The Plaza (mall)
Encyclopedia
The Plaza, formerly known as Evergreen Plaza, is an enclosed shopping mall
located in Evergreen Park, Illinois
, a suburb of Chicago
. The mall's anchor store
is Carson Pirie Scott
; it also features over 120 stores, as well as a food court. Having opened in 1952, The Plaza is considered the first major regional shopping center in the country. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri_evergreenjan11,1,3319596.story
, Lytton's and Walgreens
. The center also contained a supermarket, which featured a conveyor belt
that carried groceries from the store to a parking lot kiosk. The mall's Walgreens was the second self-service Walgreen pharmacy in the chain; it was also the chain's first location in a shopping center.
Chas. A. Stevens added a store to the mall in 1962. Carson Pirie Scott was added as another anchor, and the mall was later enclosed. Also, The Fair Store was converted to Montgomery Ward
in 1957 Circuit City came in the early 1990s, replacing a Silo electronics store that was formerly in this space. Other additions over time included a food court.
Montgomery Ward closed its four-story store in 2001 as the chain declared bankruptcy. Shortly afterward, Village of Evergreen Park officials submitted proposals for Target Corporation
to open in the former Wards; however, these deals fell through.
Discount chain National Wholesale Liquidators
opened in 2005, occupying two levels of the four-level anchor slot once occupied by Montgomery Ward. Walgreens closed in 2005, and has been replaced with Office Depot. Also, Circuit City closed in mid 2005 as well.
The movie theater that was present in the rear of the mall closed in the late 80s early mid 1990s.
Office Depot has since closed its Evergreen Park location in 2008 along with many other small retail shops over the last few years.
Circuit City Announces 19 Superstore Closings as Part of Its Ongoing Initiatives to Improve Financial Performance
suddenly caught on fire. The mall was closed for three consecutive days. That section of the mall was closed off until February 2008. This fire caused a number of stores to close such as National Wholesale Liquidators, recently opened Lot Stores and Champs Sports (which re-opened March 24, 2008 and Closed again in 2009). NWL planned to return but never did. Lot Stores remains closed as well.
opened on an outparcel.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in Evergreen Park, Illinois
Evergreen Park, Illinois
Evergreen Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,044 at the 2009 census.-Geography:Evergreen Park is located at . The suburb is surrounded by the city of Chicago on three of its sides, while Oak Lawn and Hometown border it on the west...
, a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The mall's anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
is Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott & Co., known informally as Carson's, is an upscale chain of department stores that have been in business for over 150 years. Their product price points are targeted to the moderate-to-upscale shopper...
; it also features over 120 stores, as well as a food court. Having opened in 1952, The Plaza is considered the first major regional shopping center in the country. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri_evergreenjan11,1,3319596.story
History
In 1936, Developer Arthur Rubloff first conceived a shopping mall in the Evergreen Park area located between the corners of W 95th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street Slightly west of Campbell Ave, 96th Street and Campbell Ave and 95th and Campbell Ave. Opened to the public in 1952, the mall was originally a 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) open-air shopping center anchored by The Fair StoreThe Fair Store
The Fair Store was a discount department store which was founded in 1874 in Chicago, Illinois. Founder Ernst J. Lehmann decided on the name "The Fair Store" as he felt "the store was like a fair because it offered many different things for sale at a cheap price." Lehmann bought and sold goods on...
, Lytton's and Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
. The center also contained a supermarket, which featured a conveyor belt
Conveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
that carried groceries from the store to a parking lot kiosk. The mall's Walgreens was the second self-service Walgreen pharmacy in the chain; it was also the chain's first location in a shopping center.
Chas. A. Stevens added a store to the mall in 1962. Carson Pirie Scott was added as another anchor, and the mall was later enclosed. Also, The Fair Store was converted to Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
in 1957 Circuit City came in the early 1990s, replacing a Silo electronics store that was formerly in this space. Other additions over time included a food court.
Montgomery Ward closed its four-story store in 2001 as the chain declared bankruptcy. Shortly afterward, Village of Evergreen Park officials submitted proposals for Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
to open in the former Wards; however, these deals fell through.
Discount chain National Wholesale Liquidators
National Wholesale Liquidators
National Wholesale Liquidators is a West Hempstead, New York-based company that operates a chain of warehouse-style closeout discount stores in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. It offers a mix of brand-name items, everyday household items, and furniture. National Wholesale Liquidators...
opened in 2005, occupying two levels of the four-level anchor slot once occupied by Montgomery Ward. Walgreens closed in 2005, and has been replaced with Office Depot. Also, Circuit City closed in mid 2005 as well.
The movie theater that was present in the rear of the mall closed in the late 80s early mid 1990s.
Office Depot has since closed its Evergreen Park location in 2008 along with many other small retail shops over the last few years.
Circuit City Announces 19 Superstore Closings as Part of Its Ongoing Initiatives to Improve Financial Performance
2007 Christmas Tree Fire
In December 2007, A large Christmas tree at the southern end of the mallsuddenly caught on fire. The mall was closed for three consecutive days. That section of the mall was closed off until February 2008. This fire caused a number of stores to close such as National Wholesale Liquidators, recently opened Lot Stores and Champs Sports (which re-opened March 24, 2008 and Closed again in 2009). NWL planned to return but never did. Lot Stores remains closed as well.
Evergreen Theater
On June 26, 1964, Evergreen Theater was added in a separate building, located on the south end of the mall. It first opened with two screens and sat upon the parking lot by 98th street and Western Ave., later, two more screens were added. In 1973, the manager was shot and killed during a robbery, many other incidents occurred which lead to its closure in July 1999. In 2003 the venue was torn down, along with the parking garage, on the west corner of the mall for landscaped parking, and parking entrances were widened. That same year, an Applebee'sApplebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of September 2011, there were 2,010 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, one U.S. territory and 14 other countries...
opened on an outparcel.