Hawthorn Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedHawthorn Mall is a regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, Illinois, combining department stores, specialty retail, dining, entertainment, and redevelopment into a mixed-use destination.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hawthorn Mall is a regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, Illinois, United States. The property was developed as part of New Century Town, a planned suburban community that was intended to include approximately 5,000 condominiums and townhomes. Its development reflected the expansion of suburban retail in the Chicago metropolitan area during the early 1970s, when enclosed malls were being positioned as both shopping destinations and focal points for new residential communities. Construction began in May 1972 under the direction of Urban Investment and Development Company, with Mafco, a Marshall Field's subsidiary, participating in the original joint venture. Development reportedly cost approximately $45 million. The center opened on September 10, 1973, with Marshall Field's, Sears, and fifteen specialty stores as its initial tenants. The mall was initially built without a conventional food court, reflecting the retail and dining formats common at the time. Lord & Taylor joined the tenant mix in August 1975, strengthening the property’s department-store positioning. Hawthorn’s tenant roster changed as the competitive landscape of suburban retail evolved. Lord & Taylor’s space was sold to Carson Pirie Scott in 1990. Barnes & Noble was added during the 1990s, and JCPenney opened in 1997 after the closure of its former location associated with the failing Lakehurst Mall in Waukegan. A Holiday Inn Express opened adjacent to the mall in 1999, extending the property’s relationship with hospitality and destination-oriented uses. Westfield Group acquired the mall in 2002, after which the property was commonly identified as Westfield Hawthorn. The center later added entertainment and restaurant uses intended to broaden its appeal beyond traditional department-store shopping. Dave & Buster’s opened in March 2014, Maggiano’s Little Italy opened in July 2014, and AMC Theatres opened in spring 2015. These additions made the mall more consistent with the modern destination-center model, in which restaurants, cinemas, and interactive entertainment complement retail stores. The property also experienced significant anchor-store contraction. Westfield sold its 80 percent interest in December 2015. Carson’s and Carson’s Furniture Gallery were announced for closure in April 2018 after their parent company entered bankruptcy and ceased operations; the stores closed in August of that year. Sears announced its closure in May 2018, and its building was subsequently demolished. In January 2021, the former Sears and Carson’s structures were removed to make way for a new main-street-style development incorporating apartments and restaurants. This redevelopment represents a shift from the mall’s original department-store-centered format toward a mixed-use environment designed to generate activity throughout more of the day and week. Hawthorn Mall continues to operate as a retail and entertainment destination anchored by JCPenney, Macy’s, Dave & Buster’s, and AMC Theatres, with Barbara’s Bookstore also described as an unofficial anchor after opening in 2019. Its current identity is therefore based less on a fixed collection of traditional department stores and more on a diversified mix of shopping, dining, entertainment, and residential-oriented redevelopment.
History
Hawthorn Mall originated in the early 1970s as a retail component of New Century Town, a planned suburban community in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Urban Investment and Development Company developed the property with Mafco, a subsidiary of Marshall Field's. The project was conceived during a period of rapid suburban growth around Chicago, when enclosed shopping centers served as commercial anchors for newly built residential areas. Construction began in May 1972, and the center was completed at a reported cost of $45 million. The first stores opened on September 10, 1973. The initial lineup consisted of Marshall Field's, Sears, and fifteen specialty shops. The center was known as Hawthorn Center during its early years. Unlike many later malls, it opened without a dedicated food court, although dining and specialty retail were part of its broader tenant strategy. Lord & Taylor opened on August 11, 1975, adding a third major department-store presence. The mall underwent several tenant changes in the late twentieth century. Lord & Taylor sold its store to Carson Pirie Scott in 1990. Barnes & Noble joined the center during the 1990s, and JCPenney opened in 1997 at the north end of the property. The JCPenney store replaced a former location associated with Lakehurst Mall in Waukegan, which was experiencing declining performance. In 1999, a Holiday Inn Express opened outside the mall, adding a nearby hospitality use. Westfield Group acquired Hawthorn in 2002, and the property became widely known as Westfield Hawthorn. During the 2010s, the mall pursued a more diversified tenant model. Dave & Buster's opened on March 26, 2014, and Maggiano's Little Italy opened on July 21 of the same year. AMC Theatres opened in spring 2015 with twelve screens. These additions strengthened the center's entertainment and dining offer and reduced its dependence on conventional department-store traffic. Westfield sold its 80 percent interest in December 2015. The mall later faced the same structural pressures affecting many American shopping centers, including department-store closures and changing consumer habits. In April 2018, Carson's and Carson's Furniture Gallery were announced for closure after their parent company went out of business. The stores closed in August 2018. Sears announced its own closure in May 2018. The former Sears and Carson's buildings were ultimately demolished, with the Sears structure removed in 2021 and the Carson's building demolished as part of the subsequent redevelopment process. The redevelopment plan introduced a main-street-style component with apartments and restaurants, signaling a move toward mixed-use placemaking rather than a purely enclosed retail format. Barbara's Bookstore, which opened in 2019, was described as an unofficial anchor. Hawthorn Mall's continuing tenant base includes JCPenney, Macy's, Dave & Buster's, and AMC Theatres. Macy's occupies the former Marshall Field's role after the Marshall Field's name was converted in 2006. The property therefore combines legacy department-store retail with entertainment, restaurants, books, and residential-oriented redevelopment.
