The Plaza was an American retail mall in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Arthur Rubloff, who coined the epithet “Magnificent Mile” to describe the wealthy part of Michigan Avenue north of the Chicago River to Oak Street, organized it legally. Rubloff obtained funds for the Evergreen Plaza from the Beverly Walgreen family. The Evergreen Plaza closed in 2013. It included almost 120 retailers and a food court. Eventually, it became an outdoor mall. Whole Foods and Burlington Coat Factory are anchors. In 1936, developer Arthur Rubloff envisioned a shopping mall between W 95th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street and Campbell Ave, and 95th and Campbell Ave. The Fair Store, Lytton’s, Barnett’s, and Walgreens were the initial anchors of the 500,000-square-foot open-air shopping area. With a conveyor belt, groceries might be delivered from the store to the parking lot kiosk. The mall’s Walgreens was the chain’s second self-service pharmacy and first in a shopping center.
Some accounts claim Evergreen Plaza was America’s first regional mall.
1962 saw the addition of another anchor, Carson Pirie Scott. Also, in April 1964, The Fair Store became Montgomery Ward. The mall became an indoor mall in 1966. A decade earlier, the Southdale Center debuted as the country’s second indoor mall. Circuit City opened in the early 1990s, replacing a Silo electronics store. MC Closing its four-story shop in 2001. Soon after, the Village of Evergreen Park filed Target offers for the former Wards, but the transactions fell through. National Wholesale Liquidators launched in 2005, taking two levels of the four-level anchor spot vacated by Montgomery Ward. Walgreens closed in 2005 and was replaced by an Office Depot a mile away. Circuit City closed in 2005.
The triplex (opened in 1977) and quadplex (opened in 1983) closed in 1999. Office Depot closed in Evergreen Park in 2008, as did many other small businesses. After 2008, the mall’s popularity waned, leading to the closure of several of its original stores. Many newer enterprises have a shorter lifespan. Planet Fitness obtained a 10-year lease in 2011 to occupy the former Walgreens location and opened in January 2012.
An outdoor shopping center was to be built in its place in July 2013. (which the Plaza once was during its first 14 years). The structure was not demolished, and fresh rumors and plans began to circulate. Debartolo LLC of Tampa and Lormax Stern of a Detroit suburb have agreed to demolish the old property and build a new outdoor mall with 30-40 new retailers, including Burlington and Whole Foods. Business travelers will miss Applebee’s and Planet Fitness. Derechos began in May 2015 and lasted until October 2017. After tearing down the previous store, Carson’s opened a completely new location in September 2016. The mall opened in the fall of 2017. As a result of their bankruptcy, Bon-Ton Stores announced on April 18, 2018 that all Carson’s locations, including Evergreen Plaza, would be closed. On Black Friday 2018, Carson’s new owner, CSC Generation, reopened the store.
