Yorktown Center, Lombard, Illinois.

Planning began for a Yorktown Center mall in 1965. The huge shopping complex was being developed by a joint venture of Carson Pirie Scott & Co., Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, and Wieboltds. 

The mall site at Butterfield Road and Highland Avenue, Lombard, Illinois, comprised 190 acres, 22 miles west of "The Loop." Previously in an unincorporated section of Dupage County, it was annexed into the Village of Lombard in March 1966. Ground was broken in March 1967. Yorktown Center was designed by Los Angeles-based Victor Gruen Associates and Sidney H. Morris & Associates of New York City. 

The $25 million Yorktown Center was dedicated in October 1968. The huge complex was the second-largest enclosed mall east of the Mississippi at that time.

A 3-level (203,100 square foot), Chicago-based Wieboldt's became the first operational store on August 15, 1968. A 2-level (240,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, the mall's largest tenant, welcomed its first patrons on September 26. Carson Pirie Scott's 3-level (219,000 square foot) store and a 2-level (230,800 square foot) JCPenney opened as part of the mall's dedication on October 10, 1968.

Soon after its completion, the Yorktown Center was supplemented by the freestanding Yorktown Convenience Center. Built adjacent to the north parking area, the store strip was completed in late 1969. Its largest tenant was a National Foods supermarket.

The Chicago-based chain's twelfth branch housed 203,100 square feet.

Yorktown Center Map 1969 - The mall proper covered approximately 1,350,000 leasable square feet and contained ninety-five stores and services. In addition to being one of the largest malls in the United States, it was also Chicagoland's first 4-anchor shopping center. The parking lot could accommodate 9,000 autos.

Attending the dedication ceremony were Samuel H. Shapiro (Governor of Illinois), Lester J. Bergmann (Mayor of Lombard), and developers E.D. Pehrson and T.D. Berenson. The festivities centered around unveiling a 25-foot-high thermometer in the mall's Grand Court.

A full-page newspaper ad announces the grand opening of Yorktown Center. Take note of the thermometer depicted on the right. This 25-foot-high instrument stood in the Grand Court. Heating and Cooling were calibrated to measure a constant 72 degrees year-round.

Charter inline stores included Jarman Shoes, Florsheim Shoes, Chandler's Shoes, Frank's Shoes, Madigan's Apparel, Karoll's Apparel, Gangi men's wear, Seno & Sons men's wear, Bond Clothes, Walgreen Drug, Hickory Farms of Ohio, Armand's restaurant, Gilmore's ladies wear and a 2-level F.W. Woolworth 5 & Dime. 

A 2-level Woolworths opened for business in September 1968 and would be a tenant for nearly 30 years.

Outparcel structures included Ward's Auto Center and two fast-food restaurants.

The General Cinema Corporation Yorktown Cinema I & II opened on July 3, 1970. This freestanding venue was expanded into the Yorktown Cinema I-II-II-IV in August 1976 and into a 6-multiplex in the late 1980s. It was demolished in 1997 and replaced with the General Cinema Corporation Yorktown Cinema 18-multiplex, which showed its first features on April 3, 1998.

Meanwhile, a twenty-seven-store Convenience Center had been built adjacent to the mall's north parking area. Its original tenants included Radio Shack, Puppy Palace, Stevenson's Bath & Boutique Center, Goodman Yarns, Barrett Magnavox Home Entertainment Center, The Best Steak House, and Bar & Flame Furniture. Boushelle For Carpeting, Klein's Sporting Goods, Ace Hardware and a National Foods supermarket.

Major shopping hubs in the Yorktown trade area included Oakbrook Center (1962), 3 miles east, in Oak Brook, and Woodfield Mall (1971), 14 miles north, in Schaumburg. This complex completed an expansion in 1973, which demoted Yorktown to the second-largest mall in Chicagoland.

Anchor store rebrandings at Yorktown were set in motion on March 20, 1987, when the Wieboldt's store went dark. It would sit vacant for 7 years. Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur renovated the building into a flagship location dedicated on July 18, 1994. Montgomery Ward closed in March 2001, with its vacant building being demolished in late 2004.

The first renovation of Yorktown Center was done in the mid-1980s. This project added new flooring, neon lighting and skylights, with shopping concourse stairways replaced with elevators. A second remodeling commenced in March 1993. The 12-bay Plaza Food Court was built in space vacated by a Madigan's apparel store in September 1992. The new food facility opened for business in November 1993. Original vendors included Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Chicago Hot Dog, Cinnabon, Sakkio Japan, Great Steak & Potato Company, Panda Express and Sbarro, the Italian Eatery. 

The east anchor, which opened as a Windy City-based Wieboldt's, went dark in July 1987 and sat vacant for 7 years. Von Maur renovated the building and dedicated their store in July 1994.

