Illinois Star Centre

Defunct shopping mall in Marion, Illinois

Illinois Star Centre

Entrance to Illinois Centre Mall, May 2012

Location| Marion, Illinois, United States
Coordinates| 37°44′55″N 88°58′35″W﻿ / ﻿37.74850°N 88.97652°W﻿ / 37.74850; -88.97652
Address| 3000 W. DeYoung St.
Opening date| 1991
Closing date| 2018
Developer| Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
Owner| Roc Enterprises, LLC
No. of stores and services| 29
No. of anchor tenants| 3 (2 open, 1 vacant)
Total retail floor area| 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2)[1]
No. of floors| 1
Public transit access|  RMTD

Illinois Star Centre, formerly Illinois Centre Mall, was a shopping mall in Marion, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1991, it used to feature more than 60 stores. Its anchor stores include Dillard's and Target, with Target being the busiest. Previously there was a Sears anchor store, however it was closed in April 2018.[2] Many of the mall's tenant stores have closed, with not a single store remaining in the food court.[3]

## History

[edit]

At the time that Illinois Centre Mall was being built, nearby Carbondale, Illinois already had a shopping mall, the University Mall. Because of its proximity, retail analysts predicted that competition between the two cities' retail sectors would "get pretty cut-throat".[4] Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation developed the mall,[5] whose initial anchor stores were Dillard's, Target, Phar-Mor and Sears, which relocated from University Mall.[6] Illinois Centre Mall opened in 1990, resulting in the closure of the Sears at University Mall. University Mall sued Illinois Centre Mall's developers over the use of a state financing program to relocate the store, although the suit was later dismissed.[7]

Sears and Phar-Mor opened for business in July 1991,[8] followed by Dillard's and the mall itself in September, and Target in October.[9] Phar-Mor closed in 1993.[10] It later became a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association office and then a radio-controlled car racing center in 2004.[11] DeBartolo sold the mall to local developers in 1996. Despite attracting other businesses to the area, the mall struggled with occupancy for most of its history, although new owners boosted it to 60% occupancy by 2000.[12]

Red Lobster opened in the surrounding area on July 6, 1992.[13] An eight-screen Kerasotes movie theater then opened next to the mall on December 1, 1993. It would be later sold to AMC Theatres.[14]

In March 2002, an O'Charley's restaurant officially opened in the parking lot.[15] The Home Depot opened west of Sears later that year on November 6, 2002.[16]

On September 20, 2006, Walmart Supercenter opened outside the mall east of Dillard's.[17]

Sabre ISC acquired the mall in 2011 via purchase of delinquent tax certificates and renamed it Illinois Star Centre.[18] In March 2015, the Southern Illinoisan reported that three of the mall's owners were imprisoned on various counts, and that leasing agents were unresponsive on inquiries about the mall, which has become increasingly vacant and lacking in maintenance. Also complicating the mall's future is the fact that the parking lot and anchor stores are owned by different companies than the mall itself.[19] The taxes were then purchased from the county trustee by Roc Enterprises, LLC.[18] On May 4, 2017 the mall's ownership team declared bankruptcy[20] after previously offering the property at auction but failing to attract a buyer.[21]

On January 4, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 103 stores nationwide. The store closed in April 2018.[2] On January 13, 2018 it was announced that Joe's Records would be closing its mall location by January 31, 2018 in order to move to a more visible location[22] at 1301 Enterprise Way in Marion.[23] The GameStop store was closed in April 2018.

