In an age when shopping malls are shutting down nationwide, North Riverside Park Mall is bucking modern retail trends with 88% occupancy and, now, a $9 million renovation.
Those renovations include modernized flooring, updated ceilings, LED lighting and a revamped main entrance and were unveiled amid pomp at a Nov. 13 ceremony outside the main entrance of the mall, 7501 W. Cermak Road, by The Feil Organization, which has owned the 1.4-million-square-foot mall since 2004.
Officials said the renovations, designed by JP2 Architects and fabricated by AECom Hunt Construction Group, have been warmly received by merchants, village officials and shoppers.
The work, which started in February, came amid an increasingly bleak outlook for large shopping malls.
According to a May 2024 report by Capital One Shopping Research, the number of malls nationwide has declined 16.7% from 2017 to 2022. That report also predicts up to 87% of large shopping malls will shut down over the next decade.
Why, then, would The Feil Organization sink $9 million into North Riverside Park Mall?
Brian Lade, regional asset manager for Feil, said “because the property continues to perform really well.”
“It’s going the right way. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse, right? So, we’re getting better, continuing to grow,” Lade said.
North Riverside Park Mall, which marks its 50th year in 2025, attracts 12 million visitors each year, according to Feil.
Officials cited the higher occupancy rate, the mall’s 140 national and boutique stores, and its status as a destination for many, as other reasons to invest in the property.
People come to shop, to see movies at the Classic Cinema theaters, eat in the food court, walk the mall for exercise or simply visit with friends, officials said.
Glenn Lindholm, the mall’s general manager, called the renovation “ambitious” and thanked Feil for “believing in the vibrancy and (having) confidence in this location.”
Among the work he’s most happy about is “this wonderful bright new entrance,” Lindholm said, noting the property’s last renovation was 21 years ago.
Lade was impressed the project was finished in less than a year.
“This would typically be a two-year project,” he said, and adding contractors “worked hard and tirelessly to make this happen.”
Lindholm echoed that: “We’re very proud we never did close down.”
North Riverside Mayor Joseph Mengoni called the mall “a meeting place, a gathering place for shopping, dining and entertainment.”
Plus, he said, “It’s a great provider of tax dollars.”
Mengoni said the renovation is “beautiful,” and anticipates future growth. He’s not surprised by its continuing viability because of its access to the Eisenhower, Stevenson and Tri-State expressways as well as its amenities.
“People want a place to gather and shop. The theater is state-of-the-art, top notch. And, they have the best popcorn,” Mengoni said.
Like many at the unveiling, he has fond memories of the mall.
“I did come here (as a kid). I grew up in Cicero. Rode my bike here,” Mengoni, 57, said.
He’d pedal from home to visit Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, Montgomery Ward, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. and Madigan’s. After Ward’s closed, Sears moved in. While those mainstays are all gone, the mall carries on and new businesses continue to open. Separate ribbon cutting ceremonies took place Nov. 13 for Kids Empire, a large indoor playground for children, and Ultimate Furniture.
JCPenney, one of the nation’s oldest retailers, has been on the mall’s south end from the get-go. Another longtime tenant is the quirky Spencer’s, home of amusing T-shirts, adult-themed gifts and on Wednesday, light-up ugly Christmas sweaters at a 5% discount.
Jeanne Heller, Feil’s marketing director, thinks the mall succeeds because it offers “a good mix of local and national stores.”
“We’re always looking for the right mix. Lots of people want to come here, but we say, ‘We’re not taking another jewelry store. We’re good with jewelry’,” Heller said
The mall “is more of a community. That’s one of the things that sets us apart from the other shopping centers,” Lindholm added
Matt Morales, who has owned the photo studio Digital Hot Shots for 20 years, likes the new look.
“Not only is it tasteful, but it was so well managed. The way the (renovation) managers communicated to every single tenant. … They did it without a hitch,” Morales said.
“We stayed open every single day,” he said, noting that crews worked while customers shopped and after the mall was closed for the night.
AT&T brought in new fiber optics and new electric lines were also installed, he said.
“This isn’t lipstick on a pig,” Morales said. “This is a 50-year-old box. Good bones, but there’s bound to be something (needing improvement).”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter.
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