The renovation continued into the following year. New landscaping, lighting and seating were installed. Moreover, mall entrances were rebuilt. During a subsequent remodeling in the early 2000s, the Grand Court was refurbished, with new escalators installed. 

The Grand Court at Yorktown Center was refurbished as part of a 2010s mall makeover featuring a children's play area.

A fourth renewal of the mall began in early 2005. The 230,000 square foot Shops on Butterfield replaced the demolished Wards. This enclosed, open-air lifestyle addition was officially dedicated in June 2007 and included twenty-three tenants. Among these were Belly Couture, The Denim Loft, Burr Ridge Eyewear, Mirobelli Shoes, a (32,500 square foot) Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley and (33,200 square foot) Forever 21. Claim Jumper, Capital Grille, Buca di Beppo and Rock Bottom Brewery restaurants were on the periphery of Shops on Butterfield. 

The basic structure of Yorktown Center remained unchanged for over 36 years. A major renovation commenced in early 2005. An abandoned Montgomery Ward was razed and replaced with Shops on Butterfield, an open-air and enclosed lifestyle component. In this 2006 aerial view, Shops on Butterfield is under construction.

Yorktown Center Map 2008 - A Yorktown Center site map dated 39 years after the first. The Shops on Butterfield addition (in medium gray) was officially dedicated in June 2007. With its completion, the mall, not counting its many peripheral structures, encompassed 1,340,000 leasable square feet, with 150 stores and services.

In April 2012, Yorktown Center was acquired by a joint venture of New York City-based Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Company (KKR) and El Segundo, California's Pacific Retail Capital Partners.

In April 2013, work commenced on an $18 million remodeling. The existing Plaza Food Court was upgraded during the project with expanded seating, wi-fi stations and a Family Lounge.

The Plaza Food Court had been installed, on the mall's Upper Level, during a 1993-1994 facelift. It was rebuilt during the 2013-2014 mall makeover and renamed The Eatery. The refurbished culinary complex now housed 11 vendors.

The culinary complex was renamed The Eatery. The Grand Court was refurbished with new seating, lighting and fountains. 

The exterior entry of The Eatery was rebuilt in 2013-2014. 

The main mall entrance was rebuilt, and new signage was installed throughout the complex. The refurbishment was completed in June 2014.

A contemporary view of Shops on Butterfield.

In the 21st century, the west anchor at Yorktown Center retained its original branding, although the nameplate had been updated. The store closed due to The Bon Ton Stores' bankruptcy in 2018. This left JCPenney as the mall's only remaining original anchor.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

River Oaks Center, Calumet City, Illinois.

Pre-Opening Ad: River Oaks Center Formal Grand Opening October 3, 1966

A wonderful, new shopping experiece awaits you. American's most famous stores are here ... in a magnificently landscaped setting, where the sound of cascxading fountains seem to say, "Relax, stroll ... this is a center for you and your family to enjoy." This is the way shopping was meant to be! Over sixty stores and shops are dedicated to bring you unexecelled service, quality merchandise and competitive pricing. Plan to make this the first of many memorable days and evenings. There are fine restaurants to add to your pleasure ... banking abd other personal services ... plus parking accommodationa for over six thousand cars. As you will discover, whether by car of bus, River Oaks is onal a few minutes from where you live! Whatever you know about shopping ... changes when you enter River Oaks Center.

Shopping unlimited — in the tradition of Old Orchard and Oakbrook Center.

River Oaks Center, sunken Center Court, Amphitheatre area, with the 8-story Professional Building off in the distance.

River Oaks Center, 159th Street and Torrence Avenue, Calumet City, was Chicagoland's fifteenth major shopping complex. It was developed by a joint venture of the Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna Life Insurance Company and Chicago's Phillip Klutznick of KLC Venture, Limited. 

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Phillip Klutznick was instrumental in creating Park Forest Plaza (1949), Old Orchard Center (1956), and Oakbrook Center (1962) shopping malls. River Oaks Center was developed by a joint venture of the Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna Life Insurance Company and Chicago's Phillip Klutznick of KLC Venture, Limited. (1966)

River Oaks Center, Calumet City, Illinois, opened on October 3, 1966, with a second group of tenants opening on November 1. Mr. Klutznick had been instrumental in the creation of the Park Forest Plaza (1949), Old Orchard Center (1956) and Oakbrook Center (1962) retail hubs.

River Oaks Center Map 1966 - River Oaks Center was a cluster layout, open-air complex with sixty stores and services. When it opened in late 1966, it covered 921,000 leasable square feet and was the third-largest mall in Chicagoland. The parking area had space for 5,900 autos.

River Oaks Center sat on 100 acres, 18 miles southeast of The Loop, in suburban Calumet City. The open-air shopping center, designed by Richard Marsh Bennett of Loebl,  Schlossman, Bennett & Dart, consisted of a main retail level and basement. The $35 million complex encompassed approximately 921,000 leasable square feet.

