NEW YORK WHOLESALE

A 60-year-old south suburban shopping mall once a retail magnet is set to be demolished next year and redeveloped into a smaller shopping center, according to the mall’s longtime property manager The Provo Group.

A proposed redevelopment plan calls for the Evergreen Plaza, now known as the Plaza, to be demolished shortly after Jan. 31, 2013 and then rebuilt into a smaller mall. The Plaza, located at 95th Street and Western Avenue in Evergreen Park, is 45 percent vacant and is currently in foreclosure, said Bruce Provo, president of The Provo Group based in Kansas City, Mo. The Provo Group has been a part of the mall’s property management team since 1980.

“As it stands now, leases for all our (retail) tenants expire Jan. 31, 2013, at which point tenants are expected to vacate their spaces pending financing for a redevelopment plan,” Provo told the Crusader. “The only way the mall will not shut down is if the redevelopment plan falls apart and does not get the financing it needs. But if that should happen then what become of the tenants whose leases all expire in the next seven months? Would they really want to extend their lease at a mall whose immediate future is uncertain?”

Carson Pirie Scott & Co. is the anchor tenant at the Plaza, occupying 220,000 square feet and would return if the mall is demolished and rebuilt as expected. The Plaza consists of 750,000 square feet and once rebuilt it would shrink to about 450,000 square feet, according to Provo.

“Carson has a long-term lease and they have made it clear that they plan to live out their lease unless we want to buy them out, which would be too costly,” explained Provo. “Planet Fitness (health club) would also return to the redeveloped mall. Both Carson and Planet Fitness are free-standing stores and have separate entrances for customers to enter besides coming through the mall.”

And the Applebee’s restaurant, which sits at the corner of the Plaza on Western Avenue, would remain open during any redevelopment. GMX Real Estate Group will likely buy the Plaza out of foreclosure, according to Evergreen Park Mayor James Sexton. And RE Solutions is the court-appointed receiver for the property since it is in foreclosure.

 He added that Carson has been paying the same rent since 1962, so the mall is actually subsidizing Carson, and all other stores are paying “below market rent.”

Black shoppers are mixed on the announced closure.

 “It needs to close. There are no good stores there anymore,” said Robert Williams, 56. “I shopped at the Evergreen Plaza when I was a kid and throughout high school and college. Back then there was a movie theater and a variety of name brand stores. Those days are gone.”

Tracy Phillips, 59, worked at Walgreens when it was located at the Plaza during the 1980s.

“My first job was working at Walgreens at the Evergreen Plaza. I remember going downstairs to the food court on my break to hang out with my friends who would come up there all the time to window shop and look at the fellas,” recalled Phillips. “I can remember when there was a game room located on the lower level by the Food Court. Kids used to come to the mall around Christmas to see Santa Clause. Over the years all that began to fade away. I hope once it is rebuilt it brings back those glory days because I still like shopping at the Evergreen Plaza.”

Stores that have left the Plaza include Circuit City, Montgomery Wards, Walgreens, JC Penny, and a movie theater, which Provo said he decided to demolish after customers started complaining about being intimidated by youth who would often frequent the movie theater.

 One contributing factor to the Plaza’s fall from glory was the 2006 arrival of Walmart, which is located across the street from the Plaza. It was Provo who sold the parking lot to Walmart, which it needed to build out its store.

“That space across the street was owned by the Plaza and we sold it to them thinking Walmart would attract more traffic to the area, which it did,” Provo said. “But the traffic we expected to compliment the Plaza ended up going straight to Walmart and that’s the way it’s been since their arrival. If I had to sell them that land all over again, I would make sure that I secured more incentives for the Plaza.”

And despite the tax revenue Provo said the Plaza pays the village of Evergreen Park, “it is not what it used to be,” said Mayor James Sexton. Sexton admits that the once retail magnet the Plaza commanded from 1970 to 1990 is gone and the village no longer sees it as a top revenue source.

Many youth, who Provo said makes up a large part of the retail shoppers in the south suburbs, said they prefer Walmart and other neighboring stores over the Plaza because of better prices and choices.

“There is nothing good sold at the Plaza unless you want to buy some jewelry,” said Omar Brown, 19. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the bulk of their customers are from Men’s Warehouse, the tuxedo place. Other than that I don’t know why anyone would go to the Plaza, maybe except for Carson.”

Shameka Taylor, 17, said she hopes the new and improved Plaza offers more stores that sell stuff for teenagers.

“I am not fat so shopping at Ashley Stewart would not suit me. And I don’t know any teenager that buys shoes from Payless. If the Plaza wants to attract a younger audience then they should think about hiring more young people to work there. That’s who bring the customers inside, not the old folks.”