Hawthorn Mall begins build-out of luxury apartments, new street-level retail

VERNON HILLS – With the demolition of the former Sears building complete, Hawthorn Mall is forging ahead with plans for a complete transformation of the property, including the addition of 311 luxury apartments and an open-air Main Street-style retail center.

This summer, Focus and Atlantic Residential, the center’s development partners, will begin construction of The Domaine, the new luxury apartments, and Hawthorn Row, a street-level retail, dining and public gathering space.

“As we begin construction on The Domaine and Hawthorn Row, Centennial is proudly living up to its word in terms of timing and investment in the redevelopment effort and creating something that is uniquely tailored to the Vernon Hills community,” said Steven Levin, founder and CEO of Centennial, the real estate investment firm that owns and operates Hawthorn Mall. “And as Hawthorn Mall’s transformation from a suburban shopping center to a sophisticated mixed-use development gets underway, we want everyone to know that this is just the beginning with so much more to come.”

Construction on Hawthorn Row and The Domaine will begin this month, creating the foundation for the center’s mixed-use development.

The 47,000-square-foot Hawthorn Row will be the ground level for the luxury apartments and will include retail stores expected to open in time for the 2022 holiday season, a variety of outdoor dining options and a pedestrian-friendly pocket park where guests can work or relax with friends.

The Domaine project is expected to be completed in early 2023. The luxury apartments will be opened in phases beginning in the third quarter of 2022.

“The significant changes coming to Hawthorn Mall will create an unrivaled live-work-play environment that delivers the absolute best in mixed-use design,” said Tim Anderson, CEO of Focus. “We’re proud to be a part of this creative effort and excited to get the work ahead of us underway.”

“As we begin work on Hawthorn Mall’s new luxury apartments and its new outdoor retail, dining and entertainment plaza, we are reimagining what the future of retail and residential living can be and turning that vision into a wonderful brand-new reality,” said Richard Aaronson, CEO and founding partner of Atlantic Residential. “We’re building more than new structures at Hawthorn Mall. We’re building a bridge between the past and the future that will showcase the best of what a master-planned development can be.”

The shopping center will showcase the comprehensive redevelopment plans and progress in Hawthorn Mall’s Transformation Suite, located 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.