‘This is our downtown’: Lindenhurst Center being revived with new name, owner and village assistance

8 new businesses have or will be coming to revived center on Grand Avenue

The village of Lindenhurst didn't grow around a train station or courthouse square.

So soon after it opened in October 1960, Linden Plaza, a strip retail center on Grand Avenue, became the central location for business and community interaction.

The luster faded and, in recent years, the rundown landmark center with chronic vacancies and maintenance issues became a high-profile problem for village officials. However, over the past year, a revival has been underway with a new owner/operator, name and tenants.

“Revitalization of this property has been a long-standing goal of the village and it’s taken significant work to get to this point,” said village Administrator Clay Johnson. “Now we are starting to witness some of the fruits of that labor.”

Renamed Lindenhurst Center, the rebranding is described as more than a freshly painted facade or other aesthetic changes.

Rather, the comprehensive revitalization, assisted with village grants and incentives, is meant to show its central role in the town’s economic and social landscape, according to the village.

“The ultimate goal has always been revitalization and vitality of whoever comes here.” Johnson said. “We don't have a downtown but we’d like to create a nexus, a gathering point.”

In 1960, then-Illinois Gov. Bill Stratton’s appearance at the grand opening of the strip center north and west of Sand Lake Road was the first of many events over the decades to draw public interest to a local landmark.

Considered the largest in-line retail building in Lake Villa Township when it opened, the plaza grew to 80,000 square feet with a variety of stores and services.

“This is our downtown,” Johnson said during a recent visit to Three Legged Brewing, one of eight new businesses that have or are about to open in the revamped center.

“We see the vision of the village and we really like that,” said Yami Hu, head brewer, founder and CEO of the unique venture planning to open in April. All natural, sugar- and dairy-free cold brews — not beer — will be the main attraction.

“It's a coffee shop with a beer brewery vibe,” she said. “We want this place to become a community center.”

Besides 20 taps on the wall, a 12-foot long “community table” will have power cords at every seat, said Hu, a former corporate executive who started Three Legged Brewing a year ago. She and husband Jeremy Scherbert had been making cold brew at home.

After visiting 150 farmers markets and getting their canned coffees into 15 retail locations, the Grayslake couple was looking for a manufacturing space and ended up with a good deal on a three-year lease and plans for a coffee shop.

Construction has been underway since Dec. 1, with expenses assisted through a village grant of up to $30,000 available to growing businesses in the center.

The strip center endured the ebbs and flows of the economy but it’s been a shell of itself in recent years, plagued by a tough retail environment, vacancies, deterioration and disrepair, and “suboptimal” management decisions by previous owners.

Concerns and suggestions from various parties went unaddressed, leading to a “culture of distrust,” according to village officials.

With acquisition and demolition a consideration, the village in May 2022 created a special financing district along Grand Avenue specifically to deal with Linden Plaza.

“There was a lot of talk at the village level. What can this become? What can it be?” Johnson explained.

The shift began with the acquisition of Linden Plaza last August by Boston-based Good Harbor Commercial Real Estate, known for reviving under-performing properties, according to Johnson.

The new owners engaged with village officials, communicated with residents on social media and researched community needs and wants.

In November, Good Harbor hosted the inaugural Lindenhurst Business Meeting and in December welcomed about 700 attendees to an inaugural holiday festival featuring activities and entertainment.

Johnson said the event established a strong foundation for future events and positions Lindenhurst Center as “a hub for both celebration and economic activity in the area.”

About $80,000 in fines collected from the previous owners for property code violations was directed to the new owners to reinvest in the center for parking lot paving, signage, lighting and more. Building exteriors were repainted with contemporary colors and the vacant spots were converted to clean empty areas ready for new tenants to customize.

Johnson said the property is becoming a landing spot for small businesses and entrepreneurs.