On November 16, 2018, it was reported that the Illinois Centre Mall would cease operations in the next 30 days. However, anchor stores Target and Dillard's will remain open.[24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Leasing". ilstarcentremall.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
2. ^ a b "Marion Sears; West Frankfort, Mount Vernon Kmart stores to close". The Southern. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
3. ^ "Businesses continue to move out of mall in Marion, Illinois". WPSD Local 6 - Your News, Weather, & Sports Authority. October 5, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
4. ^ Davenport, Paula (October 11, 1990). "Retail Space, Competition For Customers Boom". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
5. ^ "Construction under way at Marion; firms hired for work at Carbondale". The Southeast Missourian. April 15, 1990. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
6. ^ Knol, Ann Schottman (November 2, 1988). "Carbondale Sears store plans move to Marion". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 6B. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
7. ^ Davenport, Paula M. (October 11, 1990). "Retail space, competition for customers boom". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1I. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
8. ^ Davenport, Paula (September 30, 1991). "CENTRE STAGE: Mall Set For Grand Opening". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
9. ^ "Mall opening". The Southeast Missourian. September 29, 1991. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
10. ^ "Phar-mor to close store in Marion mall". The Southeast Missourian. February 24, 1993. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
11. ^ Homan, John D. (May 2, 2004). "SMALL-SCALE SPEED: HERRIN MAN'S HOBBY IS NOW FULL-TIME JOB". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
12. ^ Binder, Karen (December 4, 2000). "MORE STORES MEAN MORE SHOPPERS AT ILLINOIS CENTRE MALL". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
13. ^ "Red Lobster opens Marion restaurant". Southern Illinoisan.
14. ^ "8-screen movie theater coming to Illinois Centre". Southern Illinoisan.
15. ^ "O'Charley's manager says Marion move a good one". Southern Illinoisan.
16. ^ "Home improvement giant opens its doors in Marion". Southern Illinoisan.
17. ^ "Marion's gigantic Wal-Mart opens today". Southern Illinoisan.
18. ^ a b Parker, Molly. "Rochman family purchases back taxes on Marion mall, Grand Tower power plant". The Southern. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
19. ^ Parker, Molly (March 8, 2015). "What happened to the mall in Marion?". The Southern. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
20. ^ Eidlin, Barb. "Illinois Star Centre Mall owners declare bankruptcy". The Southern. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
21. ^ Parker, Molly. "High bidder backs out of buying Illinois Star Centre Mall in Marion". The Southern. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
22. ^ Smith, Isaac. "Joe's Records to move out of Illinois Star Centre mall to new location in Marion, change name". The Southern. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
23. ^ HOMAN, BY JOHN D. (January 13, 2018). "Joe's Records to relocate from Marion mall". The Daily Republican. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
24. ^ Manley, Emily (November 17, 2018). "Less than a month for Marion mall tenants". Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.

* v
* t
* e

Shopping malls in Illinois

Cook County|

| Chicago|

* 108 North State Street
* 900 North Michigan
* Chinatown Square
* Ford City Mall
* Harper Court
* Navy Pier
* Roosevelt Collection Shops
* The Shops at North Bridge
* Shops at the Mart
* Six Corners
* Water Tower Place

|

Elsewhere|

* The Arboretum of South Barrington
* Arlington Town Square
* Burr Ridge Village Center
* Chicago Ridge Mall
* Edens Plaza
* Fashion Outlets of Chicago
* Golf Mill Shopping Center
* Harlem Irving Plaza
* Lincolnwood Town Center
* North Riverside Park Mall
* Northbrook Court
* Oak Mill Plaza
* Orland Park Place
* Orland Square Mall
* Plaza del Lago
* Randhurst Village
* River Oaks Center
* The Streets of Woodfield
* Westfield Old Orchard
* Woodfield Mall
* Town & Country Center

DuPage County|

* Fox Valley Mall
* The Grove of Downers Grove
* International Mall
* North Park Plaza
* Oakbrook Center
* Town Square Wheaton
* Westridge Court
* Yorktown Center

Kane County|

* Algonquin Commons
* Chicago Premium Outlets
* Galleria Center
* Geneva Commons

Lake County|

* Belvidere Discount Mall
* Deer Park Town Center
* Deerbrook Mall
* Deerfield Square
* Gurnee Mills
* Hawthorn Mall
* Lincolnshire Commons
* Market Square
* The Quentin Collection
* Renaissance Place

Will County|

* Louis Joliet Mall
* Naperville Crossings
* The Promenade Bolingbrook

Rockford area|

* Cherryvale Mall
* Lincoln Mall (Freeport)
* Machesney Park Mall
* North Towne Mall

Peoria area|

* East Court Village
* Northwoods Mall
* The Shoppes at Grand Prairie

Champaign–Urbana area|

* Market Place Shopping Center
* Urbana-Lincoln Hotel-Lincoln Square Mall
* Village Mall

Bloomington–Normal area|

* Eastland Mall
* The Shoppes at College Hills

East St. Louis area|

* Alton Square Mall
* St. Clair Square

Elsewhere|

* Cross County Mall
* Hickory Point Mall
* Northfield Square
* Northland Mall
* Peru Mall
* Quincy Town Center
* SouthPark Mall
* Times Square Mall
* University Mall
* White Oaks Mall

Defunct|

* 1800 N. Clybourn
* Brementown Mall
* The Brickyard
* Charlestowne Mall
* Chicago Place
* Crystal Point Mall
* Dixie Square Mall
* Hillside Shopping Center
* Huntley Outlet Center
* Illinois Star Centre
* James R. Thompson Center
* Lakehurst Mall
* Lincoln Mall (Matteson)
* North Pier
* Old Chicago
* Park Forest Plaza
* Piano Factory Outlet Mall
* The Plaza
* Sandburg Mall
* South Commons Mall
* Spring Hill Mall
* St. Charles Mall
* Stratford Square Mall

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