Once-popular north suburban mall to be demolished as part of redevelopment plan

A once-popular north suburban mall will soon be torn down to make way for the site to be redeveloped.

Demolition of the 35-year-old Lincolnwood Town Center Mall, at the intersection of Touhy and Avenue and McCormick Boulevard, will take place in phases, starting in May, according to a press release from the Village of Lincolnwood. According to officials, the first building to go will be the former Harlem Furniture store, followed by the middle of the mall.

Phase three of the demolition will include the mall’s Kohl’s parcel, the release said.

The plans, approved at an April 21 board meeting, come months after the mall was sold to local developer Prairie Ridge Development, with the site expected to be redeveloped and “reimagined.”

According to the board, the projected pre-development plan for the site includes a large retail store with a footprint of approximately 150,00-175,000 square feet, a car dealership and additional commercial and retail buildings.

“For more than 35 years, the Lincolnwood Town Center has been a central indoor shopping and dining
destination for the region,” the village said. “Its planned redevelopment marks a major turning point, beginning a
broader effort to reimagine the site’s future role in the community.”

The redevelopment comes after years of financial turmoil, with anchor store closings, declining occupancies and deferred maintenance. In 2025, the village said it was exploring the possibility of eminent domain to take over the property and transform it.

Efforts to redevelop the site by the village and previous owners date back to 2021, with the Lincolnwood Town Center Concept Plan laying out a number of mixed-use scenarios, including retail, residential, entertainment, commercial offices and more.

“Redevelopment of the Lincolnwood Town Center mall property has been a focus of the Village Board and Staff for several years,” Lincolnwood Mayor Jesal Patel said a release at the time. “We are excited for this next step of redevelopment, and we stand ready to offer assistance to ensure for a successful project.”

The mall’s origins started in 1988, when two retail development companies approached the village to construct an indoor shopping center with two anchors 90 other retailers and kiosks. The mall’s original anchors, the village said, were Carson Pirie Scott and Madigan’s.