A nighttime aerial view of River Oaks Center. We see the Sears store in the lower right, with JCPenney in the upper right.

The first operational store, Sears, opened for business on September 14, 1966. The mall was formally dedicated on October 3, 1966. Joseph Nowak, mayor of Calumet City, buried a time capsule in the mall's Center Court. Entertainment was provided by a color guard and a 100-piece band. By November 3, most of the mall's sixty stores and services were running.

Chicago's Marshall Field & Company's store spanned 260,000 square feet over 3 floors. Its in-store restaurant was called The Tea Room.

The original River Oaks anchors were a 3-level (260,000 sq. ft) Marshall Field & Company, 2-level (56,000 sq. ft), Hammond, Indiana-based Edward C. Minas Company and 2-level (347,000 sq. ft) Sears. This store was considered Sears' largest suburban location until a 416,000 sq. ft operation opened at Schaumburg's Woodfield Mall in late 1971.

The larger inline stores at River Oaks were an (18,300 sq. ft) Jewel-Osco, (20,000 sq. ft) Evans Furriers, (31,500 sq. ft) Lytton Department Stores and (34,000 sq. ft) S.S. Kresge 5 & Dime. Other charter tenants included A.M. Rothschild & Company, Fabric Mart Draperies, Baskin's Men's & Ladies Wear, Florsheim Shoes, Kroch's & Brentano's Books, C.D. Peacock Jewelers, Chandler's Shoes, Fannie May Candies and John M. Smyth Furniture Company.

Major shopping centers in the vicinity included Evergreen Plaza (1952), 10 miles northwest, in Evergreen Park, Dixie Square Mall (1966-1979), 6 miles northwest in Harvey, and Lincoln Mall (1973), 11 miles southwest, in Matteson.

The first movie theater at River Oaks Center, the ABC Great States River Oaks Dimension 150 Theatre, opened on May 30, 1969. The River Oaks 2 Theatre, across Torrence Avenue, opened in 1972 and was expanded into a 3-multiplex in 1975. In 1980, screens 5 & 6 opened in a building adjacent to the River Oaks Theatre 2 & 3. The original 1969 theater was expanded with a second auditorium in 1978. The venue became known as the River Oaks Theatre 1-4. Inside the mall, the River Oaks Theatres 7-8 was installed in space previously occupied by a Jewel Food-Osco Drug. This venue showed its first features on October 21, 1983. On December 16, 1988, the Cineplex Odeon River Oaks Cinemas 1-6 opened in a vacant S.S. Kresge space. The multiplexes across Torrence Avenue were shuttered. Theatres 7-8 remained as is. The twin-screen venue in the original 1969 theater became the River Oaks Theatre 9-10.

The mall's first anchor nameplate change occurred on October 6, 1982, when the Edward C. Minas store became the twenty-fifth Carson Pirie Scott location. By this time, the entity that had built the mall was known as the Urban Investment & Development Company. They performed A 15 million dollar mall expansion between April and November 1985.

River Oaks Center Map 1985 - Still open-air, the complex was expanded in 1984-1985. This addition brought a fourth anchor - JCPenney - and Northwest Wing (in dark gray). The gross leasable area of River Oaks Center now stood at around 1,149,000 square feet. An expanded parking area could now accommodate 6,300 autos.

A 2-level (139,000 sq. ft) JCPenney was opened on October 2. The store was part of a new Northwest Wing. A $3 million food court, the Tower Cafe, was also installed in a fully-enclosed space on the mall's lower level (previously utilized as the John M. Smyth furniture store). The Tower Cafe encompassed eleven fast-food vendors, a sit-down restaurant and nine food-related shops.

Stores brought into the mall as part of the renovation included Armstrong Jewelers, Claire's Boutique, Gingiss Formalwear, Regis Hairstylists, The Gap, The Grate Home & Fireplace Shop, Mothercare Maternity, Lechter's Housewares and World Bazaar.

At the dawn of the 1990s, River Oaks Center was still open-air. A $50 million refurbishment was announced in February 1993. Construction got underway in March. The design of the mall enclosure was handled by Jim Ryan & Associates of Southfield, Michigan.

All courts and concourses were roofed, with 80,000 square feet of fill-in retail space created. The Carson store was expanded to 62,000 square feet. Twenty-five new stores opened in March 1994, with an additional twenty-eight beginning business in May. An 8-bay Food Court on the Main Level of the complex commenced operation in August.

An "anchors away" scenario commenced with the shuttering of the 31-year-old Carson's in January 2012. Sears, which had been the mall's first operational store, went dark in June 2013 after anchoring River Oaks Center for over 46 years.

