Gurnee Mills
Encyclopedia
Gurnee Mills is an indoor mall
, established in Gurnee, Illinois
. It's located about halfway between Chicago
and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, a 40 minute drive either way, and near Six Flags Great America
. It is a single-level Z-shaped mall. At 1800000 square feet (167,225.5 m²) of gross leasable area
, it is the fourth largest mall in Illinois
, and is visited by more than 20 million people each year. Gurnee Mills opened on August 8, 1991.
and was one of the most productive malls in the company. The nation's second Sears Grand, the supercenter component of Sears opened in 2004. In 2007, the Simon Property Group
became the current owners of Gurnee Mills after acquiring the Mills Corporation.
In April 2010, plans for a $5 million renovation were announced. As part of the plan, bathrooms and entrances would be renovated and the farm style interior design would be replaced with a more sophisticated looking interior design. The renovations are expected to take up to 3 years to be completed. Some parts of the rehab have been delayed, but new retailers continue to open. Notably, as of May 24, 2011 Macy's
was announced to be opening in the mall.
Since its opening, it has been a popular site for new US Navy Sailors celebrating Liberty Weekend (that is, the weekend leave usually following graduation from RTC Great Lakes).
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...
, established in Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,834 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 30,772 in 2005. The village borders the city of Waukegan and is considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Gurnee is perhaps best known for being the location of...
. It's located about halfway between 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...
and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, a 40 minute drive either way, and near Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
. It is a single-level Z-shaped mall. At 1800000 square feet (167,225.5 m²) of gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
, it is the fourth largest mall in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and is visited by more than 20 million people each year. Gurnee Mills opened on August 8, 1991.
History
Gurnee Mills was the fourth built mall from their former owners, the Mills CorporationMills Corporation
The Mills Corporation was a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United States, acquired on April 3, 2007 by an investment group composed of Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management. The company developed, owned, and operated major...
and was one of the most productive malls in the company. The nation's second Sears Grand, the supercenter component of Sears opened in 2004. In 2007, the Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
became the current owners of Gurnee Mills after acquiring the Mills Corporation.
In April 2010, plans for a $5 million renovation were announced. As part of the plan, bathrooms and entrances would be renovated and the farm style interior design would be replaced with a more sophisticated looking interior design. The renovations are expected to take up to 3 years to be completed. Some parts of the rehab have been delayed, but new retailers continue to open. Notably, as of May 24, 2011 Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
was announced to be opening in the mall.
Since its opening, it has been a popular site for new US Navy Sailors celebrating Liberty Weekend (that is, the weekend leave usually following graduation from RTC Great Lakes).