Orland Square Mall

Orland Square Mall is a mall in Orland Park, Illinois. It is the largest mall in the Chicago Southland southwest suburbs of Chicago, covering an area of over 1.2 million ft². It is owned by Simon Property Group as of 2012.  
The center consists of a fountain with the main elevator in the center. The area has the food court, a play area, a carousel. 
Orland Square Mall's current anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's, Von Maur, Jos A. Bank, H&M and LensCrafters. The former anchor stores are Sears and Carson's. It also has 2 restaurants, Cheesecake Factory and Texas de Brazil. There is also a carousel by JCPenney.
Orland Square Mall had 2 renovations, one renovation occured in 1995 and the other renovation occurred 17 years later in 2012.
Sometimes, concerts happen at Orland Square Mall.
Orland Square Mall is one of three malls in Orland Park, the others being Orland Park Place and Orland Park Crossing.
Orland Square Mall is the premier shopping destination for the southwest Chicago suburbs. It features a newly renovated S.T.E.A.M. children's play area, frequent events, and a variety of specialty shops ranging from jewelry and cosmetics, to women's fashions to sporting goods.
Whether people are enjoying a "Girls-Day-Out," getting pampered with salon services, holiday shopping, or enjoying time with their family and kids, Simon Property Group is certain they will enjoy their visit to Orland Square Mall.
The mall has been a hub for commercial activity and development, driving dramatic growth in the surrounding area for the past 20 years. It serves as a retail destination for the communities of Frankfort, Homer Glen, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Orland Hills, Orland Park, and Tinley Park.
== History ==
=== Opening and 1970s ===
Orland Square Mall opened to the public on March 15, 1976 with Sears, JCPenney, Carson's and Marshall Field's. Two years later in 1978, three office towers were built on the southeast corner of the mall. In 1979, Concordia Commons was built northwest of the mall. 
=== 1980s ===
In 1986, Orland Square Mall said that the idea of holding a three-ring circus at Orland Park Place was a natural. After all, the once-deserted mall was considered one of the biggest white elephants in Chicagoland. But when a touring circus finally did come to the mall in southwest suburban Orland Park at the end of September, the monkey would be off the back of the 800,000-square-foot center. Boosted by a residential construction boom in the area and aided by a $20 million facelift, Orland Park Place had shrugged off the bankruptcy of its original developer that left it empty and shopperless. It got quiet, all right, said Julie Scannell, manager of Mary Del Corsetieres, the only shop inside the mall that has been open from the beginning. We do alterations here, too, so yes, you could hear a pin drop. Fortunately, we have a lot of loyal customers who came to us regardless and let us survive those times, she said. I'm not real excited yet, but I was talking with some of the other managers and we are all happy to see people walking around here now. Where once Mary Del had the mall to itself, there are now dozens of stores benefitting from the addition of a central food court, new landscaping and decorating by new owner, Spatz & Co. of north suburban Northbrook. 
In 1988, NTB was built east of the mall by Sears and JCPenney. In 1990, Regent Plaza was built southeast of the mall. In 1994, Bakers Square opened on the northwest corner of Marshall Field's.
=== 1990s ===
Orland Square Mall received major renovations in 1995. It reopened in Easter of that year, Richard Dube continued, although Christmas might be a more reasonable expectation. Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin said he had heard people complain that retailing in his village was overbuilt. The village had 5.4 million square feet of stores. By comparison, the gargantuan Mall Of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, had 2.6 million square feet. But McLaughlin added that there appeared to be enough business to go around for all. "A village this size always has some vacancies," he observed. He also noted that Target Greatland, Home Base and Jewel-Osco had opened major new stores in 1993, and that village sales tax revenues were continuing to grow. Sales tax revenues are expected to reach nearly $9 million that year, up from $8,868,000 last year, he said. But he agreed that something had to be done about Orland Park Place and suggested that village trustees might go to unusual lengths to see that it is."I'm not a big fan of TIF (tax increment financing for blighted areas) districts, and the majority of my board feels the same way," he said. "But this particular case certainly meets the criteria. If we don't do anything, we're likely to have 13 more years of failure." 
On April 1, 1997, Ona and Joseph Bauzys walked past plywood-covered entrances at the nearby Orland Park Place and pushed open the only unlocked and unshuttered door. They were surprised when a lone security guard told them the shopping center was closed. After all, the Orland Park couple had been walking to the mall about twice a week for quite some time. They were there just a few days ago, with no sign of the impending closure. "When we saw the boarding up, we thought, `Oh gosh, what's happening?' " Ona Bauzys said. "It's a big minus for Orland Park." The mall, which opened in 1981 had always been something of a white elephant. Situated at 151st Street and LaGrange Road just a few blocks from the successful Orland Square mall, it has never attracted enough tenants or shoppers, according to Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin. "The center is hitting bottom with this move of closing the mall," McLaughlin said. "But in my opinion, it's a good sign that there's finally someone in charge who's going to take control over there." Orland Park Place was redeveloped into a shopping center in 1999.