The newly-refurbished complex was re-dedicated in September 1994. Its gross leasable area had been increased to 1,229,000 square feet. There was now a total of 146 stores and services. New tenants included The Disney Store, The Bombay Company, Victoria's Secret, Mrs. Field's Cookies and The Body Shop.

River Oaks Center Map 1994. River Oaks was rebuilt into an interior mall. 80,000 square feet of store space (in gray) was added, which connected the existing storefronts to the new, fully-enclosed courts and concourses. The mall now encompassed 1,229,000 leasable square feet.

Oakbrook, Illinois-based JMB Properties and the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group established a joint venture ownership deal involving four Chicagoland malls; River Oaks Center, Hawthorn Center in Vernon Hills, Fox Valley Center in Aurora, and Orland Square Mall in Orland Park.

In November 1997, this arrangement was restructured, with Simon assuming 100 percent ownership of the River Oaks and Orland Square properties. JMB Properties became the sole proprietor of Fox Valley Center and Hawthorn Center.

The new century brought more changes to River Oaks Center. Steve & Barry's University Sportswear came and went, and Macy's took over Marshall Fields on September 9, 2006. The mall's cinema complexes were shuttered between 2005 and 2008.

The original 1969 venue was bulldozed in 2011. Cinemas 1-6 (in the old S.S. Kresge) were torn down in October 2012, followed by the razing of Theatres 7-8 (in the Jewel-Osco space) in November. The Carson's store shut down in January 2012, with Sears throwing in the towel in June 2013. The River Oaks Professional Building was demolished in early 2014.

The mall's southeast entry. This section went through a few alterations between 2012 and 2014. A vacant cinema structure, the old River Oaks 7-8, and the Professional Building office tower were demolished.

The Simon Property Group had created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust, known as the Washington Prime Group, that assumed ownership of River Oaks Center. 

Washington Prime Group merged with the Glimcher Realty Trust in early 2015.

River Oaks Center Map 2017 - A new owner took the helm in March 2017, and an updated logo was commissioned. Following the recent anchor store closings, the complex housed around 125 operational stores.

In March 2017, the mall was sold to a joint venture of Great Neck, New York's Masson Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group.

JCPenney and Macy's are the current anchor stores.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Dixie Square Mall, Harvey, Illinois.

Dixie Hi was a 9-hole, par 36 golf course that opened in 1923 in Harvey, Illinois. The course was designed by William H. Metz & Associates, Inc. and was named for Dixie Highway. It was maintained and operated by the city of Harvey.

Harvey incorporated 58 acres of land in 1964, including the "Dixie Hi" golf course property. The course closed in 1965 due to financial difficulties. The golf course was demolished to make way for the Dixie Square Mall.

A fairway representation for the "Dixie Hi" golf course in Harvey, Illinois.

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Dixie Hi was an excellent 9-hole course that cost $1  or $2 to play in 1950. You had to be careful looking for golf balls at the 9th hole because the open field was full of Garter snakes. Scary things, all black with yellow stripes.                             —Anonymous

DIXIE SQUARE MALL

Dixie Square was at 151st Street and Dixie Highway (Western Avenue), Harvey, Illinois.

Dixie Square Mall's story began in 1964 when plans were announced for a fully-enclosed shopping plaza with fifty stores and concession services. The complex was built on a 58-acre site twenty-two miles south of downtown Chicago in south suburban Harvey.

The Mall (780,000 leasable sq. ft.) was developed by Meyer C. Weiner and designed by Grand Rapids, Michigan's Hornbach & Steenwyck firm. The $25 million ($241 Million today) construction project commenced in April 1965.

The Mall opened on August 31, 1966. 

Seventy-two days later, Dixie Square Mall held a premiere featuring Chicagoan Mel Tormé (1925-1999) on Thursday, November 10, 1966, the day after the Mall's Grand Opening. 

Mel Tormé  (1925-1999), 'The Velvet Fog,' was a famous jazz singer, musician, and actor in the 1950s and 60s. His performance at Dixie Square Mall was a major event for the new Mall. Tormé's performance was followed by a fireworks display. The event received media attention.

Mel Tormé made his professional debut at the age of 8 at the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago in 1933. He performed with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra, singing "You're Driving Me Crazy."

