Illinois Star Centre

Illinois Star Centre was a regional shopping mall in Marion, Illinois. It opened under the name Illinois Centre Mall in the early 1990s and was developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation as a major retail destination for southern Illinois. Its initial anchor lineup included Dillard's, Target, Phar-Mor, and Sears, with Sears relocating from University Mall in nearby Carbondale. The project was intended to capture retail demand from Marion and surrounding communities, but its arrival created direct competition with Carbondale's established University Mall. Contemporary retail observers expected the competition between the two cities to be intense. The mall's opening occurred in stages. Sears and Phar-Mor began operating in July 1991, Dillard's and the enclosed mall followed in September, and Target opened in October. Sources differ on whether the overall project should be dated to 1990 or 1991, reflecting the distinction between construction or opening activity and the commencement of individual anchor operations. Phar-Mor closed in 1993. Its former space was subsequently used for a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association office and, later, a radio-controlled car racing facility. The surrounding commercial district expanded during the 1990s and 2000s. A Red Lobster opened nearby in 1992, an eight-screen Kerasotes cinema opened next to the mall in 1993 and was later sold to AMC Theatres, and O'Charley's opened in the parking area in 2002. Home Depot opened west of Sears in November 2002, while a Walmart Supercenter opened east of Dillard's in September 2006. These additions made the wider area an important retail and services cluster even as the enclosed mall itself had difficulty maintaining a full tenant roster. The original developer sold the property to local developers in 1996. Although later owners reported improved occupancy of about 60 percent by 2000, the mall struggled with vacancies through much of its history. Ownership and property control were also fragmented: the enclosed mall, parking lot, and anchor properties were held by different entities, complicating maintenance, leasing, and redevelopment. Sabre ISC acquired the mall in 2011 through the purchase of delinquent tax certificates and changed its name to Illinois Star Centre. By the mid-2010s, the property had become increasingly vacant and visibly under-maintained. Reporting in 2015 also described serious legal and operational problems involving members of the ownership group and difficulty reaching leasing representatives. The ownership team filed for bankruptcy in May 2017 after an earlier attempt to sell the property at auction failed to attract a buyer. Sears announced in January 2018 that its Illinois Star Centre store would close as part of a nationwide reduction, and the store shut in April. Other tenants, including Joe's Records and GameStop, also left in 2018. In November 2018, reports stated that the enclosed mall would cease operations within 30 days, although Target and Dillard's remained open as separate anchor businesses. Marion Center Project LLC purchased the property in 2020 with plans for redevelopment. In 2025, the Marion City Council approved $150 million in STAR bonds for Oasis Outdoors, a proposed project that included redevelopment of the former Illinois Star Centre site. Thus, the property transitioned from an enclosed shopping mall into a redevelopment asset, while some former anchor functions continued independently.

Illinois Star Centre began as Illinois Centre Mall, a major enclosed-shopping-mall project for Marion, Illinois, developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. The project was built in a market already served by University Mall in nearby Carbondale. Retail analysts anticipated strong competition between the two communities. A particularly contentious element was the relocation of Sears from University Mall to the new Marion development. University Mall sued the developers over the use of a state financing program connected with the relocation, but the case was ultimately dismissed. The mall's opening chronology is reported somewhat inconsistently. The project is commonly described as opening in 1991, while historical accounts also identify 1990 as the year in which the mall opened or began operations. Individual anchor openings provide the clearest timeline: Sears and Phar-Mor opened in July 1991, Dillard's and the mall followed in September, and Target opened in October. The initial anchor configuration gave the center a broad retail proposition, combining department stores, discount merchandise, and pharmacy-led discount retailing. Phar-Mor closed in 1993, and its space was later repurposed as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association office and then as a radio-controlled car racing center. The retail district surrounding the mall developed rapidly. Red Lobster opened nearby in July 1992. An eight-screen Kerasotes movie theater opened beside the mall in December 1993 and was later sold to AMC Theatres. O'Charley's opened in the parking area in March 2002, Home Depot opened west of Sears in November of that year, and Walmart Supercenter opened east of Dillard's in September 2006. These projects expanded the area's destination-shopping role, but they did not eliminate the enclosed center's persistent occupancy problems. DeBartolo sold the mall to local developers in 1996. Later owners reportedly raised occupancy to roughly 60 percent by 2000, but the center continued to struggle with vacancies. The property's ownership structure was complicated because the mall building, parking lot, and anchor stores were not all controlled by the same companies. This separation made it more difficult to coordinate leasing, maintenance, and long-term planning. In 2011, Sabre ISC obtained the mall through delinquent tax certificates and renamed it Illinois Star Centre. The property deteriorated further during the 2010s. A 2015 report described a center with many empty spaces, inadequate maintenance, and leasing contacts who were difficult to reach. The report also noted that three members of the ownership group had been imprisoned on various charges. The ownership team filed for bankruptcy on May 4, 2017, following an unsuccessful attempt to auction the property. Retail departures accelerated in 2018. Sears announced its closure in January and shut its store in April. Joe's Records planned to leave the mall for a more visible Marion location by the end of January, and GameStop also closed its Star Centre store in April. In November 2018, reports indicated that the enclosed mall would stop operating within 30 days. This did not mean every business at the site immediately disappeared: Target and Dillard's, functioning as anchor stores with separate ownership or operating arrangements, remained open. The distinction between the enclosed mall and its surviving anchors became central to the property's later identity. Marion Center Project LLC purchased the property in 2020 and proposed redevelopment. In 2025, the Marion City Council approved $150 million in STAR bonds for Oasis Outdoors, a planned development that included the former Illinois Star Centre site. The property's history therefore reflects the rise and decline of a traditional regional mall, the increasing importance of freestanding big-box and restaurant uses, and a continuing effort to convert an underoccupied enclosed center into a new mixed or outdoor-oriented commercial destination.

