‘Finally getting rid of an eyesore’: Former Super Kmart in Round Lake Beach to be demolished, replaced by Target store
Ghost signs on the extensive facade are reminders of the Super Kmart that was among the big draws at the Rollins Crossing shopping center in Round lake Beach.
The once popular superstore closed more than 12 years ago and has been empty since. But there is renewed enthusiasm about the cornerstone property following the recently announced purchase by Target Stores.
Finalized in December, Target intends to demolish the immense 190,000-square-foot building and replace it with a new one.
“We’re excited to bring an easy, affordable and convenient shopping experience to new guests in the Round Lake Beach community with this new Target store,” the company said in a statement.
The Round Lake Beach store will be about 148,570 square feet. Target has applied for a demolition permit, but the timeline and other details of the company’s planned facility were not released.
“As we get closer to opening the store, we’ll have more specific details to share — including how the shopping experience will be tailored to serve local guests and the grand opening date,” the statement read.
It’s the same language the company issued about two weeks ago when a new 128,000-square-foot Target store planned for Brown Deer, Wisconsin, was announced.
Mayor Scott Nickles has made redeveloping the site a priority since he was elected in 2021.
“That place has been empty since Kmart closed its doors,” he said. “They wouldn’t sell. We even offered (to buy it) years ago.”
After years passed with no activity, the village branded the immense building an eyesore and took legal action to have it condemned. Target bought the property before those proceedings concluded.
“This is one of the things I wanted to see through. This coming to fruition now is huge,” Nickles said.
On its website, Target says it plans to open 30 new stores this year and more than 300 news stores by 2035, according to the company.
Seven new stores this spring are coming to communities in California, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas. Five of the stores top the 125,000-square-foot chain average, the company said.
Rollins Crossing is on the north side of busy Rollins Road near the village municipal complex between Civic Center Way and North Orchard Lane. It includes several freestanding stores, restaurants and other users.
The center is part of a retail corridor including three grocery stores and several restaurants and other attractions.
Last March, the village announced that properties from a vacant lot next to the Regal Theater to the eastern edge of the former Kmart along with several outlots had been purchased by PMAT Companies, a real estate development firm based in New Orleans.
Replacing the old Kmart is considered a big step toward transforming it into a true village retail center, Nickles said.
“We’re finally getting rid of the eyesore of a closed, vacant property that needed to be removed,” he added.
Gil Rivera, director of building, economic and community development, described the former Kmart as the cornerstone of the center.