Lincoln Mall was a shopping mall in Matteson, Illinois, an inner-ring suburb of Chicago.
Opening anchors were Carson Pirie Scott, Montgomery Ward, Wieboldt’s and JCPenney. The center was built by Randhurst Corp, the same company that built Randhurst Mall and Lakehurst Mall. WIEBOLDT’S QUIT IN THE 80S Walmart and Sam’s Club opened next to the mall in 1991. Sam’s Club closed on January 26, 2018, and Walmart moved to Olympia Fields in 2016. In 1992, Best Buy opened near the mall. That was 2012. The mall was renovated in 1993. Sears opened in 1995 at the former Wieboldt’s. They went bankrupt after closing their business in 1999. JCPenney left Lincoln Mall in 2000. As a result of the loss of two anchors, mall traffic decreased and numerous retailers closed. Lincoln Mall began a $115 million renovation in 2006 to attract new retailers. A multi-screen movie theater and a four-lane road connecting Cicero Avenue and Lincoln Highway were proposed. However, existing outparcels and a section of the mall where Montgomery Ward and JCPenney were demolished. Two new stores debuted in 2007. JCPenney returned in October with a 104,000-square-foot shop, also on an outparcel. Sears began a shop closure sale on May 11, 2012. On June 1, 2012, Lincoln Mall was to be auctioned off by a court. In August 2013, Matteson sought to sue the mall owners, citing safety and building code issues such as exposed electrical wires, faulty sprinklers, obstructed fire exits, a failing roof, and a weakened foundation. With the exception of Carson’s (whose building is owned separately by its parent business), the mall was ordered shuttered permanently by Cook County Judge Thomas Condon on November 11, 2014. As of December, the mall’s operational finances provided by owner Michael Kohan were gone. Kohan paid a court-appointed receiver only $100,000 in 15 months for repairs, maintenance, and staffing, while the remaining tenants were not paying rent to support daily operations. To comply, the mall would have needed to replace multiple entrances and restore electrical and air conditioning systems. Photographer Seph Lawless took photographs of the abandoned mall in late 2016. A Cook County Circuit Judge ordered the mall demolished in February 2017. Debris removal is expected to commence immediately after the judge approves the Village of Matteson’s final demolition expenses. Start date: May 8, 2017. Summer 2017 saw the end of demolition. Target announced its closure on November 7, 2017, as part of a nationwide plan to eliminate 12 shops. It closed in February 2018. As of March 4, 2018, JCPenney was the last remaining tenant at Carson’s Lincoln Mall. The former Carson’s building was demolished in November 2019. The city of Matteson approved a casino by South Suburban Development LLC on January 30, 2020. JCPenney filed for bankruptcy on July 31, 2020, and put 21 locations up for sale, including Lincoln Mall.
