Lincolnwood Town Center
In December 2025, the Village of Lincolnwood was notified of the sale of Lincolnwood Town Center to a local development group affiliated with Prairie Ridge Development and Xroads Real Estate Advisors. Xroads Real Estate Advisors is a Chicago-based real estate company. The former owner of the property was an out-of-state entity that purchased Lincolnwood Town Center property as part of a bundle deal in 2021.
With a new property owner, the Village anticipates a series of improvements to the Lincolnwood Town Center property in the future. While the Village has not received any specific development plans, this webpage intends to provide interested parties with background information and updates regarding the Lincolnwood Town Center (LTC) property.
In 1988, two retail development companies, Hawthorn Realty Group and Melvin Simon & Associates, approached the Village of Lincolnwood to construct an indoor shopping center with two anchors and nearly 90 retail spaces and kiosks that hosted a variety of businesses. The original anchors were Carson Pirie Scott and Madigan’s.
Original Site Plan for Lincolnwood Town Center
The indoor shopping center was constructed as part of a larger, approved Planned Unit Development (PUD), governing the development and operation of the shopping center and several surrounding parcels. This PUD has been amended several times to help the shopping center and the surrounding uses evolve. The Planned Unit Development zoning is still in place.
As of January 2026, the vacancy rate of Lincolnwood Town Center is well over 50%. In late 2025, Harlem Furniture closed all four of their Chicagoland stores including the one located in Lincolnwood Town Center. Other recent businesses that left Lincolnwood Town Center include Express, Torrid, Häagen-Dazs, and Scrubs Boutique and More. With one anchor and a few other tenants left, the 35-year-old property has witnessed several years of increasing vacancy and a decrease in customer traffic.
Knowing that the Lincolnwood Town Center has been experiencing vacancy and deferred maintenance, the Village took a proactive role in helping shape the desired future of this property by hiring Houseal Lavigne to create a vision for this property. This vision-setting exercise included a public planning process and resulted in the Lincolnwood Town Center Concept Plan, which was adopted by the Lincolnwood Village Board in 2022.
Highlights from the Lincolnwood Town Center Concept Plan include:
- The economic impact of Lincolnwood Town Center for the last 30+ years has benefitted the Village and the region with jobs, community-benefitting sales tax revenue, and a retail and restaurant experience that attracted visitors from outside Lincolnwood. The Plan calls for new development to deliver similar revenue streams and prioritize retail, dining, and entertainment, with some supporting uses allowed through proper planning.
- With high regional household income and dense surrounding communities, redevelopment proposals must include strong tax-generating businesses.
- Developers must demonstrate that redevelopment increases municipal revenue and diversifies the Village’s tax base. Creating a mix of uses for an appealing live-work environment is key to this diversification.
- Multiple land use concepts show openness to retaining some existing businesses.
- The Village will consider financial incentives if proven necessary and approved by the Village Board.
- Phased development is encouraged due to the property’s size and complexity; breaking it into manageable lots is ideal.
We understand that the Lincolnwood Town Center property has been part of our community for more than a generation and many stakeholders have questions regarding the future of the mall property. While we do not have specific plans from the new owner, we do have some answers to frequently asked questions about the property. Those questions with the corresponding information are found below.
- I am a current mall tenant, does the Village have any news to share regarding the future of LTC?
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The Village encourages mall tenants to work with the new mall owner to figure out timing and next steps with the mall. We are not aware of the new mall owner having a ‘closing date’ for Lincolnwood Town Center, but if we do have news to share, we will place it on this website.
- If the mall is closed by the new owner, what can the Village do to keep the mall open?
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The Lincolnwood Town Center mall has been a treasured place for our residents and the region; however, it is a private-property and it has been declining for several years. If the new owner chooses to close the mall, then they are allowed to do so on their own accord. Should there be any news shared with the Village about the mall closing, we will place it on this website.
- I am a current mall tenant, and I want to remain in the area, where should I go to help find me a new space?
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Staff in Community Development can assist Lincolnwood businesses in finding new space within the Village. If there is interest in relocating a business within Lincolnwood, please call 847-745-4710.
- If there are plans to redevelop the mall, then will those plans be made public at some point in the future?
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Yes, any new development will require a public hearing process and approval from the Village Board. All notice requirements for the public hearings will be made so that public input can be obtained during the approval process.
- If the mall property is getting redeveloped, then what will be replacing the mall?
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At this time, the Village has not received any redevelopment plans from the new mall property owner. However, the redevelopment plans presented at future meetings will have information on the proposed uses (e.g. retail, restaurants, etc.).
- If the mall is getting redeveloped, then what is that anticipated timeline?
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The Village has not received any timeline from the new mall owner, but when there is news received we will place it on this website.
- Who can I contact if I have additional questions or comments regarding the future of Lincolnwood Town Center?
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Please contact Community Development Director Patrick Ainsworth at 847-745-4710 or email painsworth@lwd.org.