Lincolnwood Town Center faces demolition but its origin and legacy was fraught with local political controversy

by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI

After more than 36 years of being the “Gateway to Lincolnwood,” the 1990s relic known as the Lincolnwood Town Center will face the wrecking ball beginning in May for a supposedly large retail store that “sells a broad assortment of merchandise at discounted prices,” an auto dealership, and other commercial uses.

But the mall’s origin hearkens back to political vitriol and village board turmoil.

The Lincolnwood Board of Trustees at its meeting on April 21 approved a pre-development agreement with the project developer, Lincolnwood Property Owner LLC.

The agreement is non-binding but the village and the developer plan to work together in “good faith” to get the project over the finish line.

The agreement is just the beginning in the redevelopment process and will likely require a lot of public discussion. Previous proposals about the future of the mall have fallen apart.

The mall on the 31-acre property at Touhy Avenue and McCormick Boulevard was purchased by the LLC group, which is affiliated with Prairie Ridge Development and Xroads Real Estate Advisors, a news release said earlier this year. Xroads is managing the property. Prairie Ridge has completed retail, mixed-use, and hospitality projects throughout the Chicagoland area, the release said.

The name of the new store has not been revealed, but the agreement states that proposed is “a large retail store with a footprint of approximately 150,000 – 175,000 square feet, on a portion of the property comprising approximately 20-25 acres, which will be a large-format retail establishment that sells a broad assortment of merchandise at discounted prices,” and “an automobile dealership, on a portion of the property comprising approximately 5-6 acres; and additional commercial and retail uses.” The agreement states that the store “will not be used for distribution or office purposes.”

A Walmart Supercenter is across Touhy Avenue in Skokie. Village officials did not return messages about specifics about the name of the planned store.

The nearest Costco is in Niles. A spokeswoman for Target said there were no plans to build a super store there.

“We are continuously exploring possible locations for future stores, but we have no new stores news to share,” the spokeswoman said. Others have speculated that it could be a Mejier. Others have said the Kohl’s is expanding. The rumor mill has begun.

The village said in the meeting packet that many businesses have closed at the aging mall and that many have already vacated, with additional closures anticipated in the coming months.

Demolition of the building that most recently was home to Harlem Furniture, located on the southeast side closest to McCormick will begin first, the village said.

Following the Harlem Furniture building, the middle portion of the mall will be demolished. Phase three of demolition includes the Kohl’s parcel, the village said this week.

Lincolnwood is still working things out with Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority about the continuity of service. The developer, village and CTA are exploring options for a temporary location of bus operations within the mall, while Pace service will be rerouted as needed, the village said in a news release.

Village attorney Steven Elrod said that the agreement allows for the developer to get relief from the “stringent” village code about immediate construction or full site restoration following demolition.

Elrod said the development, if built, would add tax revenue for the village.

A history of contention and political divisiveness

The Lincolnwood Town Center opened on March 15, 1990, with “Wheel of Fortune” star Vanna White helping to host the grand-opening festivities. Construction began in 1988.

At the time, according to the Chicago Tribune, it had two anchor stores, including a 124,000-square-foot Carson Pirie Scott and a 104,200-square-foot Madigans store, and 90 smaller specialty shops, boutiques and restaurants.

While the opening was a festive night according to reports, the approval process for the redevelopment of the former Bell & Howell property was contentious.

Then-mayor Frank Chulay cast the tie-breaking vote to OK the mall. To this day, some speculate that this decision cost him reelection in 1993 when he lost to Madeleine Grant. He wanted to bring Lincolnwood “into the 20th Century.” She wanted to restore “fiscal soundness” and “establish comprehensive, long-range planning for Lincolnwood that would preserve its residential character” and “encourage small businesses.”

According to Nadig Newspapers’ archives, when Chulay was running for reelection that year, he was proud of the mall development.

“The biggest headache of all was the division of the trustees over the Town Mall,” Chulay said in 1993 during a candidate night.

“I had to deal with the Town Center development. All of you know what a tough decision this was. But I knew in my heart that the Town Center would be good for the people of Lincolnwood, so I made the tough decision. It cost me something in friendships, in personal esteem. But I have never regretted it. Do that which is right, not merely that which is expedient, has been the cornerstone of my political and personal philosophy.”

Chulay said he turned the “eye-sore at Touhy and McCormick” and turned that “blighted area into a ‘Gateway to Lincolnwood’”

“The mall does not detract from the residential area, and it provides a convenient shopping place that we can call our own,” he said in 1993. He said the construction of the mall helped to bring in revenue to create a village fire department after Chicago said it would no longer provide services back then.

Grant, in her brochures, was running on a platform with other slated candidates to “bring strong leadership, harmony and cooperation to village government, thereby ending the divisiveness and rancor which has nearly destroyed the effectiveness of the village board.”

“We have formed a party. The Alliance for Lincolnwood Party. It is a new party, not just last year’s party with a new name. It is truly an alliance of concerned citizens who are disappointed and disillusioned with the failures of the other parties and who know we desperately need change,” Grant wrote in her official candidacy that year.

During that race, one former chairman of the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals wrote that Lincolnwood was “a government by a wink and a nod, where friends and political cronies are rewarded, and others are punished.”

“This is a government by favors and promises and deals and insiders, where what you see is definitely not what you get.”

Grant died in 2000 at age of 66. Chulay died in 2024 at age of 104.

According to political columnist Russ Stewart, Chulay’s reign was mired in controversy, something he referred to as a “Lincolnwood Loonies” time, “with every board meeting a circus.”

“The insiders dumped Chulay in 1993, backed Lincolnwood Library Board President Madeleine Grant, who beat both Chulay and (Lydia M.) Cohan, and all returned to normalcy. Grant retired in 2000 and was replaced by Trustee Peter Moy, who won in 2001 and retired in 2005, and he was replaced by Trustee Jerry Turry.”

Turry was defeated by Barry Bass, and Bass was replaced by longtime Trustee Jesal Patel in 2021.

Patel didn’t return an e-mail essentially asking, hey, what large store is planned on the Lincolnwood Town Center site?

How’s that for a capsule back in time?

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