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Coordinates: 41°43′06″N 87°41′00″W / 41.7184°N 87.6833°W / 41.7184; -87.6833 The Plaza, formerly known as Evergreen Plaza,^[1] is an enclosed shopping mall located in Evergreen Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The mall's anchor stores are Carson Pirie Scott and Office Depot; it also features over 120 stores, as well as a food court. Having opened in 1952, The Plaza is considered the first major regional shopping center in the country. [1]

[edit] History

In 1936, Developer Arthur Rubloff first conceived a shopping mall in the Evergreen Park area located between the corners of W 95th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street and Western Ave, 98th Street Slightly west of Campbell Ave, 96th Street and Campbell Ave and 95th and Campbell Ave.^[4] Opened to the public in 1952, the mall was originally a 500,000-square-foot (46,000 m²) open-air shopping center anchored by The Fair Store, Lytton's and Walgreens. The center also contained a supermarket, which featured a conveyor belt that carried groceries from the store to a parking lot kiosk.^[4] The mall's Walgreens was the second self-service Walgreen pharmacy in the chain;^[5] it was also the chain's first location in a shopping center.

Chas. A. Stevens added a store to the mall in 1962. Carson Pirie Scott was added as another anchor, and the mall was later enclosed. Also, The Fair Store was converted to Montgomery Ward in 1957 Circuit City came in the early 1990s, replacing a Silo electronics store that was formerly in this space. Other additions over time included a food court.

Montgomery Ward closed its four-story store in 2001 as the chain declared bankruptcy. Shortly aferward, Village of Evergreen Park officials submitted proposals for Target Corporation to open in the former Wards; however, these deals fell through.^[6]

Discount chain National Wholesale Liquidators opened in 2005, occupying two levels of the four-level anchor slot once occupied by Montgomery Ward. Walgreens closed in 2005, and has been replaced with Office Depot. Also, Circuit City closed in mid 2005 as well.

The movie theater that was present in the rear of the mall closed in the late 80s early mid 1990s

Office Depot has since closed its Evergreen Park location in 2008 along with many other small retail shops over the last few years.

Circuit City Announces 19 Superstore Closings as Part of Its Ongoing Initiatives to Improve Financial Performance</ref>

[edit] 2007 Christmas Tree Fire

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In December 2007, A large Christmas tree at the southern end of the mall suddenly caught on fire. The mall was closed for three consecutive days. That section of the mall was closed off until February 2008. This fire caused a number of stores to close such as National Wholesale Liquidators, recently opened Lot Stores and Champs Sports (which re-opened March 24, 2008 and Closed again in 2009). NWL planned to return but never did. Lot Stores remains closed as well.

[edit] Evergreen Theater

On June 26, 1964, Evergreen Theater was added in a separate building, located on the south end of the mall. It first opened with two screens and sat upon the parking lot by 98th street and Western Ave., later, two more screens were added. In 1973, the manager was shot and killed during a robbery, many other incidents occurred which lead to its closure in July 1999. In 2003 the venue was torn down, along with the parking garage, on the west corner of the mall for landscaped parking, and parking entrances were widened. That same year, an Applebee's opened on an outparcel.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Digital Past: Item Viewer - 1950s postcard illustrating Lytton's store at Evergreen Plaza