Louis Joliet Mall

Louis Joliet Mall is a shopping mall in Joliet, Illinois. Its anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) and a Cinemark movie theater, along with two vacant anchors last occupied by Carson's and Sears. It used to have a TGI Fridays.

History

Louis Joliet Mall opened in 1978 with anchor stores Sears and Marshall Field's. Bergner's and JCPenney were added to the mall in 1979. Homart Development Company, a subsidiary of Sears, financed construction with the structure being designed by Architectonics, Inc. The single story mall featured cathedral ceilings and atriums.[2]

The mall barely escaped destruction in 1990 when the Plainfield Tornado passed within a few hundred yards of the southwest entrance. Some shoppers report seeing nothing but a huge, black wall when they looked to the southwest. In 1991, Circuit City opened outside of the mall. The chain went bankrupt in 2009. It was replaced by hhgregg in 2011.[3] Six years later in 2017, hhgregg filed for bankruptcy as well. It was replaced by Binny's Beverage Depot in the fall of 2018.[4]

In 2000, a Texas Roadhouse restaurant opened in the surrounding area.[5]

Panera Bread opened at the mall in December 2000.[6] Twenty-two years later, on August 30, 2022, the store closed.[7]

A Hooters restaurant would officially open outside the mall in 2006.[8]

The Marshall Field's store was officially renamed Macy's on September 9, 2006.[9]

Cinemark officially opened at the mall on May 8, 2009.[10]

Tilted Kilt opened in 2011, but closed in early 2017.[11] On October 29, 2019, Cajun Boil & Bar opened in its former spot.[12] A little over three years later, the space is vacant again after Cajun Boil & Bar shut down on February 7, 2023.[13]

H&M and Pandora opened in December 2014.[14]

In 2015, Sears Holdings spun off 235 of its properties, including the Sears at Louis Joliet Mall, into Seritage Growth Properties.[15]

On February 16, 2017, MC Sports announced that all 66 stores would be closing.[16] That same year, a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel was built outside of the mall.[17]

On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Carson's would close as the parent, Bon-Ton Stores, was going out of business. The store closed on August 29, 2018.[18] On August 2, 2018, it was announced that the Senior Services of Will County might move into the former Bernger-Weise/Carson's space.[19]

On October 15, 2018, it was announced that Sears would also be closing as part of a plan to close 142 stores nationwide. The store closed on January 6th, 2019 which left JCPenney, Macy's, and Cinemark as the only anchor stores left.[20]

In February 2023, BrandX.com owned Carson's reopened.

In July 2023, the mall was sold to Namdar Realty Group for $31 million.[21]

On December 23, 2024, the TGI Fridays closed.[22]

In May 2025, Joliet Mayor Terry D'Arcy talked about revitalizing the Louis Joliet Mall corridor. This includes adding housing and places like a VNA clinic on Jefferson, St, a new Starbucks, a Burlington, and a proposed Jack in the Box.[23]

A Tru by Hilton hotel opened in the surrounding area in June 2025.[24]

Bus route

Pace: 507 Plainfield[25]

See also

External links