Daily Herald opinion: Hopeful signs: Progress being made to reimagine former mall properties

When two regional shopping malls were teetering on the edge of closing several years ago, the expectation was that they would become massive eyesores.

But the former Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale and the former Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Carpentersville didn’t join the list of abandoned shopping centers across the country.

Today, real progress is being made at both properties, thanks to the efforts of forward-thinking municipal leaders.

New construction is happening at the former Stratford Square site at Gary Avenue and Schick Road.

The owner of the Naperville Yard is bringing a similar, roughly 100,000-square-foot indoor sports and family recreation hub to the property. It’s one of the first major steps toward transforming the entire site into a mixed-use development called “The Grove at Bloomingdale.”

Meanwhile, the former Spring Hill Mall has been demolished, and all that remains on the property is a Cinemark Theater. As a result, the site near routes 31 and 72 is ready for redevelopment.

The second act for the Stratford Square and Spring Hill sites is possible because officials in Bloomingdale and West Dundee refused to stand idly by as once-thriving shopping hubs became zombie malls.

Bloomingdale started by independently acquiring vacant anchor stores around Stratford Square, including the former Carson Pirie Scott, Burlington and Sears parcels. The village purchased the core of the mall in January 2024. Stratford officially shut its doors in April of that year.

Similar moves were made at Spring Hill.

West Dundee began purchasing properties at the mall in 2023, starting with the Sears and Macy’s anchor stores. After Spring Hill closed its doors for good in 2024, the village acquired the core of the mall structure and a former Carson Pirie Scott.

Last month, West Dundee trustees got a glimpse of what a reimagined mall property could look like with a mix of housing, retail, dining and other commercial uses.

Consultants presented concept design plans intended to serve as a starting point for developers to envision what they would want to build on the site.

“This is really just putting down a marker so we can just start the conversation not only with residents but also with interested developers,” West Dundee Village President Chris Nelson told correspondent Alicia Fabbre.

Meanwhile, the transformation of the former Stratford Square property calls for a pedestrian-friendly mix of restaurant, entertainment, retail and residential spaces. Bloomingdale officials are working on finalizing the contract with a developer planning to construct luxury apartments.

Officials in Bloomingdale and West Dundee should be applauded for taking action and preventing Stratford Square and Spring Hill from languishing as dead malls.

Instead of becoming sad reminders of what was lost, both properties are showing hopeful signs of what the future may bring next.