Demolition begins on Spring Hill Mall wing

Demolition of a wing of Spring Hill Mall began last week to make way for a proposed $37.8 million renovation.

The vacant JCPenney department store and its respective wing, including the food court, will soon be replaced with a Cinemark movie theater and several other features included in the redevelopment plan: an outdoor plaza, outward-facing retail stores and free-standing buildings with retail and restaurants.

The West Dundee village board approved final redevelopment plans earlier this month.

JCPenney's West Dundee location was one of several stores closed across the country in 2011, when the company also got rid of its catalog business. Additionally, the equalized assessed value in both the Carpentersville and West Dundee portions of the mall has declined almost every year since 2008, according to data provided by West Dundee.

Village and Spring Hill Mall officials hope the project will reverse that decline and bring new life to the mall and its surrounding businesses.