- 2021
Former Sears building demolished
[1]The former Sears and Carson's anchor areas were cleared for a new mixed-use development concept.
- 2019
Barbara's Bookstore opens
[1]Barbara's Bookstore opened and was characterized as an unofficial anchor.
- 2018
Carson's and Sears closures
[1]Carson's closed after its parent company went out of business, while Sears announced the closure of its anchor store.
- 2015
AMC Theatres opens
[1]A twelve-screen AMC cinema opened, adding a major entertainment use.
- 2015
Westfield sells majority interest
[1]Westfield sold its 80 percent interest in the mall.
- 2014
Entertainment and dining expansion
[1]Dave & Buster's and Maggiano's Little Italy opened at the property.
- 2006
Marshall Field's becomes Macy's
[1]The original Marshall Field's anchor was converted to Macy's.
- 2002
Westfield acquisition
[1]Westfield Group acquired the property, which became known as Westfield Hawthorn.
- 1997
JCPenney opens
[1]JCPenney opened on the north side of the mall, replacing its former Lakehurst Mall location.
- 1990
Lord & Taylor space changes hands
[1]Lord & Taylor sold its mall store to Carson Pirie Scott.
Products and positioning
A suburban Chicago regional shopping and entertainment destination that has evolved from a traditional enclosed department-store mall into a diversified, mixed-use center.
Department store · 1997
JCPenney
JCPenney has operated at Hawthorn since 1997 and provides broad department-store merchandise, including apparel, accessories, home products, and related consumer goods. It occupies the north end of the mall and was introduced after the retailer's former Lakehurst Mall location was replaced.
Department store · 2006
Macy's
Macy's is the successor to the original Marshall Field's anchor, following the conversion of the store in 2006. It represents the mall's continuing department-store heritage and offers apparel, accessories, beauty products, home merchandise, and other general retail categories.
Entertainment restaurant · 2014
Dave & Buster's
Dave & Buster's opened at Hawthorn in March 2014. Its combination of arcade games, competitive entertainment, food, and beverages broadened the mall's appeal beyond conventional shopping and contributed to the property's destination-oriented repositioning.
Cinema · 2015
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres opened a twelve-screen cinema at Hawthorn in spring 2015. The cinema functions as a major entertainment anchor and supports evening and weekend traffic for the surrounding retail and restaurant tenants.
Bookstore · 2019
Barbara's Bookstore
Barbara's Bookstore opened at the mall in 2019 and has been described as an unofficial anchor. It adds books and related cultural retail to the center's mix of department stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Mixed-use development · 2021
Main-street mixed-use redevelopment
The redevelopment of the former Sears and Carson's areas introduces a main-street-style environment with apartments and restaurants. It reflects the property's strategic transition from a traditional enclosed mall toward a more integrated retail, dining, entertainment, and residential destination.
Brand decisions
2021
Conversion toward mixed-use redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The closure of major department-store anchors created large vacant buildings and increased the need to reposition the property.
Action taken
The former Sears and Carson's buildings were demolished to make room for a main-street-style development with apartments and restaurants.
Aftermath
The redevelopment shifted part of Hawthorn's identity from an enclosed department-store mall toward a mixed-use community destination.
2015
Sale of Westfield's majority interestM&ABackground
Westfield changed its ownership position in the property after more than a decade of control.
Action taken
Westfield sold its 80 percent interest in Hawthorn Mall.
Aftermath
The transaction left the property under a different ownership structure, although the available reference does not identify the subsequent owner.
2014
Expansion into entertainment and diningStrategyBackground
The mall sought to strengthen its destination appeal as traditional department-store retail became less central to shopping-center performance.
Action taken
Dave & Buster's and Maggiano's Little Italy opened at the property, adding interactive entertainment and full-service dining.
Aftermath
The tenant mix became more diversified and was further reinforced by the opening of AMC Theatres in 2015.
2002
Westfield acquisitionM&ABackground
Hawthorn was acquired by Westfield Group during a period when large property operators were consolidating ownership of regional shopping centers.
Action taken
Westfield Group purchased the mall and operated it under the Westfield Hawthorn name.
Aftermath
The property remained associated with the Westfield portfolio until Westfield sold its 80 percent interest in December 2015.
Sources1 sources
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