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$37 million in renovations pitched for Spring Hill Mall

The new renovation plan for Spring Hill Mall presented at a special West Dundee village board meeting Thursday night called for big changes in the old JCPenney wing and new tenants for other areas of the mall.

Eric Dinenberg, vice president of development for mall owner Rouse Properties, delivered a concept plan that includes development of a new movie theater and new dining areas and revamping existing mall space.

“We want people to come and spend several hours here,” Dinenberg said. “It's really meant to be a community center.”

The hope is that entertainment and dining options will drive additional foot traffic.

Rouse Properties intends to invest $37.7 million. The proposed new and renovated commercial space has been increased to 173,439 square feet.

Many of the fiscal details will be hammered out in the coming weeks.

The construction would take place in three phases, beginning in November 2016.

As part of the proposed deal, Rouse requested financial assistance in the establishment of a tax increment financing district and shared sales taxes generated from portions of the property. In a TIF district, property taxes going to local governments would be frozen at a certain level, and any generated above that go back into the development.

Spring Hill Mall's last major renovation occurred in 2005 and cost $7.5 million. And in 2013, Wi-Fi, a coffee court and free data terminals were added.

The 35-year-old mall has faced increased competition in recent years from Algonquin Commons and the Arboretum in South Barrington. Additionally, the closings of Best Buy and JCPenney hurt West Dundee, causing a $200,000 budget shortfall last year.

“The village of West Dundee truly believes that reinvestment in Spring Hill Mall is necessary,” wrote Joseph Cavallaro in news release, “and is one of the critical factors of maintaining Spring Hill Mall's relevance in the commercial marketplace.”

The proposal was submitted to both West Dundee and Carpentersville, but the majority of the redevelopment lies in West Dundee. Rouse Properties will present to the board again March 19. “Tonight is really the culmination of 18 to 20 months of legwork,” Dinenberg said. “We feel good about the direction we want to take this mall.”

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