Oakbrook Center

History

Oakbrook Center, which was originally to be named Oakbrook Terrace (but the name was changed when a town near the mall took that name), opened in 1962 with Sears and Marshall Field's, as well as a Jewel Food Store. Bonwit Teller was later added, as was Lord & Taylor in 1973. I. Magnin, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus joined the center in a 1981-1982 expansion that doubled the physical size of the center with a new southeast court.

On Christmas Day 1964, a single-screen movie theater operated by Balaban & Katz Corporation was opened at the Oakbrook Center near Saks Fifth Avenue. On its twenty-third year of operation in 1987, the single screen theater was split into four screens when Cineplex Odeon Corporation took it over. Cineplex Odeon also added another four screens, topped by additional retail (including a bookstore), near the Saks Fifth Avenue anchor; these screens closed in 2001 and then reopened in 2018. Bonwit Teller closed their location in 1990, while I. Magnin was shuttered in January 1991, with its former site subdivided in 1994 for specialty stores, including Eddie Bauer and Tiffany & Company. In 1991, a new two-story, open-air addition opened northeast of Sears. Built on top of a parking garage, it added 210,000 sqft of mall retail and a 220,000 sqft Nordstrom which opened on April 5 that same year. Maggiano's Little Italy opened that same year. Corner Bakery Cafe opened to customers on December 3, 1992. In 1998, Wildfire Restaurant opened.

The Rouse Company acquired the majority of Urban Retail Properties/Rodamco North America's assets, including Oakbrook Center, in May 2002 following a joint venture with Simon Property Group and Westfield Group.

Saks Fifth Avenue closed its store in 2002 and sold the location to Federated Department Stores, which used the site to open a 90,000-square-foot, three-story Bloomingdale's Home store on September 12, 2003. Cheesecake Factory opened in August 2004. Marshall Field's adopted the Macy's name on September 8, 2006, with Macy's buying the parent company. On November 12, 2008, Barnes & Noble opened. A year later, in 2009, American Apparel (which closed in 2017) opened. In 2010, Gibson's Bar and Steakhouse opened across the street from the mall. Pandora opened its doors in 2011.

Pinstripes opened as a stand-alone location in the mall parking lot in 2012. In November 2013, Perry's Steakhouse opened in the former basement level of Neiman Marcus.

On January 4, 2012, Bloomingdale's announced that it would shutter its Oakbrook Home store by March of the year. Two years later in 2014, that structure was reconstructed to feature six inline tenants: The Container Store on the first level; Lululemon Athletica, Tommy Bahama, Hugo Boss, and Aritzia on the second level.

In August 2014, Le Méridien opened a 172 guest-room hotel in a former Renaissance Hotel, which was originally a Stouffer Hotel. This is their first in the state of Illinois.

On October 13, 2016, AMC Theatres opened a new 12-screen cinema in a remodeled section of the Nordstrom wing; this remodeling also included a new food hall named "The District."

On June 20, 2017, Sears announced that its Oakbrook Center outpost would be reconstructed to feature additional stores. It shuttered in September 2017 and reopened on October 5, 2018, in a smaller new store format on the first level of the mall. Ballard Designs and L.L. Bean, opened in the center in Fall 2018.

In February 2018, Lord & Taylor announced they would close their anchor store.

On April 22, 2019, it was announced Sears would close its reduced anchor store.

Puttshack opened on November 3, 2021.

In September 2021, a three-story Restoration Hardware store opened, featuring a restaurant and winery on its top floor.

By 2023, after the government lockdown, Oakbrook Center had announced several new additions, among them Joss & Main.

Shooting

On December 23, 2021, a shooting was reported at the mall at 5:44pm CST. The incident was apparently a shootout between two individuals. One of the shooters was struck four times, and was treated and taken into custody; the other shooter escaped capture. Three bystanders were struck in the incident. All persons involved had non-life-threatening injuries. The mall re-opened the following day.

Anchors

Current

• Neiman Marcus — Opened in 1982
• Nordstrom — Opened in 1991
• Macy's — Opened in 2006

Former

• Marshall Field's — Opened in 1962, converted to Macy's in 2006
• Sears — Opened in 1962, closed in 2019
• Bonwit Teller — Opened in 1962, Closed in 1990
• Lord & Taylor — Opened in 1973, closed in 2019
• Saks Fifth Avenue — Opened in 1982, closed in 2002, replaced by Bloomingdale's Home Store
• I. Magnin — Opened in 1982, closed in 1991
• Bloomingdale's Home Store — Opened in 2003, closed in 2012

Transportation

Most mall visitors arrive via personal vehicles and park on-site.

Three Pace bus routes offer public transportation to the mall:

• 301 Roosevelt Road
• 322 Cermak Road/22nd Street
• 332 River Road/York Road

References

References

1. "Oakbrook Center".
2. "Richard Marsh Bennett (1907-1996)".
3. "Oakbrook Center". [[Brookfield Properties]].
4. "Largest Shopping Malls in the United States (2006)". American Studies at [[Eastern Connecticut State University]].
5. Thomas, Lauren. (29 January 2018). "America's 10 most valuable malls are bringing in billions in sales. Here's where they are".
6. "Oakbrook Center Stores, Directory & Map {{!}} Oakbrook Center".
7. Fieldman, Chuck. (2023-05-16). "Wayfair's Joss & Main opening on Thursday in Oakbrook Center".
8. Ziemba, Stanley. (18 April 1990). "NORDSTROM TO OPEN STORE IN OAK BROOK".
9. (15 October 2020). "Oakbrook Center Wildfire restaurant laying off 35 employees".
10. Groover, Joel. (January 14, 2002). "Simon, Rouse and Westfield to buy Rodamco's North American assets for $5.3 billion".
11. Service, Staff reports GateHouse News. "Barnes & Noble to open in Oakbrook Center".
12. (26 May 2010). "Opening Soon: Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse Oakbrook Location".
13. (4 October 2012). "Pinstripes Celebrates Grand Opening in Oak Brook".
14. (11 November 2013). "Now Open: Perry's Steakhouse & Grille's First Chicago-Area Location".
15. (5 January 2012). "Oak Brook Bloomingdale's Set To Close - NBC Chicago".
16. (August 4, 2014). "Le Meridien Debuts in Chicago with Opening of Le Meridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center". [[Business Wire]].
17. (14 October 2016). "Oakbrook Center joins luxury movie theaters market".
18. Zumbach, Lauren. (20 June 2017). "Sears temporarily closing Oakbrook Center store". [[Chicago Tribune]].
19. Fieldman, Chuck. (5 October 2018). "Jaclyn Smith, 300 shoppers come out for Sears reopening at Oakbrook Center".
20. Zumbach, Lauren. (February 26, 2018). "Lord & Taylor closing at Oakbrook Center". [[Chicago Tribune]].
21. Fieldman, Chuck. (22 April 2019). "Sears closing Oakbrook Center store Sunday; liquidation under way".
22. (8 February 2021). "Champs Sports opens first Community Store in Oakbrook Center".
23. "Puttshack Announces November Opening Date for Its Second U.S. Venue at Oakbrook Center".
24. "Upscale home furnishings store RH opens in Oak Brook".
25. "Oak Brook mall shooting: Police searching for suspected shooter after 4 shot inside Oakbrook Center".
26. "301 - Roosevelt Road | Pace Suburban Bus".
27. "Pace Bus - Route 322".
28. "332 - River Road – York Road | Pace Suburban Bus".