Harlem Irving Plaza; Norridge, Illinois
One of the oldest malls in the Chicagoland area, Harlem Irving Plaza (also known as ‘the HIP’) is also one of the last independently-owned and operated regional centers in the entire country. During its 5+ decades in existence, Harlem Irving Plaza has gone through only minor changes yet it remains extremely viable today, serving a densely populated area of inner-ring northwest suburbs and a large portion of the city of Chicago.
Harlem Irving Plaza is located in the small island-suburb of Norridge. Norridge, and neighboring Harwood Heights, are small incorporated communities completely surrounded by the city of Chicago, on Chicago’s far northwest side near O’Hare Airport. Both Norridge and Harwood Heights were incorporated in 1948 as a measure to protect these areas from becoming the city of Chicago, which was quickly encroaching and about to annex these areas for itself.
Most of the development in Norridge took place following incorporation, in the 1950s through the 1970s. A major development in Norridge occurred with the opening of Harlem Irving Plaza in 1956. Aptly named, Harlem Irving Plaza sits on the corner of a major intersection - N. Harlem Avenue (Route 43) and Irving Park Road (Route 19). When the Plaza opened, it was not enclosed and consisted of 45 stores anchored by W.T. Grant, Kroger, Walgreens, Wieboldts, and Woolworth. Not much changed at the Plaza between the mid-50s and the mid-70s as Norridge filled in and became almost completely built out.
In 1975, as part of a larger nationwide trend of enclosing large, outdoor plazas into climate-controlled malls, the Plaza’s owners embarked on a four-year project to enclose the mall and, in the process, add a large parking deck. The bulk of this structure is what is seen today at the site, and in 1979 Madigan’s was added as an anchor store. In 1987, MainStreet, a short-lived subsidiary of the Federated chain, opened a discount department store on the north end of the mall; this location became Kohls in 1988 when Kohls bought the MainStreet chain. Also in 1987-88, Carson’s replaced the Wieboldt’s as Wieboldt’s went out of business.
The 1990s to the present have been a period of continued success for the enclosed center, with a few readjustments. In 1996, a food court opened near the southern end of the mall, and Best Buy replaced Madigan’s. In 2001, the center was modified again with Best Buy relocating to the parking lot and a parking structure was built on the Best Buy site. In 2004, a popular Target located at the north end of the mall near the food court.
Some of the design elements make Harlem Irving Plaza very similar to other urban malls with smaller footprints like Queens Center in New York City. For one, the footprint of the center doesn’t allow for an expansive parking lot, so there are two free vertical structures to park in. Interestingly, the parking structures are above the mall and one can enter the mall from above at several spots from the parking structure. Also, the way Carson’s is situated at the mall allows the main corridor to go around it before it turns again and ends at Kohls. In the main corridor in front of Carson’s there isn’t enough space for full-size stores so a series of booths are set up along this length for retailers, and they’re all full.
The demographics at Harlem Irving Center are also more characteristic of an urban center, rather than a far-flung suburban mall. Because the mall is one of the closest malls to the entire northwest side of the city of Chicago, much of the clientele are recent immigrants and first-generation Americans, many of whom are of Latin-American and Eastern European heritage. The mall is also close enough to more traditional, yet older, suburbs like Niles, Park Ridge, Des Plaines, and Schiller Park, but it’s not really clear that they shop here as well.
Take a look at the photos of Harlem Irving Plaza and its vicinity, taken in Spring 2008.
And just for fun and perspective, here’s a strip mall across the street from the top of the Harlem Irving parking structure. You can kind of see the downtown skylne if you look closely:
Steven Swain
June 26th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I’ve never seen Carson Pirie Scott refer to itself as “Carson’s” on a sign before. It’s usually “Carson Pirie Scott” or “Carson Pirie Scott & Co.” Not to mention the surviving ’80s logo on the Carson’s store itself. That’s pretty wild.
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Prange Way
June 26th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I’m pretty sure the Streets of Woodfield Carson’s is signed that way too, possibly due to lack of space?
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Matt from CLT
June 27th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Whoa, what’s up with that funky “kmart” logo across the street? Never have seen that one before…
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Matt from WI
June 27th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
That’s Kmart’s current logo.
The HIP is one of my favorite malls in the Chicagoland area. Mostly because it has a mix of the old vintage style of malls, the 2004 remodel adding bits of contemporary style. Admittedly it feels a bit more creepy when you get down towards that area where Kohl’s is, as it’s not as lively as the end towards the food court / Target anchor.
I didn’t realize I forgot to go out to this mall this past Spring when I was down for that annual anime/manga convention. Not until I got home. Which kind of stunk because I always make note to stop here. The only thing done to that Carson’s signage (along with the signage at the North Riverside Mall location) was having the six-point hexagon symbol added in 1991 when Bergners and Carson’s merged. That marger also netted Boston Store’s use of the logo starting in 1992.
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Chip
June 27th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
There are a few others malls that Carson’s haven’t updated, Orland Square to name one. While the Bergner’s Hexa-flower is a simple elegent design. I think the old Herbergers’ Rose would be much cooler!
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ghome
June 28th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Harlem Irving Plaza looks like a good mall with good middle class stores. I went to the website of the owners of Irving Plaza (Harlem Irving Companies); The mall will soon have a expansion. According to the website, the mall will have 130,000 ft of new store space. Hopefully the mall will look more modern. I think some skylights will brighten up the mall more and will look great.
