Spring Hill Mall theater, plaza to be ready in December
Spring Hill Mall shoppers may be able to experience some aspects of a roughly $50 million redevelopment project by the end of the year.
A new state-of-the-art Cinemark movie theater is expected to open around the holiday blockbuster season. New stores are opening or expressing interest in the mall, and construction will likely be completed in December on an exterior plaza and a new mall wing with outward-facing retail, according to a statement from mall owner Rouse Properties.
Additionally, free-standing buildings for restaurants and retail space are expected to be completed next spring, West Dundee Village President Chris Nelson said.
The project has helped Rouse secure several top tenants, company representatives said, including Mama Lee's Gourmet Popcorn and rue21. Retailers such as H&M and Hibbett Sports are expected to open in the spring.
Nelson said he also anticipates the Cinemark theater's opening to help market the area and secure other tenants.
The eight-screen, 37,000-square-foot theater, which has a target opening date of Dec. 15, will include luxury lounge recliners, advanced sound and projection technology and online and kiosk ticketing, said Cinemark spokesman James Meredith. Concession stand offerings will include craft beer and frozen wine beverages.
The progress of the mall's renovation is serving as a catalyst for the revitalization of surrounding properties in both Carpentersville and West Dundee - the two villages in which the mall is located, Nelson said. Outlets are being redeveloped, he said, and West Dundee officials have already had "promising" conversations with the owners of the Spring Hill Gateway about refurbishing the commercial properties.
"The improvements to the mall have triggered additional investment outside the mall," Nelson said. "That's exactly what we were expecting and hoping."
Construction on the Spring Hill Mall redevelopment began about a year ago with the demolition of the vacant JCPenney department store and its respective wing. At the time, the overall cost of the project was pegged at $37.8 million - an amount that rose to about $50 million during the construction process, Nelson said.
The heightened price, however, doesn't affect how much money each village is contributing to the project, he said. Using incremental tax revenue, Carpentersville agreed to reimburse mall owner Rouse Properties for $1 million, and West Dundee will contribute $7.6 million.
"We are very appreciative of the support the villages of West Dundee and Carpentersville have shown for our transformative plan," a Rouse representative said. "(We) are excited to provide this community with the premier one-stop retail, dining and entertainment destination."