The Plaza

The Plaza is a shopping center in Evergreen Park, Illinois, in the southwest Chicago metropolitan area. It originated as Evergreen Plaza, a large open-air retail development conceived by Chicago developer Arthur Rubloff and opened to the public in August 1952. The project occupied a substantial site around Western Avenue and several intersecting streets near the Evergreen Park and Beverly communities. Its original development was financed with support from the nearby Walgreen family, and the center was anchored by several established department stores and retailers, including The Fair Store, Lytton's, Barnett's, and Walgreens. At opening, Evergreen Plaza covered approximately 500,000 square feet and was designed as a regional shopping destination rather than merely a neighborhood strip center. Its early tenant mix included a Jewel supermarket and a Walgreens location that was notable within the Walgreen chain: it was the company's second self-service pharmacy and its first store located in a shopping center. The center was also associated with a grocery-collection system in which purchases were conveyed to a parking-lot kiosk, reflecting the automobile-oriented retail design of the period. Some historical accounts have described Evergreen Plaza as one of the first regional malls in the United States, although the terminology and ranking depend on how a regional mall is defined. The property expanded and changed format over time. Chas. A. Stevens joined the tenant roster in 1962, while Carson Pirie Scott later became another major anchor. The original Fair Store was converted into a Montgomery Ward location in 1964. In 1966, the previously open-air center was enclosed, converting Evergreen Plaza into an indoor mall. This enclosed configuration remained the dominant identity of the property for several decades. A cinema that had operated at the center was converted into a triplex in 1977 and a quadplex in 1983, but the theater ultimately closed in 1999. The mall entered a period of weakening occupancy and declining patronage after the late 1990s. Montgomery Ward closed its four-story store in 2001 following the retailer's bankruptcy. Attempts to replace the former anchor with Target did not succeed, and National Wholesale Liquidators occupied part of the space from 2005 until 2008. Walgreens left in 2005 for a newer nearby store, with Office Depot taking over its former space. Circuit City, which had replaced an earlier Silo electronics store, also closed in 2005. Office Depot and numerous smaller retailers subsequently departed, while newer tenants often had shorter operating periods. Planet Fitness signed a long-term lease for the former Walgreens space and began operating there in November 2011. Evergreen Plaza closed as an enclosed mall in 2013. Rather than being replaced immediately, the existing structure remained while redevelopment proposals were developed. DeBartolo LLC and Lormax Stern eventually pursued a substantial reconstruction that returned the property to an outdoor shopping-center format. Demolition began in October 2015 and continued through 2017. The redeveloped center opened in fall 2017 with a new tenant lineup that included Burlington and Whole Foods Market, while some existing businesses were intended to remain. Applebee's later departed and was replaced by Chili's. Carson's opened a newly constructed store in September 2016, but its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, entered bankruptcy and announced the closure of all Carson's locations in 2018. The store briefly reopened under Carson's new ownership before closing again in 2020. In 2022, Macy's announced plans for the former Carson's space, with Market by Macy's planned for the first floor and Macy's Backstage for the second. The Plaza therefore represents a retail property that evolved from an early open-air regional center into an enclosed mall and, finally, a modern open-air shopping center.

Arthur Rubloff conceived Evergreen Plaza in 1936 as a large-scale retail project for the Evergreen Park area near Western Avenue and the surrounding 95th, 96th, and 98th Street corridors. Funding was secured from the Walgreen family, who lived in nearby Beverly. The center opened in August 1952 as an approximately 500,000-square-foot open-air shopping center. Its first anchors were The Fair Store, Lytton's, Barnett's, and Walgreens, and it also included a Jewel supermarket. The Walgreens store had particular historical significance within its chain because it was the company's second self-service pharmacy and its first shopping-center location. The center's automobile-oriented design included a system for conveying grocery purchases from the supermarket to a parking-lot kiosk. Evergreen Plaza was initially presented as a regional destination and is described by some sources as one of the earliest regional malls in the United States. Its tenant and anchor base expanded in the 1960s. Chas. A. Stevens joined in 1962, and Carson Pirie Scott became another major department-store anchor. In April 1964, The Fair Store was converted into Montgomery Ward. Two years later, in 1966, the open-air center was enclosed, creating an indoor mall that remained its principal format for much of the following half-century. The property continued to add and replace entertainment and specialty tenants. Its movie theater was converted into a triplex in 1977 and a quadplex in 1983, before closing in 1999. In the early 1990s, Circuit City replaced a Silo electronics store. The mall's fortunes weakened as department-store retail changed and customer traffic declined. Montgomery Ward closed its four-story building in 2001 after the chain entered bankruptcy. Proposals to bring Target into the former anchor space did not come to fruition. National Wholesale Liquidators occupied two levels of that space from 2005 until 2008. Walgreens left in 2005 for a newer nearby store, and Office Depot replaced it. Circuit City also closed in 2005. Office Depot departed in 2008, along with many smaller retailers. The center increasingly experienced vacant units, declining patronage, and shorter tenures among newer businesses. Planet Fitness provided one of the more durable later occupancies. It signed a ten-year lease in 2011 for the former Walgreens location and began operations in November of that year. Nevertheless, the enclosed mall closed in 2013. The property was initially expected to be demolished and replaced by a new outdoor center, but redevelopment proposals took time to mature. DeBartolo LLC and Lormax Stern ultimately collaborated on a plan to remove the existing mall and construct a new open-air shopping center with approximately 30 to 40 new stores. Applebee's and Planet Fitness were intended to remain, while Enterprise Rent-A-Car later departed. Demolition began on October 7, 2015, and continued through the fall of 2017. Carson's opened a new store in September 2016 during the redevelopment. The reconstructed shopping center opened in fall 2017 under the Plaza identity, with major tenants including Burlington and Whole Foods Market. Applebee's later left and was replaced by Chili's. Carson's faced renewed instability after The Bon-Ton Stores announced in April 2018 that it would close all Carson's stores as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. The Evergreen Park store reopened under Carson's new owner on Black Friday 2018, but another closure was announced in August 2020, with the store expected to shut in October. On June 16, 2022, Macy's announced plans to use the former Carson's space for Market by Macy's on the first floor and Macy's Backstage on the second. The property's history therefore reflects the broader transition from postwar open-air retail, to enclosed regional mall, and back to a contemporary open-air shopping-center model.