Here is the link to the owners website with the details,
http://www.harlemirving.com/expansion.html
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Matt from WI
June 29th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Expansion? How so? This mall’s literally landlocked. Harlem Ave on the east, Irving and Forest Preserve Rd. on the south, plus streets butting the west and north sides of the building.
I’ll have to go look at their site and see what they’re planning.
Either way, things are only looking up then for The HIP. It’s already survived (and thrived) over 50 years of business. The expansion will just assure it continues to thrive. Since I make it a regular stop on my yearly trek to Chicagoland, I’ll definitly be keeping tabs on this like I did with Yorktown Center’s lifestyle expansion (which, by the way, looks pretty neat. They blended the original mall and the expansion in seamlessly. Even has a bowling alley inside now).
Also I like this mall how it appears as it does now. I like the more ’subdued’ skylight style….windows around the perimeter rather than right on the roof. It allows natural light in, but in a diffused manner, so as to not be so blinding when you’re going from darker concourses into a large court area.
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Mike
June 29th, 2008 at 9:35 am
That KMart looks as if it was an old Venture store…
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Matt from WI
June 29th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Went and looked at their press release on their website.
That expansion will all but really open up the Kohl’s end of the mall, which I put forth in my first post as being a bit creepy.
Like I said, I’ll keep a watch on this one.
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SEAN
June 30th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I also saw the press release, checked out the development pipeline of projects as well. What an interesting development company , on the residential side.
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Jonah Norason
June 30th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Matt: Perhaps HIP can add an additional level on top of the existing mall.
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Mike (Norridge)
July 1st, 2008 at 12:27 am
It was a Venture.
The mall is expanding into an unused parking lot and a LaSalle Bank’s property.
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Allan M.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:53 am
Thanks for profiling this mall, Prange Way. I’ve been to this mall before, and always thought this mall was interesting, though also strange since it isn’t 2 stories like many other malls are(but has a large enough 1-story footprint to make up for that). Haven’t been here real recently though, since a friend told me about small changes done to this mall, such as close the arcade inside this mall, and add a Panda Express. Do hope though I can revisit here soon enough, since I’m in this area every once in a while.
Mike is right about this mall is soon going to expand north towards a parking lot and a LaSalle Bank building, since I recall reading that recently in one of the Chicago newspapers. I’d also be interested in knowing which Carson’s still have the older 1970s/80s(?) signage on them, since this is one of the few locations I can recall seeing it on(besides the former Lakehurst Mall location).
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Allan M.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Should also add I remember when Walgreens anchored this mall, but not when Woolworth, W.T. Grant’s, Kroger, and Wieboldt’s anchored this mall. I was also slightly surprised to hear Kroger once anchored this mall, since the only stores they operate in the Chicago area anymore are a couple Food 4 Less stores that exist in suburban Chicago. Wieboldt’s, not so much, since they used to have dept. stores all over the Chicago area. (and evidenced by their wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieboldt’s )
As for Steven Swain’s question, the only time I see Carson Pirie Scott go by the Carson’s name is on their radio and TV ads. In addition, most people(including myself) call the store Carson’s for short, otherwise it still goes by the name Carson Pirie Scott.
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Rich
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Kroger departed Chicago around 1970, but had been there sicne at least the 30s. Dominick’s bought their stores through two purchases; the latter one included the Northlake distribution center. Dominick’s bought about 70 stores, altogether, which was about 1/3 the number that Jewel or National had in the Chicago area at that time. One of the very last Chicago Kroger’s to open was on Broadway in Lakeview (it burned a few years ago, but had had a long life as a Dominick’s). Kroger did not make much of an investment in the Chicago area during the 60s and had only one or two SuperX drug stores (Super X stores accompanied most of their 1960s remodels or new builds). It would have been more typeical to find a Jewel and a National in a 1950s shopping center.
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Nathan Bush
July 5th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I saw this mall and I want to visit it. !!! It was nice to see a modernized Kmart (wish they would remodel a few here in Iowa…naming the University Ave. location in Clive (Des Moines suburb) for an example). I know the malls here in Des Moines are nice, but there is soooooo much empty space downtown (well not as much as exaggerated) but if anyone is familiar with The Plaza Downtown area on Locust (and I think it’s 6th or 5th Av maybe?) and it’s nice on the outside but when you go in there’s nothing….barely anyways…it’s not to be a mall per se but there are spaces available and would be awesome to throw a few in there. FedEx Kinko’s occupies a space with both a mall and store entrance…and this plaza connects to the city’s skywalk system, which would increase traffic in the latter area. Starbucks would make a great addition…especially in the night hours. Sorry i’m rambling this was supposed to be about Chicago right lol?
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anonymous
July 7th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
In reference to the style of the Carson’s sign, the location at Ford City is the same kind of sign.
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Lisa J.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Wow, I have not been to the HIP in years. I spent my last 2 years of school living in the area. I did work in the HIP for a bit also.
Swiss Colony was my 2nd job & I loved working in the mall. So convenient to be able to blow my while paycheck when on break!
I distinctly remember Madigans and Woolworths. I wonder if the deli is still there? They had the best pickles.
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Jayne
January 7th, 2009 at 12:25 am
The deli is gone, Madigans was replaced by some stores (Limited/Express), the indoor walkway to Best Buy, and the parking lot between the mall and BB.
This mall is still thriving, and the expansion will only make it better.
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