Woodfield Mall

Woodfield Mall

Location	Schaumburg, Illinois, United States
Coordinates	42°2′48″N 88°2′13″W / 42.04667°N 88.03694°W / 42.04667; -88.03694Coordinates: 42°2′48″N 88°2′13″W / 42.04667°N 88.03694°W / 42.04667; -88.03694
Opening date	September 9, 1971
Developer	Taubman Centers Homart Development
Management	Simon Property Group
Owner	CalPERS Miller Capital Advisory Simon Property Group
Architect	Charles Luckman & Associates
No. of stores and services	300
No. of anchor tenants	5
Total retail floor area	2,172,434 sq. ft.

Woodfield Mall is a shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Interstate 290.

Woodfield Mall is the largest shopping mall in the state of Illinois and one of the largest shopping malls in the United States. The mall is located approximately 27 miles from the Chicago Loop and attracts more than 27 million visitors each year. The mall features nearly 300 stores and is anchored by J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's), Nordstrom, and the country's largest Sears store at 416,000 square feet (38,600 m²).

The mall was originally developed by Taubman Centers, who later sold the mall to CalPERS, Miller Capital Advisory, and GM Pension Trusts. Taubman continued to manage the mall until December 31, 2012, when GM Pension Trusts sold their stake in the mall to Simon Property Group, who took over management effective January 1, 2013.

History

Woodfield Mall opened on September 9, 1971, with 59 stores, growing to 189 stores with 1.9 million retail square feet by 1973, the largest mall in the United States at that time. It's the 10th largest mall in America to this date.^[1][2] It is currently the largest mall in the Chicago area, with over 285 stores and restaurants.^[3] Woodfield is part of a group of three malls located in Schaumburg, IL, along with Woodfield Village Green, and The Streets of Woodfield. Woodfield is a major tourist destination in the state of Illinois^[4] In the year 2000, Chicago's visitors voted Woodfield Mall as their favorite suburban attraction.^[5]

Woodfield Mall is named for former Sears board chairman General Robert E. Wood and Marshall Field and Company founder Marshall Field.^[6] It debuted on September 9, 1971, on 191 acres (0.77 km²) of prairie land, previously occupied by farms, cows, and a village tavern.^[6] Singer Carol Lawrence, actor Vincent Price, and two marching bands entertained at the debut. At the time of its opening, it claimed to be the world's largest shopping center.^[7] By the end of September 1971, another 28 stores and restaurants had opened and that first business year finished with 138 specialty retailers. Many of those retailers—Johnston & Murphy, The Limited, Stride Rite, and Lerner New York (now known as New York & Company or NY&C) are still at Woodfield Mall today.

Originally 1,900,000 square feet (180,000 m²) of retail space, Woodfield Mall today is 2.7 million feet of retail space. In 1973, Lord & Taylor opened and brought along 50 additional new retailers and a whole new wing. In celebration of its 20th anniversary in 1991, Woodfield added 23 more stores and then in 1996, Woodfield grew again with a $110 million wing. This new wing included a three-level Nordstrom, a larger replacement Lord & Taylor, and 50 new specialty stores. Of these new stores, nearly 40 debuted flagship concepts and designs, with about 27 of them the largest in their chains.

While all of this expansion continued at Woodfield Mall, the surrounding village of Schaumburg grew as well. In 1970, the population was 19,000; in 1980, it mushroomed to 55,000; and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Schaumburg had over 75,000 people in 2000. Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson observed that, "Woodfield established a focal point for development throughout all of the northwest suburbs. Without Woodfield, we wouldn't have office towers in Itasca or corporate development in Hoffman Estates."

The GLA of the mall today is 2,174,000 square feet (202,000 m²), making it the fifth largest shopping mall in the U.S. and ninth largest in terms of shopping area.^[8][9] The mall is a highly visited tourist destination in the Chicago metropolitan area, with about 27 million annual visitors. Woodfield is often used as a test market for retailers; a recent example was the 2004 opening (and nationwide debut) of Ruehl No.925 by clothier Abercrombie & Fitch. In 2006, the Marshall Field's store was rebranded Macy's.

Woodfield Mall interior shot

Woodfield Mall another interior shot

Renovation

In January 2015, Woodfield had planned and announced a $13.8 million renovation. The makeover consists of an updated grand court, taking away the bricks. The renovation also includes new flooring for both lower and upper levels, and also new elevators, including a 3rd one. The renovation was predicted to be finished by the end of the year.^[10]

See also

• Golden Corridor, the region of commerce around the Northwest Tollway

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Woodfield Mall.

• Official Site
• Schaumburg Convention Center