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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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The Shoppes At College Hills
The Shoppes at College Hills is a lifestyle center retail complex located in the city of Normal, Illinois, USA. It is one of two major shopping centers in the Bloomington-Normal area (the other being Eastland Mall). The complex was built in 1980 as a small enclosed shopping mall called College Hills Mall, and was demolished and rebuilt in 2005 as an outdoor center. Anchor stores include Hobby Lobby, Target, Crunch Fitness, and Von Maur.

History

Plans were first announced for College Hills Mall in 1978. The mall's first stage, comprising a Carson Pirie Scott department store and other mall shops, opened on August 14, 1980, followed by a Montgomery Ward anchor on September 25. Two years later in 1982, Target was added as a third anchor. MetLife bought the mall in 1986 for $21 million. In 1988, Carson Pirie Scott sold its store to Von Maur.

Montgomery Ward closed its store in 1997 and was replaced with a Hobby Lobby crafts store in 1999. Also in 1997, Stein Mart added its first central Illinois location to the middle of the mall, while MC Sports moved to Eastland. Over time, many other stores relocated to the larger mall as well, leaving College Hills without most of its major chain stores. In addition, Stein Mart closed in October 2000. By June 2004, the only tenants remaining at the mall were the three anchor stores and a Diamond Dave's Mexican restaurant. After its closure, the entire mall building was demolished except for Hobby Lobby, Target and Von Maur. Cullinan Properties then redeveloped the property as an outdoor mall, with Gordmans being added as a fourth anchor. The new center officially opened in August 2005.

The shopping center was purchased in January 2017 by Alto Real Estate funds and M & J Wilkow. In April 2017, it was announced that Gordmans was going to be closing which closed sometime in 2017. In January 2018, it was announced that Hobby Lobby would move into the vacant Gordmans space which opened on June 25, 2018. On August 21, 2018, it was announced that Comcast will open a new store at the shopping center in winter 2018 or early winter 2019.

References

  1. ^ "Article: Demolition stirs memories Normal leaders, developers recall College Hills birth". The Pantagraph. 1 September 2004. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  2. ^ "Ward's to close in B-N; date not set". The Pantagraph. 11 October 1997. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  3. ^ "Hobby Lobby to open Friday". The Pantagraph. 30 December 1998. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  4. ^ "Stein Mart heading for College Hills". The Pantagraph. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  5. ^ "MC Sports moving to permanent Eastland home". The Pantagraph. 26 June 1997. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  6. ^ "A tale of two malls: Eastland regional magnet". The Pantagraph. 20 August 2000. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Stein Mart to close College Hills store in October". The Pantagraph. 8 July 2000. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Mall's halls are going dark". The Pantagraph. 29 May 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  9. ^ Szoke, Anita (9 August 2005). "Reworked Normal, Ill., mall ready to open". Peoria Journal-Star. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
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