The Golf Mill Shopping Center, a mainstay in Niles, Illinois, was built in the 1960s, and has been a subject of potential redevelopment since 2018. Niles residents have expressed a continued interest in redeveloping the mall, and that interest has paid off.
The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that voters have approved a non-binding referendum authorizing the community to implement improvements to the Golf Mill. The non-binding nature of the referendum offers citizens the ability to weigh in on the project as it progresses. The proposed project has a projected cost of $300 million.
These “unofficial election results” provided by the Cook County Clerk’s office indicate that over 3/4 of voters support using available resources to fund the redevelopment of the sizable shopping center, which has been in steady decline in recent years.
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Preliminary renderings show what a proposed pavilion might look like at a re-imagined Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles. – Original Credit: Village of Niles (Village of Niles / HANDOUT)
The most recent plans and renderings were revealed in January. They indicate that the updated Golf Mill will have a water feature, and have planned a 300-unit residential complex with an outdoor gathering area as well as retail space. The current plan would totally gut the existing structure.
The site is located in a tax increment financing (TIF) district. The TIF revenue will allow Niles to subsidize a portion of the costs associated with redeveloping the area, including the cost of demolition. The remaining costs will be the responsibility of the owners of the shopping center, Sterling Organization.
As the Tribune reported, the next step for this redevelopment is a terms sheet, which establishes a provisional agreement between the village and the Sterling Organization.
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It is good to redevelop the 60 yr old mall Shopping malls were a big thing years ago Today many people shop online & after the pandemic loose interest in big malls The office tower has historic Otis elevators that were never modernized I assume they will be no more
I really honestly do not think JCPenney will stay open at Golf Mill too much longer. While the store does good business, it looks like this store is not as well kept as other stores nearby (Yorktown, Hawthorn, Woodfield, North Riverside). They keep saying that its staying open, but the building looks like its falling apart.