Reimagining Spring Hill

Homart's Spring Hill Mall concept is debated for years across West Dundee, Carpentersville, and neighboring villages — traffic, sewer, and land-use questions dominate local headlines.

The mall opens with Sears and Marshall Field's as anchors. Coverage notes an immediate shift in Fox Valley shopping patterns.

Bergner's and JCPenney join the center as the mall builds out its retail mix.

MainStreet converts to Kohl's as the chain expands across the region.

Marshall Field's is rebranded to Macy's as part of a national conversion.

JCPenney announces it will close — an early sign of the anchor attrition to come.

The west wing and former JCPenney and food court are demolished. An 8-screen Cinemark opens in December 2016 and H&M follows in 2017.

Carson's shutters amid the Bon-Ton liquidation, leaving another anchor empty.

The Village introduces its first redevelopment vision, a walkable downtown concept for the site.

The Village relies on the mall's private owner to redevelop; little changes on the ground.

Sears closes in February and Macy's departs in 2020, leaving the enclosed mall largely vacant.

Barnes & Noble relocates to Algonquin Commons, ending its run at the mall.

The Village adopts a Comprehensive Plan subarea update to guide the site's future.

The site's tax-increment financing is restructured to enable market-driven reinvestment.

Village trustees approve a $7 million purchase of the mall's core, after earlier acquiring the Sears and Macy's parcels.

After 44 years, the enclosed mall permanently closes to the public.

West Dundee closes on the purchase of the core mall building.

A second redevelopment vision is shaped by market-capacity analysis and the Village's property acquisition.

Kohl's closes its standalone store by April, ending retail tied to the original mall era.

Large-scale demolition of the remaining enclosed-mall structure begins.

The third vision: 3-D modeling by Houseal Lavigne, continued demolition, and a planned Public Safety Center 3 (police headquarters).

Finalize the master plan — zoning, green space, and roads — and partner with private developers to begin vertical, mixed-use construction.