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Spring Hill Mall demolition winds down; now focus turns to rebuilding, possible residential-commercial mix

The Cinemark Theater is the only building that won’t be removed as part of the demolition of the former Spring Hill Mall. While most of the mall property is in West Dundee, roughly 20% is in Carpentersville.

As demolition work nears an end at Spring Hill Mall, West Dundee officials are looking forward to reimagining the property.

Piles of rubble are all that remain of the former mall. Demolition work is expected to be complete by the end of the month. The Cinemark Theater remains open and is not part of the demolition work.

“There’s really a blank slate for the nearly 70 acres in the center of West Dundee, and we’re excited about what the future may bring for that acreage,” Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

Houseal Lavigne, a Chicago-based urban planning firm, is expected to present conceptual designs by the end of the year to help guide the redevelopment.

Most of the site of the former Spring Hill Mall in Carpentersville and West Dundee has been torn down as of October 2025.

The village envisions a mix of residential, retail and entertainment on the mall property and expects to begin actively marketing the property early next year, Village President Chris Nelson said.

A recent study suggests that the 70 acres within the ring road of the mall property and 32 acres adjacent to it could support up to 1,500 residential units and 325,000 square feet of commercial use.

West Dundee began purchasing portions of the mall in 2023, starting with the Sears and Macy’s anchor stores for $2 million and $1.25 million, respectively. In another deal that closed in 2024, the village paid $7 million to buy the core of the mall and the former Carson Pirie Scott store.

Purchasing the mall, which opened in 1980 and closed in March 2024, was necessary to clear the way for redevelopment, West Dundee officials have said.

Although most of the mall site in West Dundee, about 20%, including the former Carson’s and Kohl’s locations, sits in Carpentersville. Earlier this year, Carpentersville officials agreed to buy the Kohl’s store for $2 million.

West Dundee officials initially anticipated that demolition, expected to cost about $3.8 million, would not be complete until the end of November.

“It’s really an important milestone that we’ve met earlier than we anticipated,” Nelson said. “It sets the table for a complete revamp rather than trying to reuse old buildings that were not necessarily useful in 2025 and beyond.”

Though the village is looking forward to reimagining the property, Nelson said officials want to make sure it’s done right.

“We’re certainly aren’t just going to turn it over and do something that could be found anywhere in the suburbs,” he said.

The village is considering using part of the property to build a new police station, though plans have not yet been finalized.

Cavallaro said the village still needs to “unwind some of the spaghetti,” referring to covenants on the property, such as access roads.

Though West Dundee owns some mall property within the Carpentersville village limits, Carpentersville will retain approval over what goes on that property.

“It’s really a new beginning at Spring Hill,” Carpentersville Village President John Skillman said.

Alicia Fabbre Daily Herald Media Group

Alicia Fabbre is a local journalist who contributes to the Daily Herald