A Mall Built on Changing Ground
Harlem Irving Plaza wasn’t always a shopping destination. In the early 1950s, the land in Norridge, Illinois, held something entirely different—livestock.
Open fields, grazing animals—this rural landscape seemed far removed from Chicago’s growing commercial hubs.
That changed in 1956 when developers saw potential in the property. The farmland gave way to retail, and Harlem Irving Plaza opened as a 337,000-square-foot strip mall with 45 stores.
Back then, it had everything a suburban shopper could need. Kroger for groceries, Walgreens for prescriptions, Woolworth for anything in between.
Wieboldt’s, a Chicago-based department store, stood as one of the main anchors. W.T. Grant filled another slot, selling clothes and household goods at a discount.
The plaza quickly became a fixture for families moving into the expanding neighborhoods northwest of the city.
A year later, Harlem Irving Plaza joined the International Council of Shopping Centers, a move that signaled long-term ambitions.
By the 1970s, those ambitions turned into major renovations. Between 1975 and 1979, the strip mall was enclosed, a parking garage was built, and the entire space became an indoor shopping experience.
The change mirrored what was happening across the country—shoppers wanted climate-controlled comfort, a place to browse without worrying about Chicago‘s brutal winters.
Department stores came and went. In 1979, Madigan’s moved in. A few years later, Wieboldt’s shut its doors, a casualty of shifting retail trends.
By 1987, MainStreet—a short-lived brand owned by Federated Department Stores—took over.
That didn’t last, either. In 1989, Kohl’s acquired all MainStreet locations, and Carson Pirie Scott moved into the old Wieboldt’s space.
Retail was evolving, and Harlem Irving Plaza was keeping pace.
Bigger, Brighter, Stronger
By the mid-90s, Harlem Irving Plaza had outgrown its original design. Shopping habits were changing, and big-box retailers were booming. To keep up, the mall needed more than new stores—it needed space.
In 1996, the food court arrived. Fast food chains replaced sit-down diners, offering quicker options for shoppers on the move.
Best Buy moved into the old Madigan’s location, tapping into the rising demand for home electronics.
But even that wasn’t enough. By 2001, Best Buy relocated to a standalone spot in the parking lot. The original space? Demolished and turned into another parking garage.
Then came the biggest shift yet—Target. In 2004, the retailer opened a 175,000-square-foot store at the HIP.
The bright red logo marked a new era. This wasn’t just a local shopping center anymore; it was becoming a regional draw.
Anniversaries have become marketing events. For its 50th anniversary in 2006, the mall brought in the original Mouseketeers for a meet-and-greet.
A nod to nostalgia, but also a way to pull in crowds. A decade later, sports legends Bobby Hull, Mike Ditka, and Dick Butkus made appearances for the 60th.
Retail was shifting, but Harlem Irving Plaza kept adjusting. Department stores across the country were starting to fade, yet the HIP continued attracting major brands.
It wasn’t just about holding on—it was about expanding.
Reinvention for a New Era
The 2010s brought new challenges. Shopping malls were losing ground to online retailers, and brick-and-mortar stores were closing fast.
Harlem Irving Plaza had a choice: adapt or decline.
In 2013, an expansion plan aimed to modernize the mall. To keep shoppers engaged, Sports Authority, Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and a fitness center were added.
The strategy worked—until it didn’t. Sports Authority shut down, another casualty of shifting retail trends. By 2017, Nordstrom Rack took over its space, proving that discount luxury still had a market.
Carson Pirie Scott wasn’t as lucky. The longtime department store shut down when its parent company folded.
Instead of trying to replace it with another struggling chain, Harlem Irving Plaza repurposed the space.
The upper-level parking deck transformed into a glass atrium, and a new main entrance gave the mall a fresh look.
The next big move came in 2020. A second-floor expansion added space for two major retailers: Hobby Lobby and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
The timing wasn’t perfect—the project wrapped up just as the retail world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.
But by late 2021, both stores were open, drawing new customers back to the mall.
Harlem Irving Plaza wasn’t just surviving. It was finding ways to stay relevant.
A Retail Experiment in 2024
Retail trends come and go, but Harlem Irving Plaza keeps moving. On October 26, 2024, the mall took another gamble—Toys”R”Us returned.
The 10,000-square-foot store opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shoppers packed the mall, hoping to be among the first 50 guests to snag a swag bag.
Geoffrey the Giraffe posed for photos. Kids got their faces painted. Balloon artists twisted shapes into cartoon characters.
For a few hours, it felt like the 90s again. Shoppers packed the aisles; kids grabbed boxes from shelves, and parents pulled out credit cards.
Toys”R”Us hadn’t had a standalone store in Chicagoland since the company’s collapse.
This new version, tucked inside Harlem Irving Plaza, was a test. Mall owners bet that nostalgia, combined with a hands-on shopping experience, could attract people.
Whether it would last—that was another question.
Crashes, Crime, and the Cost of Staying Open
On November 11, 2024, sirens cut through the usual afternoon bustle. A car had gone off the edge of the parking garage.
Witnesses saw the vehicle flip, landing upside down on the pavement below. Norwood Park firefighters arrived fast, pulling out an elderly woman whose seatbelt had been trapped.
She was conscious—lucky. They took her to the hospital, where she was reported to be in good spirits. The crash left twisted metal and shattered glass on the street, but no one else was hurt.
It wasn’t the only time Harlem Irving Plaza made the news.
March 24, 2024. Three men walked into a jewelry store inside the mall. Within seconds, display cases shattered—glass everywhere.
Shoppers turned at the sound, but the men were already grabbing handfuls of merchandise, stuffing pockets and bags, and running for the exit.
By the time police arrived, they were gone. Surveillance footage captured the scene, but the suspects hadn’t been found.
Security had already been on high alert. In September 2023, a gun went off inside a store.
No one was hurt, but police searched for two people connected to the incident. Another reminder of the challenges that came with running a mall in 2024.
The HIP’s Next Chapter
Over 110 retailers fill the mall, from department stores like Target and Kohl’s to specialty chains like Five Below and DSW.
Best Buy still holds a spot in the parking lot, and Nordstrom Rack keeps its steady flow of discount shoppers.
Food is just as varied. The food spots stay busy, offering fast options like Chipotle, Panera Bread, and Charleys Philly Steaks.
Red Robin brings in sit-down diners. Even XSport Fitness, located inside the mall, helps drive foot traffic—people grabbed smoothies or coffee after workouts, extending their stay.
The retail landscape never stays the same. Harlem Irving Plaza has seen it all: department store collapses, the rise of online shopping, and the fall and return of brands people thought were gone for good.
Yet shoppers keep coming. The mall’s strength isn’t just its size but also its ability to evolve.
When old anchors shut down, new ones take their place. When shopping habits shift, Harlem Irving Plaza finds ways to adapt.
For now, Harlem Irving Plaza remains a destination—a mix of old and new, a place where people still browse, buy, and look for deals.
In an era when so many malls are fading, the HIP is still standing.