Orland Square Mall

Orland Square Mall

Location	Orland Park, Illinois, United States
Address	288 Orland Square
Opening date	1976
Developer	Homart Development Company
Management	Simon Property Group
Owner	Simon Property Group
No. of stores and services	150+[1]
No. of anchor tenants	4
Total retail floor area	1,210,000 sq ft (112,000 m2)[2]
No. of floors	2 (Macy's has 3 floors)
Website	Orland Square

Orland Square Mall is an upscale, enclosed shopping center in Orland Park, Illinois. It is the largest mall in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, covering an area of over 1.2 million ft².^[3] The mall has been a hub for commercial activity and development, driving dramatic growth in the surrounding area for the past 20 years.^[4] It serves as a major retail destination for the communities of Frankfort, Homer Glen, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Orland Hills, Orland Park, and Tinley Park.

History

Orland Square Mall opened in 1976; originally developed by Homart Development Company, it was eventually acquired by Simon Property Group. Orland Square underwent a major renovation in 1995, in an effort to keep its luxury image. It has not received any remodeling since then and, although the mall is maintained well, the design is becoming dated.

In 2001, the 6-screen theatre at Orland Square closed due to competition from a newly opened Orland Park Theatre by Marcus Cinemas. The structure has remained empty for nearly a decade, and various ideas for other uses have never been realized. As of January 2011, plans are being made by the village's board for a special zoning permit that would allow a Dave & Buster's restaurant to fill the vacant building.^[5][6]

Events

Property Assessment & Tax Dispute
Multiple lawsuits regarding the mall's property assessments have been ongoing since 2005. The mall's owner Simon Property Group has disputed the assessments made from 2005 to 2009, which were used as a basis to determine their tax liabilities.

Property Assessments ($ million)

	2005-2007	2008	2009
Actual Assessment	$31.8	$33.0	$33.0
Simon (claim)	$22.8	$22.8	$15.0

In late 2010, all of the lawsuits were consolidated, and hearings have been scheduled to resolve the issue. If Simon Property Group is successful in arguing that it has overpaid taxes for five years, the affected districts would refund approximately $11.8 million to the mall owner.^[7][8]

Anchors

• Carson Pirie Scott
• JCPenney
• Macy's
• Sears

References

1. ^ "Orland Square Directory". Simon Property Group. http://www.simon.com/mall/malldirectory.aspx?id=189. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
2. ^ "Orland Square". Simon Property Group. http://www.simon.com/about_simon/leasing/LocalMall.aspx?id=189. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
3. ^ "Orland Square Mall". The Official Web Site of the Illinois Office of Tourism. http://www.enjoyillinois.com/search.aspx?ccid=7903&catname=Shopping&rgn=Chicagoland. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
4. ^ Larry A. McClellan (2004). "Orland Park, IL". The Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago: The Newberry Library. p. 936. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/936.html. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
5. ^ "Arcade For Adults Planned In Orland Park". CBS Local. January 15, 2011. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/15/arcade-for-adults-planned-in-orland-park/. 
6. ^ "Orland Square Cinemas". Cinema Treasures. http://cinematreasures.org/theater/5369/. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
7. ^ Rick Rouan (November 5, 2010). "Orland Square Mall tax objections consolidated". TribLocal (Chicago Tribune). http://triblocal.com/orland-park/2010/11/05/orland-square-mall-tax-objections-consolidated/. 
8. ^ Ben Feldheim (September 12, 2010). "Orland Square Mall Owners Want a Big Chunk of Change Back". Orland Park Patch. http://orlandpark.patch.com/articles/95-million-tax-assessment-case-continues-sept-29. 

External Links

• Orland Square Official website