• 2025

  Oasis Outdoors receives STAR bond approval

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Marion City Council approved $150 million in STAR bonds for a project that includes redevelopment of the former Illinois Star Centre site.

• 2020

  Property acquired for redevelopment

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Marion Center Project LLC purchased the former mall property and announced redevelopment plans.

• 2018

  Sears closes and enclosed mall operations end

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Sears closed in April, and reports later that year stated that the enclosed mall would cease operations, while Target and Dillard's remained open.

• 2017

  Ownership team enters bankruptcy

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The ownership team filed for bankruptcy after an attempted sale by auction did not attract a buyer.

• 2011

  Sabre ISC acquires and renames the property

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Sabre ISC acquired the mall through delinquent tax certificates and renamed it Illinois Star Centre.

• 2006

  Walmart Supercenter opens nearby

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A Walmart Supercenter opened east of Dillard's, adding another major retail destination to the surrounding area.

• 2002

  Home Depot and O'Charley's join the surrounding district

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  O'Charley's opened in the parking area in March, and Home Depot opened west of Sears in November.

• 1996

  DeBartolo sells the mall

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The original developer sold Illinois Centre Mall to local developers.

• 1993

  Phar-Mor closes

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The original Phar-Mor anchor ceased operations and its space was later reused for office and recreational purposes.

• 1991

  Initial anchor stores launch

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Sears and Phar-Mor opened in July, Dillard's and the mall opened in September, and Target began operations in October.

• 1990

  Illinois Centre Mall project opens or begins operations

  [1]Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Historical accounts identify 1990 as an opening-related date, although other accounts date the mall's public opening and anchor launches to 1991.

A regional enclosed shopping mall serving Marion and the wider southern Illinois market, supported by department-store anchors and surrounding big-box, restaurant, and entertainment development.

• Shopping center · 1991

  Enclosed mall retail space

  The mall's principal offering was leased enclosed retail space arranged around common interior circulation areas. At its height, the center housed more than 60 stores, combining department stores, specialty shops, services, and food-court tenants. The enclosed retail operation ended in 2018 after prolonged vacancy and declining tenant participation.

• Department stores · 1991

  Department-store anchors

  Dillard's and Target were the principal surviving anchors associated with Illinois Star Centre. They provided apparel, home goods, general merchandise, and other high-volume retail categories that helped draw customers to the wider commercial district. Sears was also an original anchor but closed in April 2018.

• Discount pharmacy retail · 1991

  Former Phar-Mor anchor

  Phar-Mor was one of the original anchors and contributed discount general merchandise and pharmacy retailing to the mall's opening tenant mix. It closed in 1993. The space subsequently moved outside the mall's original retail role, first serving as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association office and later as a radio-controlled car racing center.

• Restaurants and entertainment · 1992

  Food and entertainment amenities

  The mall's broader customer proposition was supported by nearby restaurants and entertainment facilities rather than only in-line retail. Red Lobster, O'Charley's, and an eight-screen cinema operated in the surrounding area. By the mall's decline, the food court reportedly had no remaining vendors, illustrating the loss of supporting services inside the enclosed center.

• 2015

  Ownership and property-condition controversy

  Reporting described an increasingly vacant and poorly maintained mall, difficulty contacting leasing representatives, fragmented control of the mall and its surrounding assets, and imprisonment of three members of the ownership group on various charges.

  Source

Read more

• 2025

  Approve Oasis Outdoors redevelopment financingStrategy

  Background

  Marion sought a new use for the former enclosed mall property after its retail operation ended.

  Action taken

  The Marion City Council approved $150 million in STAR bonds for Oasis Outdoors, a project incorporating redevelopment of the former Illinois Star Centre site.

  Aftermath

  The approval established a publicly supported framework for transforming the former mall property, although the supplied material does not establish the project's completion.

  Approved STAR bond amount. $150 million approved (2025)

  Source

• 2020

  Pursue redevelopment of the former mallStrategy

  Background

  The enclosed mall had ceased operating, but the site retained redevelopment potential within Marion's broader retail district.

  Action taken

  Marion Center Project LLC purchased the property and proposed redevelopment plans.

  Aftermath

  The site became part of a longer-term conversion effort, later connected with the Oasis Outdoors proposal.

  Source

• 2018

  End enclosed-mall operationsStrategy

  Background

  Vacancies increased after the Sears closure and other tenant departures, leaving the enclosed center with a severely reduced tenant base.

  Action taken

  The operator announced that the enclosed mall would cease operations within 30 days, while Target and Dillard's continued as separate anchor businesses.

  Aftermath

  Illinois Star Centre became a largely inactive former mall property rather than a functioning enclosed shopping center.

  Source

• 2011

  Acquire the mall through delinquent tax certificatesM&A

  Background

  The property had a history of occupancy and ownership difficulties.

  Action taken

  Sabre ISC acquired the mall through delinquent tax certificates and changed its name from Illinois Centre Mall to Illinois Star Centre.

  Aftermath

  The renamed mall continued to lose tenants and faced increasing maintenance, leasing, and ownership problems.

  Source

• 1991

  Launch a regional mall in competition with University MallStrategy

  Background

  Marion's project was developed near an existing regional mall in Carbondale, creating direct competition for retail spending in southern Illinois.

  Action taken

  The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation developed a mall anchored by Dillard's, Target, Phar-Mor, and Sears, including Sears's relocation from University Mall.

  Aftermath

  The project attracted additional restaurants, entertainment, and big-box retailers to the area, but the enclosed mall later experienced long-term occupancy problems.

  Source

1. 1Illinois Star Centreen.wikipedia.org