It's officially the end of an era at Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee.
Demolition on the 45-year-old suburban mall, which closed its doors in 2024, began Thursday. Photos show fencing up across the property, with excavators breaking down huge buildings and walls.
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WATCH HEREThe village of West Dundee bought the mall property for $7 million after previously spending $3.25 million to buy the former Sears and Macy's storefronts. At the time of the mall closure, village leaders in West Dundee said there were plans for a mixed-use development of retail entertainment and residential units, and that developers had already begun reaching out.
“West Dundee is currently in the process of unwinding the spaghetti in terms of the ability of the property to be redeveloped in terms of the existing and underlying agreements and easements, as well as the existing structures," West Dundee Village Manager Joseph Cavallaro said in an emailed statement to NBC Chicago. "The Village’s effort is to provide a clean slate to facilitate the Spring Hill Mall acreage next uses."
According to Cavallaro, the demolition is expected to cost $3.4 million
While 85% of the mall is in West Dundee, the remaining 15%, including the former Kohl's, sits in Carpentersville. Earlier this year, Carpentersville Village Attorney Bradford Stewart announced in a memo an agreement to purchase the former Kohl's for $2 million.
According to the memo, Kohl's preferred to sell the building to Carpentersville after its "unwavering support" for Kohl's to continue operating the store. At the same time, Kohl's turned down West Dundee's offer of more than $2 million to purchase the property.
Several aspirational plans have been proposed for the redevelopment of mall following demolition, though development could take between five and 20 years. One of the plans shows a "scaled-up downtown model," with a new residential neighborhood as well as areas for mixed-use retail, recreation, hospitality and more.
“The mall facilities were constructed 43 years ago and were purpose-built for a retail environment that no longer exists outside of select suburban markets,” Nelson said previously. “More to the point, the buildings are obsolete and will require demolition."
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SIGN UP The demolition is scheduled to be completed by Thanksgiving of 2025, Cavallaro said.
