Harlem Irving Plaza
Encyclopedia
Harlem Irving Plaza is an enclosed mall located in Norridge, Illinois
, a suburb of Chicago. The mall features over 100 stores and a food court
; anchor store
s include Carson Pirie Scott
, Kohl's
, Best Buy
, and Target
. It is one of the oldest shopping malls in the Chicago area.
featuring approximately 45 tenants. Original anchor stores included Kroger
, Walgreens
, Wieboldt's
, W.T. Grant, and Woolworth. The plaza became a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers a year after opening.
Between 1975 and 1979, the former strip mall was enclosed, and a parking garage was added. Also in 1979, Madigan's was added to the roster of department stores. MainStreet
, a short-lived subsidiary of Federated Department Stores
opened at the mall in 1987, just as Wieboldt's closed. In 1988, Kohl's
acquired and converted all of the stores in the MainStreet chain; Carson Pirie Scott
opened in the former Wieboldt's the same year. A food court
was added in 1996, and Best Buy
opened in the former Madigan's. Best Buy re-located to the mall's parking lot in 2001; its original location was replaced with a second parking garage. The mall underwent a thorough renovation in 2004, gaining a 175000 square feet (16,258 m²) Target
in August of that year.
In honor of the mall's 50th anniversary in 2006, Harlem Irving Plaza hosted a meet and greet with three of the original Mouseketeers.
Norridge, Illinois
Norridge is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,582 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor of Norridge is Ronald A. Oppedisano.The village is completely surrounded by Chicago and Harwood Heights.-Name origin:...
, a suburb of Chicago. The mall features over 100 stores and a food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
; 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....
s include 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...
, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, and Target
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...
. It is one of the oldest shopping malls in the Chicago area.
History
Built on the site of a former livestock farm, Harlem Irving Plaza opened in 1956 as a 337000 square feet (31,308.3 m²) strip mallStrip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
featuring approximately 45 tenants. Original anchor stores included Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
, 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...
, Wieboldt's
Wieboldt's
Wieboldt Stores, Inc., also known as Wieboldt's, did business as a Chicago general retailer between 1883 and 1986. It was founded in 1883 by storekeeper William A. Wieboldt. The flagship location was located on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago...
, W.T. Grant, and Woolworth. The plaza became a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers a year after opening.
Between 1975 and 1979, the former strip mall was enclosed, and a parking garage was added. Also in 1979, Madigan's was added to the roster of department stores. MainStreet
MainStreet
MainStreet was a department store chain based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The chain was launched in November 1983 by Federated Department Stores . Throughout the 1980s, the chain expanded to twenty-nine stores in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota...
, a short-lived subsidiary of Federated Department Stores
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
opened at the mall in 1987, just as Wieboldt's closed. In 1988, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
acquired and converted all of the stores in the MainStreet chain; 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...
opened in the former Wieboldt's the same year. A food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
was added in 1996, and Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
opened in the former Madigan's. Best Buy re-located to the mall's parking lot in 2001; its original location was replaced with a second parking garage. The mall underwent a thorough renovation in 2004, gaining a 175000 square feet (16,258 m²) Target
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...
in August of that year.
In honor of the mall's 50th anniversary in 2006, Harlem Irving Plaza hosted a meet and greet with three of the original Mouseketeers.