SOUTH COMMONS MALL: BOLINGBROOK, IL
Chip Strahl's Commentary
Posted May 3, 2011 (user submitted March 10, 2005)
Across the street from Old Chicago sat the South Commons Mall. This mall looked like it was built aroung the Mid-1970's, probably opened around the time Old Chicago did. We moved to nearby Romeoville in 1984, so I don't know who was originally in the mall. The mall was very small for the Chicagoland area, anchored by K-Mart and Crawfords. I never went to Crawfords, but it looked like a department store nicer than Sears but not as fancy as Marshall Fields.
In the mid-80's South Commons was already near death. The closing of Old Chicago helped with the destruction. The mall itself only has a Radio Shack (in its bright orange glory), Pearle Vision, and a naked furniture store. Crawfords closing around 1988. The mall was sealed soon after. K-Mart stayed around until 1991 when they built a new store at Boughton and Naperville (now Weber) Roads. This started the big box/chain restaurant sprawl cycle on Weber Road the continues today. The new K-Mart closed in 2003 and ironicaly its strip mall is now almost dead.
Menards moved into K-Mart's spot in 1992. A friend who worked there said the backside of the mall was home to a large number of bums and other unsavory people. The front of the mall was an eysore with weeds and trees growing the the numerous cracks the parking lot. When Old Chicago was torn down, it was replaced with an auto auction center. They were using South Commons as an overflow for their cars.
Finally, South Commons Mall, except Menards, was torn down in 1997. Menards built a new store farther north on Hwy. 53 in 2002 and closed the old location. The final remnant of South Commons was torn down in 2003.
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Vince Brown’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2022With Sears closing its doors soon, the days may be numbered for Northgate as well.
Ren Kay’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020a walk through from January, just as sears was closing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgRS8RKanPA
Kaycee Clark’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020Also Mainstreet u.s.a roller rink. Does anyone have photos of the old commons mall, main street u.s.a and or the plitt movie theater?
Kaycee Clark’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020Across the entrance there was the Plitt theater. Loved that place
Wesley Wilkins’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2020Did you make a video of the old South Square Mall? I worked there in 1981 for Fines Mens Shops.
Lawrence Duda’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020Their also was a movie theater in the mall
Mike Harris’ Commentary:
User submittedI was THE FIRST person to enter South Square Mall when it opened in 1975.