• 2022

  Macy's plans announced

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Macy's announced plans for Market by Macy's and Macy's Backstage in the former Carson's space.

• 2017

  Redeveloped Plaza opens

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The reconstructed outdoor shopping center opened in fall.

• 2015

  Redevelopment demolition starts

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Demolition began for the conversion to a new outdoor shopping center.

• 2013

  Enclosed mall closes

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The property ceased operating as an enclosed mall before redevelopment.

• 1966

  Center becomes an enclosed mall

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Evergreen Plaza's original open-air format was replaced by an enclosed indoor configuration.

• 1964

  The Fair Store becomes Montgomery Ward

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The original Fair Store anchor was converted into a Montgomery Ward store.

• 1962

  Chas. A. Stevens joins the center

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Chas. A. Stevens was added to the tenant and anchor lineup.

• 1952

  Evergreen Plaza opens

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The approximately 500,000-square-foot open-air center opened to the public in August.

• 1936

  Shopping-center concept developed

  [1]The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Arthur Rubloff conceived a major shopping project for the Evergreen Park area.

A community and regional shopping center serving Evergreen Park and the southwest Chicago area, with a tenant mix spanning grocery, off-price apparel, department-store merchandise, restaurants, fitness, and services.

• Shopping center · 1952

  Evergreen Plaza open-air shopping center

  The original 1952 property was an automobile-oriented, approximately 500,000-square-foot open-air shopping center. It combined department stores, a supermarket, a pharmacy, specialty retail, and substantial parking, making it a regional destination for southwest Chicago communities.

• Enclosed shopping mall · 1966

  Evergreen Plaza enclosed mall

  After its 1966 enclosure, the property operated for decades as an indoor mall with department-store anchors, specialty shops, food service, and a multi-screen cinema. Its later years were marked by anchor departures, vacancies, and declining customer traffic before the enclosed format closed in 2013.

• Outdoor shopping center · 2017

  The Plaza outdoor shopping center

  The current Plaza developed from the 2015–2017 reconstruction of the former mall. Its open-air tenant mix includes grocery, off-price apparel, restaurants, fitness, and other retail and service uses. Whole Foods Market and Burlington were among the major tenants associated with the redeveloped center.

• 2022

  Macy's replacement strategy for former Carson's spaceProduct launch

  Background

  The Carson's store had closed again after the retail chain's ownership and bankruptcy-related disruptions.

  Action taken

  Macy's announced plans for Market by Macy's on the first floor and Macy's Backstage on the second floor.

  Aftermath

  The announcement identified a new department-store and off-price retail use for the former Carson's location.

  Source

• 2015

  Redevelopment into an outdoor centerStrategy

  Background

  The aging enclosed structure and reduced occupancy led developers to pursue a comprehensive replacement.

  Action taken

  DeBartolo LLC and Lormax Stern began demolition and redevelopment for a new open-air center intended to contain approximately 30 to 40 stores.

  Aftermath

  The reconstructed Plaza opened in fall 2017 with tenants including Whole Foods Market and Burlington.

  Source

• 2013

  Closure of the enclosed mallStrategy

  Background

  Declining patronage, anchor departures, and extensive store closures weakened the enclosed mall.

  Action taken

  The enclosed mall ceased operations while replacement and redevelopment proposals were considered.

  Aftermath

  The property moved toward a return to an outdoor shopping-center format.

  Source

• 1966

  Enclosure of the original open-air centerStrategy

  Background

  Evergreen Plaza had operated as an open-air regional shopping center since 1952.

  Action taken

  The property was converted into an enclosed indoor mall.

  Aftermath

  The enclosed format became the center's operating model for several decades.

  Source

1. 1The Plaza (mall)en.wikipedia.org