Hawthorn Mall announces development partners for luxury ‘Hawthorn 2.0’ apartments

VERNON HILLS – Hawthorn Mall, a regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, recently announced it has partnered with Focus and Atlantic Residential to build a mixed-use project with 303 luxury apartments and 55,000 square feet of retail space on the property’s former Sears site.

The news marked a significant step forward in the center’s plans for Hawthorn 2.0, a transformation of the shopping center that will create a mixed-use development combining retail, dining and entertainment with contemporary residential living.

“Together, Centennial and Hawthorn Mall have big plans for revitalizing this center,” said Steven Levin, CEO of Centennial, the mall’s owner. “Last year, we completed the addition of the center’s vibrant Center Park environment that turned its Center Court into an indoor park-like setting with incredible aesthetic appeal. And today, we’re stepping up to bat and committing hundreds of millions of dollars to this community’s future.”

After an agreement is reached on proposed TIF incentives, the center will begin the first phase of the Hawthorn 2.0 redevelopment, which will include the addition of hundreds of amenity-filled luxury apartments, 55,000 square feet of retail space, a new mall entry, an open-air plaza designed for community gatherings and events, and the creation of several new outparcels along Milwaukee Avenue.

The luxury apartments, best-suited to young professionals and empty nesters, will include amenities such as high-end interior finishes and appliances, a full-service concierge, a luxury pool and spa area, and a fitness center with personal training options. The luxury apartments are expected to be completed and opened by August 2022, with all first-phase construction finished by the end of 2022.

“Before we begin a project like this, we take the time to fully understand how residents and shoppers will individually engage with the property when our work is done” said Tim Anderson, CEO of Focus. “It’s easy to build something new, but it’s so much more important to build something impactful. This residential complex will be the cornerstone of Hawthorn 2.0, combining both form and function in an exciting and innovative way.”

“At Hawthorn Mall, we’re reimagining what the future of retail and residential living looks like when they are seamlessly and masterfully intertwined,” said Richard Aaronson, CEO and founding partner of Atlantic Residential. “The luxury apartments at Hawthorn Mall will be a place people love to call home, a community they never want to leave, and the industry standard for future live-work-play projects.”

The center will showcase its redevelopment plans and progress in Hawthorn Mall’s transformation suite on the upper level of the mall near Center Park. The transformation suite is open to the public and will serve as an information hub for consumers, as well as current and prospective tenants, throughout the center’s redevelopment.