Stratford Square Mall is a
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
that opened on March 9, 1981, in
Bloomingdale, Illinois
Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, settled in 1833, and 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The population was 22,382 at the 2020 census.
History
Bloomingdale is one of the earliest villages settled in what ...
, a northwestern suburb of
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
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, United States. The There are 6 vacant anchor stores that were last occupied by
JCPenney
Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
,
Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (also known as Carson's) is an American department store that was founded in 1854, which grew to over 50 locations, primarily in the Midwestern United States. Sold to the holding company of Bon-Ton in 2006, but still ope ...
,
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
,
Round One,
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain that operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In its later years, it had expanded into the inter-mountain states, ...
, and
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
. The former
Marshall Fields
Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, Mar ...
/
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
space was demolished in 2019 to make way for a new
Woodman's Food Market
Woodman's Markets is an employee-owned American regional supermarket chain based in Janesville, Wisconsin. Founded in 1919 as a produce stand, Woodman's has grown to operate nineteen stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Woodman's appeared o ...
grocery store building. The mall is managed and owned by
Namdar Realty Group
Namdar Realty Group is an American shopping mall investment company based in Great Neck, New York. They primarily purchase shopping malls with partner Mason Asset Management. Namdar and Mason are both family owned, and as of 2021, own over 400 p ...
.
History
Stratford Square Mall opened in 1981.
The 1990s began the start of considerable change. Nearby
Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall is a shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Interstate 290. The mall is the largest shopping mall in the state of Illinois, the second lar ...
in
Schaumburg
Schaumburg is a district (''Landkreis'') of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (clockwise from the north) the districts of Nienburg, Hanover and Hamelin-Pyrmont, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (districts of Lippe and Minden-Lübbe ...
completed a renovation and expansion, gaining the top spot in consumers' minds for the region. First, Woodfield Mall completed an overhaul and expansion in 1996, adding many new stores and a new two-level wing featuring a
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. () is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original Wallin & Nordstrom store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and ...
. Following that expansion, Woodfield's market dominance has continued to today. Woodfield's dominance can also be attributed to a centralized location in Chicago's northwest suburbs, located near the intersection of Interstates 90 and 290.
On November 15, 1999, the mall completed a major renovation. It remained open and customers were able to continue shopping throughout the renovation. Improvements included new flooring throughout the center, a new
elevator
An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...
, additional
escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
s, enlarged
restrooms including two family rooms, comfortable seating areas and an expanded retail area on the lower level. A new water display in the floor was a major focal point of center court. The original water displays next to the food court ran from the 2nd floor to a Mezzanine and then down to the 1st floor. The theater was behind it on the top floor and the mezzanine. It was removed because it was leaking from behind and was too costly to repair. Over time, it was reduced and eliminated being replaced with a Record Town and then changed to
FYE store. Entrances would be more visible with the addition of enhanced signage and lighting, and automatic doors would be available at each mall entrance.
New York-based Feldman Mall Properties acquired Stratford Square Mall in early 2005. A
Steve and Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual clothing, footwear and accessories. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidate ...
also operated at the mall from about 2006 until 2009, until that chain folded as well. The company renovated the four-screen movie theater into a
Cinemark Century Theater, which opened on July 4, 2007. It now has 16 all-digital screens, a cappuccino bar, marble flooring, and stadium seating. After the movie theater renovation, a
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...
restaurant was added next to the theater in 2008. In October 2011, the computerized fountain in the central square next to the
food court
A food court (in Asia-Pacific also called food hall or hawker centre) is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dinner. I ...
was replaced by a
carousel
A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
, which was later relocated to the lower level of the
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with it ...
wing in front of Round One and
Finish Line, Inc.
Finish Line, Inc. is an American retail chain that sells athletic shoes and related apparel and accessories owned by Clayton Griffith. The company operates 660 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico, mostly in shopping malls, as well as Finish Lin ...
, then finally removed in its entirety sometime between 2018 and 2019. In early 2012, the second floor hallway entrance of the
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with it ...
was blocked off and the second floor was closed to customers other than the restrooms on the 2nd floor.
In late October 2014, Red Robin officials stated their plan to remodel their restaurant to introduce their new "Gourmet Burgers and Brews" concept, which would feature both indoor and outdoor seating. In 2015,
Round One, an entertainment center that includes bowling, karaoke, arcade games, billiards, darts and ping pong, opened on the lower level of the Carson's wing.
Wieboldt's
Wieboldt Stores, Inc., also known as Wieboldt's, did business as a Chicago general retailer between 1883 and 1987. It was founded in 1883 by storekeeper William A. Wieboldt. The flagship location was at One North State Street Store in Chicago.
H ...
became
JCPenney
Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
in 1988 shortly after
Wieboldt's
Wieboldt Stores, Inc., also known as Wieboldt's, did business as a Chicago general retailer between 1883 and 1987. It was founded in 1883 by storekeeper William A. Wieboldt. The flagship location was at One North State Street Store in Chicago.
H ...
went bankrupt in 1987. In early 2014, Stratford Square was acquired by StreetMac LLC. On January 15, 2014, JCPenney announced that its store would be closing as part of a plan to close 33 stores nationwide. The store closed on May 3, 2014.