=== 2000s ===
On September 12, 2002, Hot Topic, located near JCPenney on the Upper Level opened to customers, six days before Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg opened. It was a part of 15 stores to open that year.
In 2004, a 2-story Huntington Bank opened on the mall's northwest outlot, along with Bakers Square. 
On May 5, 2005, a 10-inch water main under the north section of the mall burst flooding stores with 4 to 6 inches of water, fire officials said. Shoppers and employees were evacuated about 6 p.m. with the help of Orland Park Police, said Donald Bettenhausen, chief of the Orland Fire Protection District. Several fire departments helped pump out water and secured electrical wiring after the power was shut off, he said. Merchandise in Victoria's Secret, among other stores, was damaged, but the water did not affect restaurants in the food court, Bettenhausen said. There was no damage cost estimate available. Building inspectors from Orland Park will be at the shopping center earlier the next morning to see whether walls are structurally sound. Bettenhausen said walls have cracked. Inspectors would decide how much of the mall to reopen on May 20, said Dan Cote, Orland Square manager. He expects up to 90 percent of the stores would be open, but the status of the three to five damaged by water would depend on cleanup efforts, he said.
In 2006, Macy's took control of the Marshall Field's location when purchased from Federated Department Stores and May Company.
In 2007, an Apple Store opened to guests.
In 2008, a Carson's Furniture Gallery opened across the street from the mall, along with a Fifth Third Bank in the mall's west outlot area. Later that year, Hot Rags officially opened.
=== 2010s ===
In December 2011, Ruby Tuesday, which was located on the second floor in the Macy's wing closed to the public. Beginning in 2011 and continuing into early 2013, Orland Square Mall went under another renovation that completely changed the image of the mall, with upgraded entrances, restrooms, signs, floors, as well as new kids zone, family lounge lighting and expanded food court.  
Orland Square Mall was selected among a handful of United States shopping centers owned by Simon Properties Group, an international real estate company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. and largest property owner in the U.S., to be spruced up. The final number of malls to be worked on and what actual work will be done hasn't been finalized, though some have speculated as many as 16 malls may be worked on.  
Dave & Buster's opened a stand alone location in the mall parking lot near Toys "R" Us (now closed) in September 2012. Also, Von Maur opened a Dry Goods located at the mall. The 4,500 square foot store was the specialty store chain's third location in the Greater Chicagoland area and the seventh Dry Goods store overall. In December of that same year, Cheesecake Factory was added to the mall, replacing Bachrach, which was located in the Macy's Wing on the First Floor.  
In January 2013, Gap was introduced at the mall by Sears on the First Floor.
In 2014, Orland Square Mall opened Akira, Vera Bradley, White Barn Candle, Chickwich At Fresh Market Grill and Zoup. On October 20, 2014, an Irish Pub called Square Celt. 39 opened northwest of the mall by Dave & Buster's. It had after a private preview party on the night of October 18. The building, which was acquired earlier this year by the Vaughan Hospitality Group for $1.5 million, underwent extensive remodeling and bears little resemblance to its former occupant. 
In March 2016, BoxLunch opened in the Sears Wing on the Lower Level by Aeropostale.
On November 4, 2016, an entertainment center called Gizmo's Fun Factory opened along with Sky Zone Trampoline Park to the left of Carson's Furniture Gallery.
On November 17, 2017, Slim Chickens opened at the food court, replacing Zoup. The franchise is owned by Orland resident Faris Ballouta, whose family owns a popcorn shop in the mall along with a smoothie shop. 
In January 2018, Sears announced to close 103 locations, such as Orland Square Mall. It closed on April 8, 2018. It will be redeveloped into a 10-screen AMC Theatres on the second floor and new retail on the first floor, which will be opened in 2020. Sears was originally going to be downsized for AMC Theatres, but it closed permanently. 
Prior to the construction of AMC Theatres at the mall, there was a Movie Theater outside of Orland Square Mall called Orland Square Cinemas which opened on June 17, 1977. On December 16, 1983 four more screens were added near Wolf Camera. The theater operated until Marcus Orland Park Cinema opened in 1995. The original theater eventually closed down in the late-1990’s. The later addition was shuttered a short time thereafter and eventually demolished to make way for the Robert Morris College Tech Center.
