Making progress: Spring Hill Mall demolition ahead of schedule and sparking developers’ interest
Demolition work at the former Spring Hill Mall is moving faster than anticipated.
With nearly half of the shuttered mall demolished, West Dundee officials noted wrecking crews are about a month ahead of schedule. Initially, the village anticipated work to be done by Thanksgiving. Now, they’re targeting the end of October as the finish date. The demolition work is estimated to cost $3.4 million.
“They’re making really good progress,” Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.
West Dundee began buying up portions of the mall in 2023, starting with the purchase of the shuttered Sears store for $2 million and the closed Macy’s store for $1.25 million. In another deal that closed in 2024, the village paid $7 million to buy the core of the mall and the former Carson Pirie Scott store.
The mall, which opened in 1980, closed in March of 2024.
Although most of the mall is in West Dundee, approximately 20% of it, including the former Kohl’s and Carson’s stores, is in Carpentersville.
Carpentersville officials recently approved a deal to purchase the former Kohl’s store for $2 million. Both villages are working on an agreement that would involve tearing down the Kohl’s store.
West Dundee officials stated that acquiring the mall property and resolving any title or ownership issues was essential for future redevelopment.
The village, which envisions a mix of residential, retail and entertainment on the mall property, plans to seek proposals for redevelopment after demolition work is complete, Village President Chris Nelson said.
“We’re still unwinding the spaghetti,” Cavallaro said. “Once we get everything clear, we’ll start.”
Demolition work, however, has sparked interest from developers, Cavallaro said. He added that inquiries from developers about the property have increased since the teardown began.
According to a recent study, 70 acres within the ring road of the mall property and 32 acres adjacent to it could support up to 1,500 residential units and 325,000 square feet of commercial use.
West Dundee officials hope to use part of the mall property for a new police station. Currently, the police and fire departments share space at Public Safety Building 1 off Route 31 near Strom Drive.