Mel Tormé "You're Driving Me Crazy" 1946

Mel Tormé performed at the following Chicago venues:

• Apollo Theater (1944).
• Chez Paree Nightclub, Tormé performed regularly (1950).
• Chez Paree Nightclub, Tormé headlines in Chicago with his own band and guests, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn. (1958).
• Chicago Jazz Festival (1956; 1995).
• Chicago Jazz Festival. Mel played drums on "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Benny Goodman (1979).
• Chicago Symphony Center with the Mel Tormé Orchestra (1984).
• Lyric Opera House of Chicago's "A Jazz Festival." Mel performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington. (1962)
• Lyric Opera of Chicago (1966).
• Ravinia, Highland Park, Illinois (1990 Festival).
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. Tormé starred in the musical "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." (1990)

The first business to open was Montgomery Ward in a 2-level (182,000 sq. ft.) store on October 27, 1966. JCPenney's 2-level (144,000 sq. ft.) store anchored the center of the Mall. Inline stores included Walgreens, a Jewel supermarket and F.W. Woolworth 5 & Dime. The official grand opening of the retail hub took place on November 10-12.

Dixie Square Mall Map 1967

Dixie Square Directory Cover, 1967

The early years of Dixie Square Mall were successful. The Mall drew shoppers from another south-side mall, Park Forest Plaza (1949), nine miles south of Park Forest, and River Oaks Center (1966), six miles southeast, in Calumet City. 

1967 Dixie Square Mall Map ~ Click to Enlarge

An expansion was completed in 1970, adding a 1-level (108,400 sq. ft.) Turn֎Style Family Center. 

The shopping center is being promoted as Dixie Mall.

Dixie Mall Map 1974

Around the mid-70s, Dixie Mall's revenue was diminishing as more stores closed, and businesses didn't or wouldn't rent. The Mall reached the event horizon . . . the point of no escape in early 1978.

Turn Style's discount store closed at Dixie Mall in Harvey, Illinois, on January 1, 1978. It was one of the last stores to close at the Mall, which had been struggling for years. Turn֎Style closed after 12 years.

Montgomery Ward closed in December 1977, and JCPenney's in January 1978. By November, mall concourses were closed, with exterior-entranced Walgreens and Jewel stores remaining in business until early 1979.

The abandoned shopping center was signed over to the local school district, renting its space to director John Landis. He used the Mall for location shooting of his "Blues Brothers" motion picture, which was released in June of 1980.

Car-chase mall scene from the filming of the movie, "The Blues Brothers."

Car-chase mall scene from the filming of the movie, "The Blues Brothers."

Dixie Mall was utilized as a temporary school. After this, Dixie Mall was left to decay. Its roof was eventually compromised, allowing rain and snow to enter. Within a few years, the once pristine, $8 million shopping center resembled a nuclear test site.

Several botched attempts to redevelop the complex failed. During the last failed attempt, asbestos was discovered at the site, which resulted in an immediate cessation of demolition work.

In February 2010, another demolition project was announced, spearheaded by Chicago-based MG Development South Company, which gave up trying to get past the government red tape.

In retrospect, part of the decline of the shopping center has been attributed to the wave of crime that engulfed the area. Patrons were robbed and shot. Stores recorded staggering losses in the late 1970s, and the decay of the complex was becoming an issue.

Dixie Mall closed on November 19, 1978, twelve years (or 4,463 days) after opening.

A PITIFUL ENDING

Dixie Mall's twelve-year rise and fall are likely the quickest of any mid-20th century counterpart that wasn't attributed to a natural disaster. It must be a record. 

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The still open, Ford City Center  in Chicago, took drastic measures in 2017 to curb loitering, vandalism, theft, and sexual harasment. A curfew prohibits unacompanied children 17  and younger from entering the mall after 6pm on weekdays and 7pm on weekends.

The abandoned Mall became a popular spot for urban explorers and photographers in the years after it closed. It was also featured in the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers." 

The Mall sat decrepit and decaying until the demolition of Dixie Mall started on January 25, 2014. 

The project's first stage, asbestos abatement, was completed in 2 weeks. Stage two, which entailed razing select structures, was completed between February and May 2014.

Today, the site of Dixie Mall is a vacant lot. It is a reminder of a time when things were different and a cautionary tale about the dangers of complacency.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Ford City Center, Chicago, Illinois.

THE WAR EFFORT

Ford City Center was initially built as a manufacturing plant for the Dodge Chicago Plant in 1942. It was used to produce B-29 bomber aircraft engines and other war materials during World War II. Approximately 17,000 workers were employed. By October, Building No. 1 was finished. 

The Dodge Chicago Plant office building, 7401 South Cicero Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, in 1942. Built on 500 acres of undeveloped (greenfield) land. The Dodge Chicago plant office building was 32,844 sq. ft. It also had a loading dock of 2,300 sq. ft. The plant had 5,551,744 sq. ft. or 128 acres of floor space. Only B-29 airplane engines were built here, each using over 18,000 individual parts. Five machines were built for every B-29 so replacements would be readily available.

By the spring of 1943, 10 steel, concrete and wood buildings had been constructed. The building covered approximately 6,000,000 square feet. The largest building was Building No. 4. It covered 62 acres and was built out of reinforced concrete. The plant contained 7,000 miles of underground piping and 15 miles of cables and wires for water and power.

