Park Forest Plaza
Encyclopedia
Park Forest Plaza was a shopping center located in the planned community of Park Forest
, Illinois
, United States
, that opened in 1949. The center was developed by Philip M. Klutznick as one of the first major regional shopping centers in the United States, and it served as the downtown to the village. The distinctive clock tower in the open courtyard became the symbol of both the shopping center and the village. The grass and tree-lined courtyard gave the center an airy attractiveness which was popular much of the year. The mall was anchored by a Marshall Field's
, Sears, and Goldblatt's
store.
Competition from a new larger indoor mall in nearby Matteson, Illinois
in the early 1970s ultimately doomed Park Forest Plaza. The mall did survive until 1996 when Field's closed and Sears moved to Lincoln Mall
.
The village has now converted what is left to a downtown area with local services, including retail stores, a banquet hall, a cultural arts center, a dance studio, a movie theater, a senior residential community and the Village Hall. Single-family homes are also being built on the outskirts of the downtown area.
Park Forest, Illinois
Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County and Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 23,462...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that opened in 1949. The center was developed by Philip M. Klutznick as one of the first major regional shopping centers in the United States, and it served as the downtown to the village. The distinctive clock tower in the open courtyard became the symbol of both the shopping center and the village. The grass and tree-lined courtyard gave the center an airy attractiveness which was popular much of the year. The mall was anchored by a Marshall Field's
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
, Sears, and Goldblatt's
Goldblatt's
Goldblatt's was a chain of local discount stores that operated in Chicago, Illinois as well as Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Founded in 1914, the chain grew to more than twenty stores at its peak, gradually closing its stores in the 1990s and selling others to Ames before finally closing...
store.
Competition from a new larger indoor mall in nearby Matteson, Illinois
Matteson, Illinois
Matteson is a village in Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,928 at the 2000 census and an estimated 17,080 as of July 2007.-Geography:Matteson is located at ....
in the early 1970s ultimately doomed Park Forest Plaza. The mall did survive until 1996 when Field's closed and Sears moved to Lincoln Mall
Lincoln Mall
Lincoln Mall is a shopping center located at the corner of US 30 and Cicero Ave. in Matteson, Illinois, United States.- History :Lincoln Mall opened in 1973 with anchors Carson Pirie Scott, Montgomery Ward, Wieboldt's and JCPenney. The center was developed by Randhurst Corp, the same developer...
.
The village has now converted what is left to a downtown area with local services, including retail stores, a banquet hall, a cultural arts center, a dance studio, a movie theater, a senior residential community and the Village Hall. Single-family homes are also being built on the outskirts of the downtown area.