Gurnee Mills is preparing for a busy holiday season with the opening of several new stores, but some mall renovations scheduled to be completed by Black Friday have now been pushed back to early next year.
It's been nearly six months since Gurnee Mills representatives presented $5 million worth of renovations to the Gurnee Village Board including new restrooms and entrances and upgraded food courts
The three-year plan was expected to get underway this fall starting with the renovation of three of the mall's busiest restrooms.
"The sad news is we'll have to delay the restrooms until the beginning of next year," said Randy Ebertowski, Gurnee Mills General Manager.
Ebertowski said the architectural plans are "top quality" but it's now too late in the year to get through the village permitting process and have the work completed by Thanksgiving as originally intended.
Plans call for two of the three restrooms to be converted into family restrooms with a doorless entry and baby changing station. Each renovated restroom will also feature granite countertops, graffiti-proof paint, a purse and package shelf in each stall, and hands-free faucets, soap dispensers and dryers. The cost is expected to be about $1.4 million.
Roads fixed
The good news, said Ebertowski, is that nearly $1 million in road resurfacing is scheduled to be completed by November. Asphalt paving of the "outer ring road" from Gurnee Mills Circle East to Stearns School Road is now underway.
This is the third year of the mall's multi-year plan to repave its roads and parking lots, said Ebertowski.
"Each year we've spent about $1 million. We have a few more years to go."
Next year, Gurnee Mills will renovate Entrances A, E, F and J with new lighting, signage and landscaping at a cost of about $1.8 million. Ebertowski said the outdated agricultural theme will be history.
For its final Phase 3, set to begin in 2012, the mall will make $1.6 million worth of interior and exterior renovations including new food court flooring and fixtures, new directional signage and parking lot signs, and a new pile-on sign for I-94.
In April, Ebertowski told the village board these renovations have been long overdue even before the Simon Property Group bought the property from the Mills Corporation in 2007, and that they have been playing catch up in areas where the former owners fell short.
More stores
The Simon Property Group, said Ebertowski, is committed to reinvesting in the mall and continues to welcome new stores.
New stores
This year saw the addition of the 11,000 square foot women's apparel store A'GACI, aerie by American Eagle, Stride Rite Outlet, Toys R Us, Wetzels Pretzels and Kenneth Cole. Additionally, open-air farmers market "What's in Season" opened in the mall parking lot last month.
A temporary Halloween store is also open where Circuit City used to be. The space will next be used to sell Christmas decorations.
Cinnabon is coming soon to the Dine-O-Rama food court. A Build-A-Bear workshop is also expected to be open later this month.
Gurnee Mills is anticipating a successful holiday shopping season, said Ebertowski.
"National reports are projecting a 3 percent increase in retail sales. Our goal is to beat that."
"We feel strongly that our new retailers will draw new interest and we will have a solid holiday season."
For more information about Gurnee Mills call (847) 263-7500 or visit http://www.gurneemills.com/.
SOURCE: Lake Villa Review by ANGELA D. SYKORA
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