Cherryvale Mall

CherryVale Mall

Location	Cherry Valley, Illinois, United States
Coordinates	42°14′45″N 88°58′32.6″W / 42.24583°N 88.975722°W / 42.24583; -88.975722Coordinates: 42°14′45″N 88°58′32.6″W / 42.24583°N 88.975722°W / 42.24583; -88.975722
Opening date	1973
Management	CBL & Associates Properties Inc.
Owner	CBL & Associates Properties Inc.
No. of anchor tenants	4
Total retail floor area	786,000 sq ft (73,000 m2)
No. of floors	2
Website	http://www.shopcherryvalemall.com

Cherryvale Mall is a shopping mall in Cherry Valley, Illinois, serving nearby Rockford, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Bergner's, J. C. Penney, Macy's and Sears. CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. acquired the shopping center in 2002. Cherryvale mall has 134 stores consisting of a gross leasing area of 783,167 sq ft (72,758.6 m²). Cherryvale has 3,892 parking spaces. Outlot stores include Bachrodt Auto Mall, DQ Grill & Chill, T.G.I. Friday's, Hilander Foods and Petland.

History

Although not the first enclosed mall in the Rockford area (that honor goes to the now-defunct Meadowmart in Loves Park), the Cherryvale Mall was the first large, modern mall in the area. Marshall Field's was one of the original anchor department store at the mall and was there for many years, until it was taken over by Macy's.

Today

Cherryvale Mall is currently the most visited attraction in the Rockford area and the most popular by teenagers living there.^{[citation needed]} The mall has recently opened its outdoor mall called "The District at CherryVale" which has about 10 new stores and shops. Brands such as Coldwater Creek, a woman's apparel and accessory store, and Granite City Food & Brewery have opened. Other stores include Talbots, JoS.A.Bank, Portrait Innovations, Barnes & Noble, Lane Bryant/Cacique and Chico's as well as a few yet unnamed stores. In August 2007 Cherryvale and the Rockford Park District opened the "Come Play With Us" children's indoor soft play area, with play pieces made of foam.

Terror plot thwarted

On December 6, 2006, 22-year-old Derrick Shareef, also known as Talib Abu Salam Ibn Shareef, of Rockford, was arrested for plotting a terror attack on Cherryvale Mall. According to federal authorities, Shareef planned to toss hand grenades among holiday shoppers. He met with an undercover agent in a Wal-Mart parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a pistol.^[1]

December 8, 2006, Shareef was charged with one count of attempting to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosion and one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald assures citizens that "while these are very serious charges, at no time was the public in any imminent peril." ^[2]

Man sets himself ablaze

In November 2001, Richard Lewis of Rockford, Illinois handcuffed himself to the railing of the second-floor mezzanine at Cherryvale Mall, doused himself with gasoline shouted, "freedom and liberty for all" and lit himself on fire. Two shoppers prevented the man from jumping over the second story mezzanine and in the process received second-degree burns. Lewis was flown to Loyola University Medical Center suffering burns over 40 percent of his body.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Terror Plot Thwarted". http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061208/ts_nm/usa_plot_arrest_dc_2/. Retrieved 2006-12-14. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Terror Suspect Charged". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/08/mall.plot.ap/index.html/. Retrieved 2007-02-14. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Man Sets Self Ablaze". USA Today. 2001-11-23. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001/11/23/manafire.htm/. Retrieved 2007-08-25. 

External links

• Official site