By December 1945, the plant was left vacant due to the end of World War II. The government attempted to sell it without success.

The plant was later retrofitted for automobile production by the Tucker Corporation. The "Tucker Torpedo" was the name given during the concept and design phases. All 51 production cars sold under the "Tucker 48" nomenclature, so named for its model year.

The building remained a white elephant until the Korean War when it was reopened to build airplane engines for the war effort under contract from Ford Motor Company. The Ford company modernized everything inside the building, employing nearly 12,000 people. The facility closed again in 1959.

FORD CITY

In 1961, the government sold the shuttered plant to Harry F Chaddick, who, along with other investors, planned to develop a shopping center. Some buildings were torn down to make room for parking lots. The buildings that remained were remodeled to attract retail tenants. Developers divided the building into separate portions for the mall.

Ford City opened in 1965. The mall consists of two halves, a strip mall and an enclosed mall. 

Ford City Floor Plan 1966

The mall's original front facade and Main Entrance. A Woolworth Five and Dime and Harvest House Cafeteria are in the foreground, with a National Food grocery and JCPenney off in the distance.

The mall consists of two halves, a strip mall and the enclosed mall. The strip mall portion is connected to the enclosed mall by a tunnel called "Peacock Alley." It utilizes the basement between the severed halves of the buildings directly below the parking lot. The Connection was originally called Peacock Alley from the late 1970s through the 1980s. It was built in 1943 as part of the Ford City factory complex. The arcade was named after the famous Peacock Alley at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. As Ford City began to decline in the 1980s, many of the stores in the arcade closed, and the arcade itself became rundown. Changing the name to The Connection did not help revitalize the arcade, which closed in January 2019.

The Grand Mall at Ford City, soon after the official opening of the shopping center. The interior entry of the Harvest House Cafeteria is on the left. The Ford City Grill, also operated by F.W. Woolworth, is in the center of the image.

Another vintage view of the Grand Mall. The entry of the Wieboldt's department store, which anchored the west end of the complex, appears in the background.

Ford City Floor Plan 1975

Wieboldt occupied the western-facing space until 1987, when Carson Pirie Scott & Co. moved in. Montgomery Ward last occupied the southern-facing space until that chain's bankruptcy. That space has since been demolished. JCPenney occupies the eastern-facing space. 

In January 1988, a $52 million renovation got underway. The entire complex was given a facelift, store spaces were reconfigured, and the 10-bay Ford City Food Court was built in a previously-existing area. New signage, water features, flooring and skylights were installed.

A 1986 exterior view of the Ford City Wieboldt's. The nation's largest single-level department store was represented by 219,300 square feet.

Ford City was renamed Ford City Mall in 1989.

Ford City Floor Plan 1990

The General Cinema Corporation Ford City 14-multiplex was built, as a freestanding structure, in the southeast parking area. This venue debuted on August 1, 1990, with the Ford City I-II-III and Ford City East theaters being shuttered. The 14-multiplex was upgraded when the AMC Theatre bought it.

JCPenney built one of their "New Generation" stores at Ford City. It was the chain's largest single-level location. A freestanding JCPenney's Auto Center is seen on the right.

Turn Style had anchored the east end of the strip mall portion until the store was sold and converted to Venture and then to Sears until they closed the store in August 2010.

Until February 2008, General Growth Properties Inc., a private investment company, managed the mall.

In 2009-2010, Ford City Mall began a multimillion-dollar long-term capital redevelopment program undertaking North Mall infrastructure work, Cicero Avenue frontage and North Mall parking lot resurfacing. During this time, new tenants such as Conway (later Fallas), U.S. Cellular, Rodeo, Amici, Star Diamond Jewelers, GNC, She Bar, Eldorado Fine Jewelers, Avon, China Max, Sprint, and other stores opened for business at Ford City Mall. 

In early 2011, the Cicero Avenue pylon signs were refurbished for the second phase of the long-term capital redevelopment plan. This allowed tenants to gain maximum store signage exposure along heavily trafficked Cicero Avenue.

As part of the 2011 capital redevelopment program, Ford City Mall is demolishing several small out parcel buildings and a former vacant anchor store, leading the way to future development options under discussion.

In the summer of 2012, Ford City Mall closed part of The Connection and moved all retailers upstairs.

In mid-2013, a facelift renovation was announced, which was to have commenced in mid-2014. This would have rebuilt the complex's interior, relocated its Food Court, reconfigured most inline store space as big box retail and added several freestanding restaurants.

Ford City's renovation began in 2016. Plans include renovating the mall with corridor seating, new lighting and flooring and a newly remodeled food court. The Carson Pirie Scott & Co. and JCPenney were remodeled. A Five Below store in the North Mall portion opened in September 2016. In addition, several out parcels will be constructed near the Southern end of the mall as well as a new CTA transit center to be opened in 2017. An out-lot building that housed a Chipotle Mexican Grill and a Mattress Firm opened in 2017. An H&M store opened on August 9, 2018.

