The Brickyard

The Brickyard, also known as The Brickyard Mall, is a shopping center in the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The property occupies land associated with the former Carey Brick Company brickyard and is also connected with the site of a former ski resort. Its name reflects that industrial history. Because the property was developed across a prominent hill, its retail areas were divided into separate sections rather than forming one completely uniform site. The center began opening in 1977. Its first phase was a convenience-oriented retail section organized around a Jewel supermarket and a Kmart discount store, with the two stores positioned on either side of a strip-style shopping area. A second phase opened in 1979 as an enclosed mall containing approximately 100 stores. That phase included Montgomery Ward and J. C. Penney as anchor tenants. Carson Pirie Scott was considered as another anchor, but Maisel and Associates did not secure a lease with the department-store chain. The original development did not use all of the former brickyard property. In 1983, the City of Chicago obtained a $10 million grant to demolish remaining unused portions of the site and sell the cleared land to Maisel and Associates for potential expansion. The property changed hands in December 1986, when MetLife acquired the mall. At that time, the center was reported to be 99 percent leased. An adjacent development, Bricktown Square, was also established immediately south of The Brickyard, adding tenants such as Toys "R" Us, Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Sport Mart, and a six-screen Plitt Theatres cinema. The mall later faced the same structural pressures affecting many traditional American shopping centers. In 1997, its Kmart became the first Kmart location in the Chicago area to receive the retailer's Big Kmart format, including a small grocery section. This modernization did not prevent a subsequent decline in occupancy. Kmart and Montgomery Ward entered bankruptcy proceedings, and J. C. Penney closed its location. By 2003, nearly 80 percent of the mall was vacant. Chicago's city council approved a redevelopment plan valued at $100 million in 2003. The plan replaced the aging enclosed mall with an open-air strip-center format anchored by Target and Lowe's, while relocating the Jewel supermarket within the broader property. Whitehall Fund carried out the redevelopment. In 2004, Whitehall sold the redeveloped center to Inland Real Estate, while the Target and Lowe's properties were sold separately to those respective retailers. The Brickyard is identified as being owned and managed by CBRE Group. Its current identity is therefore that of a neighborhood-oriented shopping center built around grocery, mass retail, home improvement, apparel, and other everyday services rather than a conventional enclosed regional mall.

The Brickyard was developed on Chicago land formerly associated with the Carey Brick Company. The site also had a connection to a former ski resort, and its hilly terrain influenced the way the retail complex was laid out. Maisel and Associates, a real-estate company based in Southfield, Michigan, worked with Chicago developer Harry Chaddick after research indicated demand for a shopping mall in the city's northwest side. The development opened in stages. In 1977, the initial convenience-center section began operating with a Jewel supermarket and a Kmart discount store flanking a strip-shopping area. In 1979, the second phase opened as an enclosed mall of about 100 stores. Montgomery Ward and J. C. Penney served as its principal department-store anchors. The developers also explored bringing Carson Pirie Scott to the project, but no lease was completed. Unused sections of the former brickyard remained on the property after the initial construction. In 1983, Chicago obtained a $10 million grant to clear the remaining industrial remnants and sell the land to Maisel and Associates for possible mall expansion. MetLife acquired The Brickyard in December 1986. Contemporary reporting described the mall as 99 percent leased at the time of that transaction. A separate but related retail center, Bricktown Square, began developing directly south of the mall. Its tenants included Toys "R" Us, Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Sport Mart, and a six-screen cinema operated by Plitt Theatres. The center attempted to respond to changing retail conditions. In 1997, its Kmart became the first Chicago-area store in the chain to receive the Big Kmart format, which added a limited grocery component. The improvement was not enough to offset wider problems. The bankruptcies of Kmart and Montgomery Ward, together with the closure of J. C. Penney, reduced the mall's tenant base. By 2003, almost four-fifths of the original mall was vacant. That year, Chicago's city council approved a $100 million redevelopment program. The enclosed structure was demolished and replaced with an open-air strip-center design. Target and Lowe's were selected as major anchors, and the Jewel supermarket was relocated as part of the new configuration. Whitehall Fund undertook the redevelopment and sold the resulting center in 2004 to Inland Real Estate. The Target and Lowe's portions were excluded from that sale and transferred to the respective retail chains. The Brickyard is now associated with CBRE Group as owner and manager. Its current format emphasizes practical, high-frequency shopping and large-format retail rather than the department-store-centered enclosed mall model that defined its first period.

• 2004

  Redeveloped center changes ownership

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Whitehall Fund sells the redeveloped center to Inland Real Estate, excluding the Target and Lowe's properties.

• 2003

  Open-air redevelopment approved

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The city approves a $100 million project to replace the largely vacant enclosed mall with an open-air retail center.

• 1997

  Big Kmart conversion

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The Kmart location becomes the first in the Chicago area to adopt the Big Kmart format.

• 1986

  MetLife acquisition

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  MetLife purchases The Brickyard in December when the mall is reported to be 99 percent leased.

• 1983

  Industrial remnants targeted for clearance

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  Chicago secures a $10 million grant to demolish unused portions of the former brickyard and make the land available for future development.

• 1979

  Enclosed mall phase opens

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  A roughly 100-store enclosed mall opens with Montgomery Ward and J. C. Penney as principal anchors.

• 1977

  First phase opens

  [1]The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org

  The initial convenience-center section opens with Jewel, Kmart, and strip retail space.

A neighborhood-oriented, open-air shopping center serving northwest Chicago with grocery, discount, mass-market, home-improvement, and off-price retail anchors.

• Supermarket · 1977

  Jewel

  Jewel has been part of The Brickyard's retail mix since the original 1977 convenience-center phase. In the redevelopment, the supermarket was relocated within the property, preserving a grocery anchor and supporting the center's neighborhood-service role.

• Mass merchandise · 2003

  Target

  Target was introduced as a principal anchor in the 2003 redevelopment that replaced the enclosed mall. Its broad general-merchandise assortment helped reposition The Brickyard around large-format, convenience-oriented shopping.

• Off-price apparel and home goods

  Marshalls

  Marshalls is identified as one of the center's current anchor stores. It contributes off-price apparel, accessories, and home merchandise to the property's tenant mix.

• Home improvement · 2003

  Lowe's

  Lowe's was added as a major anchor through the 2003 open-air redevelopment. The home-improvement retailer broadened the center's role beyond conventional mall shopping and was separately sold to Lowe's in 2004.

• 2003

  Replace the enclosed mall with an open-air centerStrategy

  Background

  The original mall experienced severe tenant losses following the bankruptcies of Kmart and Montgomery Ward and the closure of J. C. Penney. By 2003, nearly 80 percent of the property was vacant.

  Action taken

  Chicago approved a $100 million redevelopment plan involving demolition of the enclosed structure, construction of a strip-center format, addition of Target and Lowe's, and relocation of Jewel.

  Aftermath

  Whitehall Fund completed the redevelopment, and the resulting center was sold in 2004 to Inland Real Estate, with the Target and Lowe's properties transferred separately to those retailers.

  Redevelopment plan value. $100,000,000 (2003)

  Source

1. 1The Brickyard (shopping mall)en.wikipedia.org