The village of Bloomingdale has released preliminary renderings of what the Stratford Square Mall area could look like.
Courtesy of Gravity Architecture

Lakeside restaurants. Illuminated fountain towers. A meandering boardwalk. An oval-shaped, trellis-topped lawn for events, yoga or ice skating.

The site of the defunct Stratford Square Mall is envisioned as “The Grove,” a world away from big department stores and everything else you associate with bunker-like shopping centers.

Before Bloomingdale Village President Franco Coladipietro introduced the conceptual redevelopment plan on the eve of the mall’s demolition, he cautioned that “this is the first step” and “the starting point.” But it’s an ambitious one: Renderings show new apartments, retail and commercial space oriented toward a central lake.

Bloomingdale envisions a massive redevelopment of the Stratford Square Mall site. Architects have proposed using the mall’s columns for a series of colorful fountains.
Couresy of Gravity Architecture

“You have all these memories, wonderful memories, of Stratford,” Village President Franco Coladipietro told a standing-room crowd at an unveiling of “The Grove” plan Tuesday night.

He added, “We’re trying to create a place where you can create new memories … somewhere that becomes relevant to your life again, someplace that gives you pleasure for whatever use that happens to be there.”

The mall became part of Bloomingdale’s fabric in the 1980s. But about a decade ago, the mall lost a J.C. Penney. Macy’s and Carson Pirie Scott later closed. Sears shut down before the pandemic. Bloomingdale officials decided to step in, acquiring the vacant department stores and finally the core of the mall itself.

“We’re not in the business of purchasing property,” Coladipietro said. “It’s not what we’re all about, right? And there’s some risk to it, obviously, but the downside risk on the other side is that if we didn’t do anything, five years from now, it would be in the exact same position.”

A ‘vibrant space’

The mall closed permanently in April. To date, the village has spent $17 million to purchase the properties and will spend $4.7 million on the demolition. The village now owns 70.31 acres of the mall.

“The only way to really redevelop that property and to revitalize that property was there to be a single owner of all the parcels,” Coladipietro said.

The Kohl’s and Woodman’s grocery stores in Bloomingdale will remain as the village tears down the shuttered Stratford Square Mall.
Courtesy of Gravity Architecture

The Kohl’s store is staying put. Officials, though, want to replace the mall with a mix of retail, dining, entertainment and community spaces.

“For years, the mall has been a cornerstone of our community, but now it’s time for a transformation,” Village Administrator Pietro Scalera said. “Our vision is to create a vibrant space that reflects the evolving needs and desires of our residents, a destination that will enhance our community, create jobs and attract visitors, boosting our local economy.”

The village is working with Florida-based Gravity Architecture & Design on that vision for the Stratford Square area. Columns from the mall could be used to create water features.

As currently conceived, the redevelopment would unfold in multiple phases. When asked about residential areas, Coladipietro said the idea is “not to make this a super dense property.”

A ‘legacy’

The village established a tax increment financing district that includes the mall. All expenses within the TIF district will be covered by the property tax increment generated by development within its boundaries, Scalera confirmed via email. However, currently, the costs exceed the revenue being collected.

To address the shortfall, the village has been borrowing money from its general fund — and will continue to do so as needed. Future TIF revenue will be used to repay the loans.

Demolition of the mall is expected to start in October. The village is paying for the demolition cost through a line of credit, which will be repaid through the general fund until the future property tax increment will be used to repay those general fund advances.

After demolition, the village intends to issue bonds to pay for the redevelopment, according to Scalera. Those bonds also will be repaid with future TIF revenue.

Coladipietro has said that the desire is to sell off parcels to different developers. He also stressed the village will continue to own the property until there is a viable project.

“This is a business decision,” he said, “not just in the sense of money, but a legacy for our community.”