Peru Mall
A regional shopping mall and commercial center in Peru, Illinois.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Peru Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Peru, Illinois, serving the city of Peru and surrounding communities in north-central Illinois. The approximately 465,000-square-foot property combines inline retail, former department-store anchor space, entertainment, and nearby food-service uses. Its principal operating anchors are AMC Theatres and Marshalls, while several large former anchor locations remain vacant after the departures of Bergner's, JCPenney, and Sears. Other tenants have included Buckle, Maurices, Bath & Body Works, Claire's, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and smaller specialty retailers. Applebee's and Subway operate immediately outside the shopping center rather than as interior mall tenants. The mall opened in 1974 after construction by Chicago-based Rubloff Company. Its original department-store anchors were Bergner's and Montgomery Ward. JCPenney was subsequently added as another major anchor, and the property received a renovation in 1989. A cinema opened that year under GKC Theatres with four screens; it expanded to six and then eight screens during the 1990s. Carmike Cinemas assumed operation after acquiring GKC, and AMC Theatres later acquired the cinema in 2016. The anchor mix changed substantially in the 2000s and 2010s. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001, and Sears occupied that space from 2003. Marshalls opened in 2006 in a former Walgreens location, creating a fourth major anchor. The later closure of JCPenney in July 2017, Sears in October 2017, and Bergner's in August 2018 left the mall with significant vacant department-store space. Bergner's closure followed the liquidation of its parent, The Bon-Ton Stores. Jo-Ann Fabrics, AMC Theatres, and Marshalls were identified as the remaining major anchors immediately after that sequence of closures. In 2020, the Peru City Council supported moving forward with a concept to convert portions of the mall into apartment housing accompanied by shopping and dining uses. Based on the available reference material, substantial implementation of that concept had not occurred by 2025. More recent activity has included the sale of the former Sears anchor at auction to an unidentified California-based private investor, repairs and paving around the property, the closure of Claire's in December 2024, the closure of Jo-Ann Fabrics in April 2025, and the opening of a Retro Bricks toy kiosk in May 2025. These developments illustrate the continuing repositioning challenges facing the center while also showing that the property remains an operating commercial destination.
History
Peru Mall was developed by the Rubloff Company of Chicago and opened in 1974 in Peru, Illinois. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of Bergner's and Montgomery Ward, reflecting the traditional department-store format used by many regional shopping centers of the period. JCPenney later joined the property as a third anchor. The center was renovated in 1989, the same year that GKC Theatres opened a four-screen cinema. The theater expanded to six screens and then eight screens during the 1990s. After Carmike Cinemas acquired GKC, Carmike operated the theater; AMC Theatres assumed control in 2016 when it acquired Carmike. The mall's department-store profile changed in the 2000s. Montgomery Ward closed in 2001, near the end of that chain's operations, and Sears moved into the former Montgomery Ward space in 2003. Marshalls opened in 2006 in a former Walgreens location, adding a discount-oriented anchor to the tenant mix. Peru Mall experienced a series of anchor departures between 2017 and 2018. JCPenney closed on July 31, 2017, as part of a nationwide store-reduction plan. Sears closed in October 2017. Bergner's then shut on August 29, 2018, after the collapse and liquidation of its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores. The departures left AMC Theatres, Marshalls, and Jo-Ann Fabrics as the principal remaining anchors identified in the reference material, while the former JCPenney, Sears, and Bergner's spaces became vacant or were otherwise unavailable for conventional mall use. In August 2020, the Peru City Council voted in favor of moving forward with a proposal to transform the mall into a mixed-use development containing apartments, shopping, and dining. The available material indicates that no major redevelopment had been completed by 2025. Instead, the property saw incremental changes, including new concrete around blocked-off anchor entrances and construction of a roadway in front of the mall. The former Sears location was auctioned in 2024 and sold to an unidentified private investor based in California. Tenant turnover continued in 2024 and 2025. Claire's closed its mall store in December 2024. Jo-Ann Fabrics, included in a broader closure program, permanently closed its Peru Mall location on April 28, 2025. The mall subsequently announced Retro Bricks, a toy retailer focused on official LEGO products, which opened as a kiosk on May 3, 2025. These changes point to an ongoing transition from the mall's historic department-store-centered model toward a smaller mix of discount retail, specialty stores, entertainment, and possible mixed-use redevelopment.
- 2025
Retro Bricks opened
[1]Retro Bricks opened a toy kiosk selling official LEGO products on May 3.
- 2024
Former Sears space sold at auction
[1]The former Sears anchor was sold to an unidentified California-based private investor.
- 2020
Mixed-use redevelopment concept advanced
[1]The Peru City Council supported moving forward with a plan involving apartments, shopping, and dining.
- 2018
Bergner's closed
[1]Bergner's shut after The Bon-Ton Stores entered liquidation.
- 2017
JCPenney and Sears departed
[1]JCPenney closed in July and Sears closed in October, creating two vacant former anchor locations.
- 2016
AMC assumed cinema operations
[1]AMC Theatres took over the cinema following its acquisition of Carmike Cinemas.
- 2006
Marshalls opened
[1]Marshalls was added as a major anchor in a former Walgreens location.
- 2003
Sears occupied the former Montgomery Ward space
[1]Sears moved into the anchor space vacated by Montgomery Ward.
- 2001
Montgomery Ward closed
[1]Montgomery Ward ended operations at the mall.
- 1989
Renovation and cinema opening
[1]The property underwent renovation and added a four-screen GKC Theatres cinema.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center focused on everyday retail, discount merchandise, specialty stores, and entertainment for Peru and nearby Illinois communities.
Cinema and entertainment · 1989
AMC Theatres
The mall's principal entertainment anchor is an AMC-operated movie theater. The cinema began as a four-screen GKC Theatres venue in 1989, expanded during the 1990s, later passed to Carmike Cinemas, and became an AMC operation in 2016.
Discount department store · 2006
Marshalls
Marshalls is a major discount retail anchor at Peru Mall, offering off-price apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, and related merchandise. It opened at the property in 2006 in a former Walgreens location.
Toys and collectibles · 2025
Retro Bricks
Retro Bricks is a toy-focused kiosk offering official LEGO products. It opened at Peru Mall on May 3, 2025, and represented a recent addition to the center's specialty-retail mix.
Brand decisions
2025
Retro Bricks tenant openingProduct launchBackground
The center had experienced tenant departures, including the closure of Jo-Ann Fabrics in April 2025.
Action taken
Peru Mall announced Retro Bricks as a new permanent kiosk tenant selling official LEGO products; the kiosk opened on May 3.
Aftermath
The opening was described as the first new permanent tenant at the mall since 2019.
2020
Mixed-use conversion proposalStrategyBackground
The mall had lost several traditional department-store anchors, including JCPenney, Sears, and Bergner's, creating substantial vacant space and prompting consideration of a new use for the property.
Action taken
The Peru City Council voted to support moving forward with a concept that would combine apartment complexes with shopping and dining facilities.
Aftermath
The available reference material states that no major redevelopment had been completed by 2025.
Sources1 sources
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