Draft:Meadowdale Shopping Center

Coordinates: 42°06′58.1″N 88°15′35.5″W / 42.116139°N 88.259861°W / 42.116139; -88.259861
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Meadowdale Shopping Center
Meadowdale Shopping Center logo
Map
LocationCarpentersville, Illinois
Coordinates42°06′58.1″N 88°15′35.5″W / 42.116139°N 88.259861°W / 42.116139; -88.259861
Address100 W Mall Dr
Opening dateMay 18, 1957
DeveloperLeonard W. Besinger & Associates
ArchitectLeonard W. Besinger Jr., Earl Rosin, William F. Copeland, Raymond D. Larsen
No. of stores and services17 (56 originally)
No. of anchor tenants2 (5 originally)
Total retail floor areaAbout 181,000 sq ft (600,000 sq ft originally)
No. of floors1
Parking1,165

Meadowdale Shopping Center is a shopping mall in Carpentersville, Illinois. The mall opened in 1957 and grew to as many as 53 stores by 1958.[1] Over time the number of tenants has gone down;[2] current tenants include the Tractor Supply Company.

History[edit]

New beginnings (1950s)[edit]

In 1952, the Village of Carpentersville proposed a plan for an enclosed shopping center right in the middle of residential areas.[3]

On November 1, 1954, Leonard W. Besinger started construction on the mall which will become one of the largest shopping center developments in the United States during that time.

In December of 1955, ground was broken for the $10,000,000 Meadowdale Shopping Center development. On May 18, 1957, the grand opening of the first 14 stores in the shopping center was held. In October of 1957 construction was underway for 40 additional stores. The first of these stores to open was the Grant's department store on October 17, 1957, floowed by R&S and Richman Bros.[4]

On November 20–22, 1958, the shopping center held the grand opening of its Winter Garden Annex,[1] an enclosed area centered on an 6,000 sq ft (557 m2) ice rink which featured a 37,500 sq ft (3,484 m2) Block & Kuhl department store,[5] (later bought by, and renamed, Carson Pirie Scott), the Winter Garden restaurant, St. Mauritz cocktail bar,[6] snack bar, and other stores. The opening festivities included fashion shows on the ice rink, pony and other kiddie rides, and children's theater performances.[1]

By this time the center's tenants included an appliance repair store, an appliance store, the Charles bakery, barber shops, beauty salons, Cole's camera shop, the McMullens "children's department store", Urban Cleaners, the St. Mauritz cocktail bar, Mrs. Stevens' candy shop, a currency exchange, the Block & Kuhl department store, women's apparel shops including Eleanor, Lorraine Anne, Rorry's and My Shop, the Chicago Furniture Mart, a gift & card shop, the Western Hardware & Supply hardware store, a hobby shop, the ice skating rink and Michael Kirby ice skating school,[6] Jacob's Jewelers, a liquor store, a medical center, a photo studio, a post office, a radio station, restaurants including the Winter Garden and Kings & Queens, Frank's shoe repair shop, shoe stores, a sporting goods store, a Piggly Wiggly supermarket, a travel agency, and a variety store.[1]

In November 1959, Wieboldt's held the grand opening of their 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) Meadowdale store.[7]

JFK Speech[edit]

On October 25, 1960, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech about his presidential election campaign. He talked about fair education for young children and housing.[8]

Fire and reopening[edit]

On November 19, 1963, a fire destroyed the mall area causing $3,000,000 worth of damages, destroyed 25 stores and the ice rink in the Wintergarden Arcade.[9] Rebuilding began immediately and one year later the mall re-opened on November 5, 1964. However, the ice rink did not return, and in 1965, Carson Pirie Scott was converted into a Clark's discount department store,[4] then again to Cooks in May 1971.[10] The shopping center continued on through the 1970s with roughly the same number of tenants, counting 56 stores and services in 1979.[11]

Decline[edit]

In the 1980s, the mall experienced a slow decline, stores were leaving and coming back then leaving again. In October 1980 a competing mall, Spring Hill Mall opened 2.5 mi (4 km) to the west.[12][13] Spring Hill Mall had more famous companies occupying the mall like Sears and Marshall Field & Company which drawn customers away from Meadowdale.

Demolition of some parts of the mall[edit]

In 1989, the north end of the mall and half of the east end - 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) in total - were demolished, according to mall management "in order to build to suit future tenants".[14][15] The Post Office was doubled in size.

In 1990, there were only 28 tenants. Besides the post office, these included apparel, food, drug, video, electronics, shoe, wine and liquor, and hardware stores; cinemas; a print shop, beauty salon, barber shop, cleaners, bakery, Domino's pizza, Chinese restaurant, hair salon, bowling alley, insurance and travel agencies and a laundromat.[16]

Present day (2000s–present)[edit]

The mall now has fewere than two dozen tenants, housed in the strip mall portion. The former Cook's department store was turned into a hardware store called Tractor Supply Company. The former Wieboldt's department store was turned into Ace Hardware.[citation needed] In 2016, a Walmart opened on an out-parcel at the east end of the mall.[17]

Anchors[edit]

Current[edit]

Former[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Advertisement for Meadowdale Shopping Center". Arlington Heights Herald. November 20, 1958. Retrieved November 29, 2023., and advertisements for businesses located in the shopping center appearing between pp. 60-70 in that same newspaper.
  2. ^ "Meadowdale Shopping Center". Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce. January 4, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "1952 Meadowdale Shopping Center Proposal Brochure" (PDF). 1952 Meadowdale Shopping Center Proposal Brochure. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Meadowvale Shopping Center 15 Years Ago" (PDF). Cardunal Free Press (Carpentersville, Illinois)2. February 25, 1972. p. 10. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  5. ^ "Grand Opening for Long-Established Firm". Arlington Heights Herald. November 20, 1958. p. 69. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "New Concept in Shopping Is at Meadowdale Center". Arlington Heights Herald. November 20, 1958. p. 61. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  7. ^ "8th Wieboldt Unit Opens in Meadowdale". Chicago Tribune. November 29, 1959. p. 76. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  8. ^ The Washington Reporter. The Washington Reporter.
  9. ^ "Probe million-dollar fire at Meadowdale". Chicago Tribune. November 20, 1963. p. 29. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Grand Opening Festivities Thursday at Cook's" (PDF). Cardunal Free Press (Carpentersville, Illinois). May 19, 1971. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  11. ^ "1979 Meadowdale Shopping Center Store Directory" (PDF). 1979 Store Directory. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  12. ^ "Spring Hill Mall to Meadowdale Shopping Center". Google Maps. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  13. ^ Nenni, Pete (September 25, 1980). "Snip That Giant Ribbon; Spring Hill's Opening article". Fox Valley Countryside. p. 1. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "It's business as usual despite demolition work". Northwest Herald. June 29, 1989. p. 24. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  15. ^ "Excerpt from Angelfire.com about the Meadowdale Shopping Center demolition". Google Docs. November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "Advertisment for Meadowdale Shopping Center". Northwest Herald. March 31, 1990. p. 70. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  17. ^ "Wal-Mart celebrates grand opening in Carpentersville". Daily Herald. June 22, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2023.

External links[edit]

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