Park Place store[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy

  The sporting-goods tenant, which had succeeded Sportmart at the center, closed during Sports Authority's bankruptcy and liquidation process.

• 2001

  Montgomery Ward closes after chain bankruptcy[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · Other

  The long-standing department-store anchor closed in March after Montgomery Ward entered bankruptcy, prompting plans for replacement occupants.

• 1999

  Orland Park Place reopens as an open-air shopping center[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  A redevelopment led by Hiffman Shaffer Associates transformed the former enclosed mall into an open-air retail center, with a grand opening in November.

• 1997

  Enclosed mall closes after prolonged occupancy decline[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The enclosed mall ceased regular operations in April after years of vacancies and tenant departures, leaving only a small number of stores operating temporarily.

• 1985

  Orland Court is renamed Orland Park Place during redevelopment planning[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Following acquisition by Spatz & Co. and plans for a substantial renovation, the center adopted the Orland Park Place name.

• 1982

  American Income Properties files for bankruptcy amid Orland Court financing problems[1]Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · Lawsuit

  The developer of the original Orland Court project entered bankruptcy after a lender sought foreclosure over unpaid principal and interest on construction financing.

1. 1Orland Park Placeen.wikipedia.org