Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Spokesman says new investors have been looking at the property.
A group of California investors who purchased Charlestowne Mall for $9.5 million in 2010 are entertaining potential buyers for the facility, although the mall is not officially on the market, the Kane County Chronicle reported Saturday. A spokesman told the Chronicle that the owners have been approached by “multiple investor groups” that have shown interest in the property, which has languished in the years since it opened in 1991. The decline has some wondering whether or not the mall should be torn down. That was at least one option residents were asked to consider during an August 2012 “visioning” session that was part of the process for drafting the city’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan, which is under review by the St. Charles Plan …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Residents gathered in St. Charles City Hall on Thursday night to brainstorm ideas for the East Side mall — both with and without the retail development.
Can Charlestowne Mall be retrofitted and restored to its former glory, or should the entire site be redeveloped into something new? Those were the scenarios oresented Thursday night as about 48 people turned out to the St. Charles City Council Chambers to consider — or vision — the future of the mall area on the city’s East Side. Many ideas flowed freely during the meeting — representatives of Houseal Lavigne Associates, the consultants who recently spearheaded Geneva's downtown master plan, told attendees to “think big” — yet for all the different faces and ideas floating around the room there seemed to be some common threads, particularly in terms of the types of businesses residents said should be recruited into the area. What was …
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Charlestowne 18 Theatres
3740 E Main St, St Charles, IL
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997109
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Visioning Workshop is slated for 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the St. Charles City Council Chambers.
Do you have any ideas about what could be done for the Charlestowne Mall and the surrounding area? City officials want to know. Residents, property owners, and members of the business community are encouraged to participate in a visioning workshop for the Charlestowne Mall and surrounding area starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, in the St. Charles City Council Chambers, 2 E. Main St. Officials plan to take input from this workshop to draft a key focus area plan for the East Gateway area, as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which is under development now. Anyone also can share their thoughts through the project website at www.stcharlesil.gov and click on the “Comprehensive Plan” badge at the bottom of the page. For more information, …
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Public workshop set for Aug. 9. Genevans welcomed.
St. Charles officials are seeking public input on the future of Charlestowne Mall and the surrounding business district. On Aug. 9 residents and business leaders are asked to participate in a 7 p.m. workshop to craft a plan for the future of Charlestowne Mall and the east gateway business district. The workshop will include group sessions to review and discuss the community’s vision for the future of the mall and the surrounding commercial area. Input from this workshop will be used to draft a Key Focus Area Plan for the larger East Gateway area. Geneva residents are welcome. In a blog post last fall, City Administrator Brian Townsend said establishing a business district "is an opportunity to provide incentives for redevelopment and …
Friday, July 6, 2012
Slight gains in business seen as Charlestowne Mall and surrounding areas continue to struggle with the economy.
Despite the sluggish national economy, St. Charles officials reported a slight gain of eight newly opened businesses versus business that have closed since April. According to a list of provided by Michael Mertes, economic development coordinator for St. Charles, 26 new businesses opened shop in the city since April 1. However, that number is tempered by 18 businesses that shut down operations in the same time frame. Four of those businesses had homes in Charlestowne Mall, which is down to a low of about 12 businesses out of the 120 retail spaces in the mall. The mall is a source of concern for city officials as they discuss what to do with the property. The eastern side of town is also being studied for the possibility of establishing a …
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Some council members suggest looking at the mall property as an empty canvas.
St. Charles officials criticized a market report outlining the issues facing a stagnant Charlestowne Mall, complaining the information presented contained no new information. “I haven’t learned anything I didn’t know already,” Alderman Jim Martin complained to John Melaniphy, president of Melaniphy and Associates, the company contracted for the $24,750 market study in April. “You’re telling me we need new owners? Whoopee, we already knew that.” Martin quipped he was hoping for a recommendation of “blowing up” the mall, which has approximately 100 empty stores, according to Melaniphy’s report. Likewise Alderman Cliff Carrignan said he was disappointed in the report because he was hoping it would contain information they did not already know…
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Charlestowne 18 Theatres
3740 E Main St, St Charles, IL
/articles/charlestowne-mall-report-disappoints-st-charles-council-members
997109
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Development Nearby: St. Charles officials will pay a consultant to look at what other possible uses there are for the East Main Street property.
St. Charles officials appear to be growing more impatient as promises from owners to rehab the Charlestowne Mall go unfulfilled. On Monday, a City Council committee approved funding for a study that will look at the retail market for the mall area and possibly find suitable alternative uses that the aging shopping center property. The market study and examination, which is expected to cost a total of $35,000, is needed to determine if the City Council has options when it comes to the property and what those are, Mayor Don DeWitte told the committee Monday. The owner, a California-based investment group, has been “inactive” in fulfilling on promises made regarding updating and remodeling what has become a “very distressed piece of property…
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3740 E Main St, St Charles, IL
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
Crain's Chicago Business reports on troubles the struggling mall is facing.
While a Crane's Chicago Business story lauds the success of the Geneva Commons shopping center, its focus is the "polarizing market" and the challenges facing nearby Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles. Some of the issues the Charlestowne Mall need to overcome are of its own doing, according to Crain's March 12 article headlined, "Suburban malls lose shoppers as market polarizes." The article also includes an interesting chart showing the suburbs' best-performing and worst-performing malls. Top performers were Oakbrook Center, Northbrook Court, Water Tower Place, Shops at Northbridge, Woodfield Mall, and 900 North Michigan shops. Bottom performers were North Riverside Park Mall, Stratford Square Mall, Hawthorne Shopping Mall, Evergreen Plaza …
Monday, March 12, 2012
The St. Charles mall has great plans for the future, but remains at 20 percent occupancy.
“We haven’t heard a hammer yet.” That comment from The Limited manager Sarah Suchor basically sums up the renovation status of Charlestowne Mall. While hopes remain high for the struggling shopping venue that lost several more tenants within the last few months, mall Marketing Director Jeffrey Renkert said plans are still on track. “It’s going to happen,” Renkert said. “These things take a lot of time. Permits still have not been issued. That means they’re still planning and in preliminary stages.” Renkert is referring to the ice skating rink and sushi buffet, both of which were announced last fall and were scheduled to open this spring. “An ice rink isn’t just a mom and pop store that’s going to open in an empty space,” he said. Still, …
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Charlestowne still has great plans for the future, but nothing seems to be getting off the ground just yet.
“We haven’t heard a hammer yet.” That comment from The Limited manager Sarah Suchor basically sums up the renovation status of Charlestowne Mall. While hopes remain high for the struggling shopping venue that lost several more tenants within the last few months, mall Marketing Director Jeffrey Renkert said plans are still on track. “It’s gonna happen,” Renkert said. “These things take a lot of time. Permits still have not been issued. That means they’re still planning and in preliminary stages.” Renkert is referring to the ice skating rink and sushi buffet, both of which were announced last fall and were scheduled to open this spring. “An ice rink isn’t just a mom and pop store that’s gonna open in an empty space,” he said. Follow St. …
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Charlestowne 18 Theatres
3740 E Main St, St Charles, IL
/articles/renovations-stall-as-charlestowne-mall-faces-more-vacancies
997109
/locations/6459625
Justin Eggar
10:53 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
I don't think the current mall structure is sustainable. Tear it down, build an outdoor / walking mall with 2nd / 3rd floor mixed use residential space. A few piazzas, good restaurants (and coffee shops) and decent shopping might be able to turn some perception around. Granted, that's not cheap or easily accomplished. Though I think anything that is cheap or easily accomplished will result in … more ›