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, Mar ...
was converted to
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
in 2006. On January 4, 2017, Macy's was announced that they would also be closing as part of a plan to close 68 stores nationwide. The store closed on March 26, 2017. On April 18, 2018, Carson's announced that they would be closing as well as parent company
The Bon-Ton
Bon-Ton Holdings Inc. is an American online retailer and former department store chain founded in 1898. After rapid expansion in the 1990s and early 2000s, the original company had financial troubles, ultimately filing for bankruptcy in 2018 ...
was going out of business. The store closed on August 29, 2018. None of the remaining anchors are original to Stratford Square - Burlington Coat Factory opened in 2002 and was originally a
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
, which closed in 2001 due to their bankruptcy;
Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawai ...
was originally a
MainStreet Main Street is the generic street name (and often the official name) of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world.
Main Street may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Main Street (Toronto, Ontario)
* Main Stre ...
built in 1985, which converted into Kohl's in 1988; the Sears store was added in 1990.
Later in June 2018, the Stratford Square announced that
Woodman's Food Market
Woodman's Markets is an employee-owned American regional supermarket chain based in Janesville, Wisconsin. Founded in 1919 as a produce stand, Woodman's has grown to operate nineteen stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Woodman's appeared o ...
would demolish the Macy's building and 30 feet of the mall, building a new store with no mall entrance. A 25 West Brewery opened later that year as part of a plan to change the tenant mix to 40% retail / 60% entertainment and dining. 25 West closed in February 2020 after a contract dispute with Namdar.
On August 6, 2019, it was announced that Sears would be closing this location as part of a plan to close 26 stores nationwide. The store closed on November 10, 2019. This leaves Burlington Coat Factory and Kohl's as the only traditional anchors left.
On October 10, 2019,
Namdar Realty Group
Namdar Realty Group is an American shopping mall investment company based in Great Neck, New York. They primarily purchase shopping malls with partner Mason Asset Management. Namdar and Mason are both family owned, and as of 2021, own over 400 p ...
acquired the mall.
In 2020, More stores inside the mall were closing including
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ret ...
,
The 25 West Brewery
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
,
Oriental Gifts,
Express
Express or EXPRESS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* '' Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn
* '' The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid
Music
* ''Express'' ...
,
Scooby's Hot Dogs and more. The Round One arcade closed on October 11, 2020.
Because of COVID restrictions, the
Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawai ...
anchor became no longer accessible from the interior of the mall, only accessible using the lower level parking lot nearest to the
Woodman's Food Market
Woodman's Markets is an employee-owned American regional supermarket chain based in Janesville, Wisconsin. Founded in 1919 as a produce stand, Woodman's has grown to operate nineteen stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Woodman's appeared o ...
that demolished the
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
building and that also has no mall entrance. As of July 2021, both upper and lower entrances to
Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawai ...
have been reopened and you can now access the store from inside the mall. As of October 2020, the theater has moved out. Woodman's Food Market opened its doors August 11, 2021.
On February 25, 2022,
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with it ...
announced that they would be relocating from the mall into the former
Kmart
Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States.
The company was inc ...
across the street on Gary Ave on February 24, 2023, next to
TJ Maxx
TJ Maxx (stylized as T•J•maxx) is an American department store chain, selling at prices generally lower than other major similar stores. It has more than 1,000 stores in the United States, making it one of the largest clothing retailers in ...
. This leaves Kohl's as the last traditional anchor store remaining.
Several projects have been filmed in the mall. In 2018 and 2019 the HBO show Righteous Gemstones was filmed in parts of the mall, in 2020 HBO filmed in several store locations within the mall, including
Bull and Bear Axe Throwing. In May 2022, The
Illinois State Lottery
The Illinois State Lottery (known simply as the Illinois Lottery) is an American lottery for the U.S. state of Illinois, operated by Camelot Illinois.
Overview
The Illinois Lottery began operations on July 1, 1974, when lotteries in the United ...
filmed a commercial inside the mall.
As of recent, there have been calls for 're-envisioning' Stratford Square Mall from
Bloomingdale Village President,
Franco Coladipietro. The Village President is calling for the demolition of the "vacant eyesore" mall and replacing it with street-level retail and restaurants with surrounding residential buildings. As of September 1, 2022, no official demolition plans have been released nor has the mall officially closed.
The
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
space closed on February 5, 2023, as it has relocated across the street at Stratford Crossing.
In May of 2023, the Village of
Bloomingdale sued
Namdar Realty Group
Namdar Realty Group is an American shopping mall investment company based in Great Neck, New York. They primarily purchase shopping malls with partner Mason Asset Management. Namdar and Mason are both family owned, and as of 2021, own over 400 p ...
for not taking care of the mall and for not advertising leasing opportunities therefore the village wants to redevelop the property. The village paid $2.4 million for the former
Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (also known as Carson's) is an American department store that was founded in 1854, which grew to over 50 locations, primarily in the Midwestern United States. Sold to the holding company of Bon-Ton in 2006, but still ope ...
anchor and $1.1 million for the former
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
(
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
) anchor.
References
External links
*
{{Shopping malls in Illinois
Shopping malls in DuPage County, Illinois
Shopping malls established in 1981
Bloomingdale, Illinois
1981 establishments in Illinois
Namdar Realty Group