Redeveloped Lincoln Mall WIll Not Include Big Box Stores
Redeveloped Lincoln Mall will not include big box stores
BY WENDELL HUTSON, Contributing Writer
If you’re looking to shop at big box stores like Walmart, you won’t find them at the redeveloped Lincoln Mall in south suburban Matteson once it opens in 2019.
Instead, the 60-acre Market Square Crossing development will have boutique-style stores occupying 160,000 square feet set aside for retail tenants, according to Keith Lord, president of Chicago-based The Lord Companies LLC, which is the project’s developer.
“I envision 50 to 60 retail tenants at Market Square Crossing and we want community-oriented retail that will appeal to residents,” said Lord.
“Big box stores are having trouble all across the United States so for now, we’re not going to go down that road.”
The mixed-use project will include nearly 600 housing units (townhomes and condominiums) built into four-story buildings with commercial use at the ground level. The redevelopment plan will also include an entertainment and sports venue and 30 acres of green space.
Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin said the ‘shovel ready’ project will cost an estimated $250 million to $300 million to complete and will serve as a national model for other mixed use projects around the world.
“Construction is already underway at Market Square Crossing. [This project] will provide upscale, housing units and will bolster the viability of not only Matteson, but also the southland region,” Chalmers-Currin said.
“We know that retail will never be the same as it was years ago. Retail has changed, so we have to change too.”
The Lincoln Mall site is located along Lincoln Highway and Cicero Avenue and near Interstate 57, which makes it an ideal spot to attract those who live and work in the area, added Chalmers- Currin.
Matteson has a population of 20,000 and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), whose district includes Matteson where she also lives, joined Chalmers-Currin at a Dec. 17 news conference to announce the project.
“It’s good to share positive news about the southland and this project is great news,” said Kelly. “As a former employee of the village of Matteson, I know how hard President Chalmers- Currin and her staff had to work to bring this project to fruition and for that I say thank you.”
Other developments underway in Matteson include a Pete’s Fresh Market that’s set to open in 2019; a 75-unit, assisted living facility for
seniors; 306 new homes at the Brookmere complex; and a Sam’s Fulfillment Center, which replaced the shuttered Sam’s Club store.
One business Chalmers-Currin said she is not opposed to bringing to Matteson is a casino.
“Too much money from Illinois is being spent in Indiana because of the casinos there,” said Chalmers-Currin. “I think ultimately, a casino will come to this area even if it’s not in Matteson.”
In 2015, Lincoln Mall closed after years of serving as a ‘cash cow’ for Matteson and now the village is regaining its reputation as a great place to do business, said newly elected state Rep. Debbie Myers-Martin (D-38th Dist).
“Matteson is now an example of how municipalities should monitor and adapt to the ever changing consumer shopping trends,” said Myers- Martin. “ I am impressed by the focus, planning and actions of President Chalmers-Currin and her administration. This is an exciting time for us here in southern Cook County.”
At the end of the day, Chalmers-Currin, a wife and mother, said Matteson is on the rise.
“Matteson is a good place to raise children,” she said. “It is a place where you can live, shop and work.”
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