On April 18, 2018, the closure of Carson's was announced by The Bon-Ton Company that the company was going out of business. The Carson's anchor along with its Furniture Gallery closed on August 29, 2018 along with The Bon-Ton's other locations. The Carson's anchor is being remodeled to be replaced with a Von Maur department store opened on November 2, 2019, a month after Woodland Mall in Kentwood, Michigan opened. This is the seventh Von Maur Location in Illinois and the fourth location in the Chicago Area. The 6 Other Von Maur Locations are Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles, The Glen Town Center in Glenview, The Shoppes At College Hills in Normal, Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth and South Park Mall in Moline. In December, Carson's had announced that the Orland Square Location will return in 2019 across the street where the former Furniture Gallery operated. 
From October 15, 2018 to January 15, 2019 for The 2018 Holiday Season, The Chicago White Sox offered the latest styles in White Sox apparel at a pop-up store in Orland Square Mall. The White Sox Team Store was open in the Former Sears Wing of the mall's lower level, next to the Apple Store. Fans could expect the following special offers and activations while the pop-up was open. "We know there is interest in the most recent White Sox apparel and items for the holidays," said Brooks Boyer, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing. "There's enthusiasm and excitement for our future. We want to offer the best of the ballpark to our fans and Orland Park shoppers, creating a unique, convenient shopping experience."
On February 15, 2019, Payless Shoe Source announced that they would be closing all locations. "We expect all stores to remain open until at least the end of March and the majority will remain open until May," the spokesperson said in a statement. Liquidation sales began on Feb. 17. Reuters reported on Friday that the discount shoe retailer plans to close all of its U.S. stores as part of a bankruptcy filing later in February. The closings would affect about 2,300 U.S. stores and the company is preparing for going-out-of-business sales at the locations, according to the Reuters report. Sources told Reuters that a buyer could still crop up. Payless Shoe Source currently operates over 2,700 stores in North America and Puerto Rico, including dozens in Illinois. The location was on the lower level by Carson's, before moving on the upper level by JCPenney. 
== January 21, 2019 Shooting ==
On January 21, 2019, shots were fired inside the mall's food court. The mall was then placed on lockdown. The only victim of the shooting, a 19 year old male, was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
A Month Later, a 20 year old man already charged in connection with a deadly shooting at a Chicago-area mall faced murder and other charges. Police have said Britten was shot in the center of the mall and ran before collapsing outside of a clothing store. A bystander suffered a graze wound.
== 2020s ==
In May of 2020 after two months of the temporary closure of the mall due to COVID, it was announced that it would reopen on May 31st 2020.
On June 7th 2021, it was announced that the AMC Theater Plan would be cancelled due to as the mayor said the "COVID Casualty". Today, the anchor is still vacant but has talks of the Orland Bowling Lane possibly coming and other various anchors interested but no official confirmation has been made as of January 7th 2024.
== Current Anchors ==
* JCPenney (opened 1976)
* Macy's (opened 1976 as Marshall Field's)
* Von Maur (opened November 2, 2019)
* Jos A. Bank
* H&M
* LensCrafters
== Former Anchors ==
* Sears (opened 1976, closed April 8, 2018, replaced by various shopping and dining in 2019)
* Carson's (opened 1976, closed Late August 2018, replaced by Von Maur in 2019)
* Marshall Field's (opened 1976, converted into Macy's in September 2006)
== Current Restaurants ==
* Cheesecake Factory (opened December 2012)
* Texas de Brazil
== Former Restaurants ==
* Ruby Tuesday (closed 2011)
== See also ==
* Orland Park Place
* Orland Park Crossing
* Orland Towne Center
* Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants
== Gallery ==
=== Videos ===
File:Orland Square Mall. Orland Park IL|Mall Tour
File:Graeginator Rides 5 Elevator at Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, IL|Elevator Tour
File:The Final Visit to SEARS at Orland Square|Sears Closing Tour
File:Orland Park Macy's. Orland Park IL|Macy's Tour
File:JCPenney's Orland Square. Orland Park IL|JCPenney Tour
File:NOW OPEN Von Maur. Orland Park IL|Von Maur Tour
File:The Collapse of Carson’s Closing store tour of Carson’s at Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, IL|Carson's Closing Tour
File:Lego Store Tour - Orland Park, IL, USA - Vacation!|Lego Store Tour
=== Photos ===
Carousel At Orland Square Mall.jpg|Carousel
Cheesecake Factory.jpg|Cheesecake Factory
Cinnabon.jpg|Cinnabon
Play Area.jpg|Play Area
== External Links ==
* Orland Square Mall's Official Website
Category:Malls in the United States
Category:Malls in Illinois
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:Simon Property Group Malls
Category:Malls that opened in 1976
Category:Multi-Level Malls
Category:Macy's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Marshall Field's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Sears-anchored Malls
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Category:Former Carson's-anchored Malls
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Category:Von Maur-anchored Malls
Category:Panda Express Locations
Category:Cheesecake Factory Locations
Category:Texas de Brazil Locations
Category:Pottery Barn Locations
Category:Former Ruby Tuesday Locations
Category:Jos A. Bank Locations
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