Harlem Irving Plaza

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Harlem Irving Plaza


caption =
location = Norridge, Illinois, United States
opening_date = 1956
manager = Harlem Irving Companies
owner = Harlem Irving Companies
developer =
building_costs =
number_of_stores = 100+
number_of_anchors = 3
floor_area = convert|700000|sqft|m2|abbr=on.
floors = 1, plus partial basement
parking =
website = http://shopthehip.com

Harlem Irving Plaza (commonly referred to as "The HIP") is an enclosed mall located in Norridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The mall features over 100 stores and a food court; anchor stores include Carson Pirie Scott, Kohl's, a new Best Buy, and Target. It is one of the oldest shopping malls in the Chicago area. [http://www.shopthehip.com/history.html Harlem Irving Plaza : Get HIP! ] ]

History

Built on the site of a former livestock farm, Harlem Irving Plaza opened in 1956 as a convert|337000|sqft|m2|sing=on strip mall featuring approximately 45 tenants. [http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/articles/MAY06/story40.shtml Shopping Center Business ] ] Original anchor stores included Kroger, Walgreens, Wieboldt's, W.T. Grant, and Woolworth. The plaza became a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers a year after opening. [ [http://www.harlemirving.com/hip.html Harlem Irving Company - Celebrating 50 years! ] ]

Between 1975 and 1979, the former strip mall was enclosed, and a parking garage was added. Also in 1979, Madigan's was added to the roster of department stores. MainStreet, a short-lived subsidiary of Federated Department Stores opened at the mall in 1987, just as Wieboldt's closed. [ [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36D8FD04E90AD&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Chicago Sun-Times:: Search ] ] In 1988, Kohl's acquired and converted all of the stores in the MainStreet chain; Carson Pirie Scott opened in the former Wieboldt's the same year. A food court was added in 1996, and Best Buy opened in the former Madigan's. Best Buy re-located to the mall's parking lot in 2001; its original location was replaced with a second parking garage. The mall underwent a thorough renovation in 2004, gaining a convert|175000|sqft|m2|sing=on Target in August of that year.

In honor of the mall's 50th anniversary in 2006, Harlem Irving Plaza hosted a meet and greet with three of the original Mouseketeers. [ [http://www.abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=seenon&id=4475696&ft=sm abc7chicago.com: Original Mouseketeers celebrate 50th anniversary of "The Mickey Mouse Club" 8/18/06 ] ]

Anchors

*Best Buy
*Carson Pirie Scott
*Target
*Kohl's

Former anchors

*Best Buy ("moved in 2001; torn down for parking deck")
*Kroger
*Madigan's ("later Best Buy")
*Walgreens ("torn down for Target")
*Wieboldt's ("closed 1987, now Carson Pirie Scott")
*Woolworth
*W.T. Grant ("now smaller shops and food court")

References

External links

* [http://shopthehip.com Shop the HIP]
* [http://harlemirving.com Harlem Irving Properties]