The Mall That Faced the Street
The Streets of Woodfield begins with brick columns, large windows, and a curved entry set back from Frontage Road.
The AMC marquee runs low along the overhang, just above the sidewalk where people cross between restaurants and parked cars.
At first glance, the place seems more like a street than a standard mall.
Behind the exterior doors and signs is a layout that began in 1991, back when the site was known as One Schaumburg Place. The old anchors are gone.
The site was redesigned to have stores with outside entrances and separate leases instead of indoor hallways and a shared food court.
However, most people don’t remember the indoor mall because it wasn’t as popular as the current one.
One Schaumburg Place Opens (1991–1997)
The site opened in 1991 as One Schaumburg Place, a two-level enclosed mall located just across from Woodfield Mall.
The developer was Ken Tucker. The space aimed to bring in discount and category retailers rather than traditional department stores.
The original anchor stores were Montgomery Ward, Office Depot, Filene’s Basement, Phar-Mor, and Child World.
Loews Cineplex opened a theater inside the complex, offering first-run films on multiple screens.
Highland Superstore was open until it closed, and Chernin Shoes later took over that space.
There were fewer shoppers than the owners had hoped for from the start.
The building was an enclosed mall like many others, but it was smaller and had more practical stores.
There was no fountain. No large atrium. Most of the stores were set up to face the inside corridors.
Chain stores were in wide, rectangular spaces divided by plain floors in the hallways.
Montgomery Ward was the biggest anchor, and when it closed in 1997, many other leases were not renewed.
Smaller stores closed over time rather than all at once. Child World had already gone out of business nationally.
Phar-Mor was under pressure and closed locations around the same time.
Stores with glass fronts remained empty since new businesses rarely opened in those spaces.
As 1997 ended, walking for exercise had become more common than shopping. Many people in the area had already stopped going there.
Redevelopment as Streets of Woodfield (1997–2000)
McCaffery Interests acquired the property in 1997 and began redesigning it into an open-air retail center.
The old indoor mall was changed to have storefronts that face outside, separate entryways, and parking near the curb.
Internal hallways were taken out and replaced with separate buildings set up along walkable streets.
Construction lasted several years, with most of the original mall torn down and rebuilt from the ground up.
Stores signed leases before the new center was fully open.
Galyan’s opened on October 9, 1998, as the brand’s first Chicago-area location. Restaurant leases filled early outparcels.
Maggiano’s Little Italy and Corner Bakery Café opened in 1997 while redevelopment was still underway.
Carson’s opened in 2000, anchoring one end of the property. The Loews theater was replaced with a new AMC 20-screen complex.
The new marquee was mounted low along the canopy, with illuminated letters visible from the lot.
Every anchor store had its own entrance and was built with two floors.
Restoration Hardware was planned later but not included in this initial phase. The new plan used the same location but changed the type of center.
The property reopened as Streets of Woodfield by 2000, with new sidewalks, updated facades, and large display windows facing outward.
Nothing from the original interior layout was left.
Expansion and Retail Mix (2000–2015)
The updated center’s first anchors included Carson’s, which opened in 2000.
Its brick outside and large sign were in line with the style of nearby stores.
In 2004, Joseph Freed and Associates LLC acquired The Streets of Woodfield. More updates were made after the new owners took over.
The AMC Streets of Woodfield 20 remained the primary entertainment draw, operating in a structure a bit separate from the rest of the retail lineup.
Around this time, the Galyan’s store became Dick’s Sporting Goods following the national acquisition.
In July 2008, the Legoland Discovery Center opened inside a 30,000-square-foot indoor space.
It was the first of its kind in the U.S. The center included interactive exhibits and scaled Lego models and operated year-round.
The Legoland center attracted school groups and visitors from the area, mainly on weekdays and holidays.
Crate & Barrel relocated from Woodfield Mall and opened at Streets of Woodfield in 2010.
Whole Foods Market also joined the site that year, positioned as an outparcel rather than part of the core walkway.
Crate & Barrel and Whole Foods added new grocery and home goods options, bringing in both regular and weekend shoppers.
Turnover, Closures, and New Anchors (2015–2024)
Blackstone Group purchased the Streets of Woodfield in February 2015.
At that point, the center still had long-term tenants such as AMC, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Crate & Barrel, and Carson’s.
On February 1, 2018, The Bon-Ton announced plans to close 42 locations under bankruptcy proceedings.
The Carson’s at Streets of Woodfield was on that list and shut down permanently in April 2018.
The former anchor store space, which had two floors, stayed empty for several months before a new tenant moved in.
Restoration Hardware Outlet moved in by mid-2019, making use of both levels.
GameWorks, which had been at the center since the early 2000s, closed in December 2021.
The closing was due to ongoing financial problems and issues caused by the pandemic at all locations nationwide.
In February 2024, Dave & Buster’s opened in the old GameWorks space after a $7 million renovation.
The new business kept most of the old building, but the inside was changed for newer games and dining areas.
Its entry faces the parking lot with a tall, corner-mounted sign.
Advertisements for the opening went out weeks in advance, and the new location attracted attention from people in the region.
Schaumburg’s 2025 Vision and Property Listing
Early in 2025, Streets of Woodfield was named as a planned redevelopment site in Schaumburg.
A summary published by Van Vlissingen & Co. on April 13 listed the center alongside other regional projects, including 90 North and updated industrial zones.
The site at 601 North Martingale Road was marked as a top priority for updates, reflecting more demand for walkable shopping and mixed-use buildings.
The Streets of Woodfield is still a separate property from Woodfield Mall, but is part of the same retail area.
By mid-2025, ShopCore listed about 40,000 square feet available to lease, including spaces next to the center area and on the second floor.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, AMC, and Restoration Hardware Outlet remain open. Legoland Discovery Center continues to operate with no posted changes.
Public transit through Pace still serves the area, with stops positioned along the outer edge of the property.
There have been no announcements about big construction projects, but new leasing signs were put up on several buildings by spring.
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