On April 18, 2018, Carson Pirie Scott & Co.'s parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, announced they would close all of Carson's locations, including the Ford City, due to their bankruptcy. The store closed on August 29, 2018. 

Ford City Floor Plan 2019

The closure of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. left JCPenney as the only remaining anchor.

THE UNDER 17 MALL CURFEW

In 2009, the mall did institute a curfew for unaccompanied minors. The curfew prohibits children under 17 from entering the mall after 6pm on weekdays and 7pm on weekends. There are a few exceptions to the curfew, such as if the minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian or if they are attending a scheduled event at the mall. The curfew was instituted in response to concerns about minors' loitering, vandalism, and theft. The mall management believes that the curfew will help to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all shoppers.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale. Ph.D.

Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, Illinois.

The tenth shopping mall in Chicagoland was developed by a joint venture of Chicago's Marshall Field & Company and the Urban Investment & Development Company under the guidance of Phillip Klutznick. He had been instrumental in creating the Park Forest Plaza (1949) and Old Orchard Center (1956) shopping malls.

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Phillip Klutznick was instrumental in creating Park Forest Plaza (1949), Old Orchard Center (1956), and Oakbrook Center (1962) shopping malls. River Oaks Center was developed by a joint venture of the Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna Life Insurance Company and Chicago's Phillip Klutznick of KLC Venture, Limited. (1966)

Construction began on Oakbrook Center in 1960 at 22nd Street and Kingery Highway in Oak Brook. The $25 million facility was built on a 160-acre parcel located 16 miles west of downtown Chicago in suburban Oak Brook. The open-air complex was designed by Richard Marsh Bennett of the Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett firm (architects of the 1957 Chicago Loop Synagogue). Buildings were constructed with basements.

Oakbrook Center Sears encompassed 284,000 sq. ft., not including the freestanding Auto Center.

Thirty-seven stores and services were dedicated on March 5, 1962.

A site plan of the original facility. When fully leased, it housed fifty-six businesses. The surrounding parking area could accommodate 6,900 vehicles. One of the mall's many features was its Professional Building, an 8-story office tower.

Anchoring the mall was a 4-level Marshall Field & Company (365,000 sq. ft.) and a 3-level Sears Roebuck and Company (285,000 sq. ft.). The fully-leased shopping hub housed fifty-six stores and services. These included Walgreens, Stuarts Ready-To-Wear For Ladies, Maurice L. Rothschild, Fabric Mart, an S.S. Kresge 5 & 10, Jewel Supermarket and 3-level (66,000 sq. ft.), New York City-based Bonwit Teller.

A 1960s View.

Oakbrook Center C. D. Peacock Jewelers.

In its original incarnation, Oakbrook Center encompassed 1,300,000 leasable square feet, making it the second-largest shopping center in the United States, and New Jersey's Garden State Plaza was the largest.

The first motion picture venue at the mall, the Balaban & Klatz Oakbrook Theatre, opened on December 25, 1964. This freestanding venue was twinned in 1983, then reconfigured as a tri-plex in 1984.

Marshall Field & Company, 1963.

Meanwhile, commercial competitors had entered the marketplace. In Lombard, Yorktown Center, 3 miles west, was completed in 1968. Woodfield Mall, 14 miles northwest in Schaumburg, opened in 1971. There was also the North Riverside Park Mall, 7 miles east, in North Riverside, which was opened in 1975.

A third anchor department store was added to Oakbrook Center in the early 1970s. A structure housing Maurice L. Rothschild was razed and replaced by a 2-level (101,900 sq. ft.) New York City-based Lord & Taylor opened on February 20, 1973.

A more extensive expansion got underway in 1980. In 1981, a new Southeast Wing was completed in dark gray. The mall's southeast corner was expanded with a 2-level, twenty-tenant store block with three anchor department stores. Dallas-based Neiman Marcus opened their 3-level (113,000 sq. ft.) operation on August 28, 1981. A 3-level (91,000 sq. ft.) New York City-based Saks Fifth Avenue began business on September 11, 1981. San Francisco's I. Magnin also completed a 2-level (81,000 sq. ft.) store in the same year. Oakbrook Center then encompassed approximately 1,660,000 leasable square feet.

This 1987 layout includes the new Oakbrook Center Cinemas 1-4. The original venue was rebranded as Oakbrook Center Cinemas 5-7.

In the fall of 1987, another 2-level store block and a parking garage were completed. These were adjacent to a new Southeast Wing. This housed the Cineplex Odeon Oakbrook Center Cinemas 1-4, which showed its first features on December 25, 1987. The original 3-screen venue was rebranded as the Cineplex Odeon Oakbrook Center Cinemas 5-7.

A subsequent expansion of Oakbrook Center was announced in July 1989. This was to include a 2-level (248,000 sq. ft.) Northeast Wing, which included a 3-level (220,000 sq. ft.) Nordstrom and three parking garages. A full enclosure of mall courts and concourses was considered too expensive for the benefits.

The AMC Oakbrook Center 12 theaters opened in 1989.

Nordstrom's store, the sixty-fourth in the Seattle-based chain and first in the Midwest, held its official grand opening on April 5, 1991. 

In other areas of the mall, anchor alterations were underway. The first involved Bonwit Teller, a 1962 charter tenant. It closed in June 1990. Crate & Barrel, which opened its first shopping mall store at Oakbrook Center in 1971, relocated into the Bonwit Teller space.

Oakbrook Center expanded again between 1989 and 1991. This addition brought the Midwest's first Nordstrom and four parking garages. I. Magnin closed on February 16, 1991, and its space was divided into four stores, including Eddie Bauer and Tiffany & Company. 

With this 1992 remodel, the mall encompassed 2,090,000 leasable square feet.

Saks Fifth Avenue closed in December 2002. New York City-based Bloomingdale's renovated the building and opened its third Home & Furniture Store on September 12, 2003.

The two Oakbrook Cinema complexes had also been shuttered early in the 21st century. The in-mall 1-4 theaters showed their final features on February 19, 2001, and were refitted as additional retail space. The 5-7 theater operated until 2003. It was demolished and replaced by The Cheesecake Factory, which opened in August 2004.

Between 2001 and 2004, Oakbrook Center changed hands three times. The first buyer, Chicago-based Urban Retail Properties, sold to Holland-based Rodamco in June 2001. In turn, the Maryland-based Rouse Company acquired the property in May 2002. When Chicago-based General Growth Properties acquired the portfolio of the Rouse Company in November 2004, Oakbrook Center became a General Growth Properties holding. 

Macy's acquired Marshall Field's on July 27, 2005. The merger was finalized on September 9, 2006, and all of the Marshall Field's stores were rebranded as Macy's.

The closing of Bloomingdale's Home & Furniture Store created a vacancy in early 2012. The following 2 years were spent remodeling common areas, downsizing stores and finding new tenants for empty spaces.

A two-phase court and concourse redesign added new landscaping, outdoor seating, fountains, entertainment venues and Fire Totems (to provide heat for wintertime shoppers). The court fronting Crate & Barrel became a Village Green, whose centerpiece was a year-round Vortex Fountain. An Amenities Pavilion was installed near Sears.

The vacant Saks Fifth Avenue - Bloomingdale's building was divided into six tenant spaces. On Level 1 were new Lululemon Athletica, Tommy Bahama, Hugo Boss and Artizia stores. Level 2 was occupied by Pirch (30,400 sq. ft.), which sold high-end fixtures for the kitchen, bath and outdoors. The Lower Level became a Container Store (27,000 sq. ft.). 

Oakbrook Center, 2013

Sears also began downsizing their 3-level store in 2013. The initial project partitioned a section of Level 1 space with a new P. B. Kids and West Elm stores. These opened in September and October 2013. The revitalized Oakbrook Mall was officially rededicated on November 22, 2013.

2014 Oakbrook Center Floor Plan.

The northeast store block was reconfigured between 2015 and 2016. Four Level 2 store spaces were gutted and rebuilt as The District At Oakbrook Center, a 9-bay food court. Motion pictures also returned to the mall following a 13-year hiatus. The American Multi-Cinema Oakbrook Center 12 showed its first features on October 13, 2016.

In late 2016, a renovation of the northeast store block was completed. Level 1 space was subdivided further. L.L. Bean, Ballard Designs and other tenants joined the existing P. B. Kids and West Elm stores. KidZania, a children's learning center, was installed on Level 2. The renovation also included an upscale food court on Level 2, called The District.

Sears temporarily closed in September 2017. Sears downsized into its basement floor (62,000 sq. ft.) and closed for good on April 28, 2019.

The freestanding Sears Auto Center, shuttered in March 2018 and demolished, was replaced by a new fitness club. The Sears reconfiguration project culminated in the store's grand reopening, which was held on October 4, 2018. 

Based in Hamilton, Bermuda, Brookfield Property Partners acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield Property Partners established 100% ownership of the corporation.

Lord & Taylor also pulled up stakes after 49 years, closing on February 27, 2021. By 2022, the Sears and Lord & Taylor buildings had been subdivided into smaller store spaces.

Omniplan 2023

Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom Amusement Park, Oakbrook Terrace, Rt 83 & Rt 38. (1975-1984) 

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.