Northbrook Court is a shopping mall in Northbrook, Illinois with a collection of stores serving the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. Located on 130 acres (0.53 km2) of land, the mall currently features the traditional retailer Neiman Marcus as well as a number of prominent specialty retailers such as Apple, Lululemon, and Louis Vuitton.[2] The mall is in the midst of a perpetually postponed $750 million update and enhanced development which was unveiled in April 2023.
Sears closed in 1983 due to the company determining that the store's market too closely overlapped that of the nearby stores at Hawthorn Mall and Golf Mill Mall.[5] It was converted into a prototype for JCPenney that same year, and then torn down in 1995 for a new Marshall Field's (later Macy's).[6][7] In 1991, I. Magnin closed and was replaced by General Cinema which opened on November 22, 1996, with 14 auditoriums. It was converted into an AMC Theatres in 2002. A free standing Crate & Barrel home store on the northwest corner of the mall opened that same year. Crate & Barrel used to be where Arhaus is.
The mall's free-standing Crate & Barrel
In 2007, Northbrook Court took down their traditional food court for a unique prototype, which has now failed. Most of the space was reallocated to Forever 21, leaving 4 spots for restaurants, originally housing Chinese Gourmet Express, Tony & Bruno’s, Subway, and Corner Bakery Cafe. A few restaurants came and went over the years and the only restaurant from this original group left is Tony & Bruno’s. The mall now features six sit-down spaces with four occupied currently: NM Cafe (originally named The Zodiac) (inside Neiman Marcus), California Pizza Kitchen, Di Pescara, and an outparcel P.F. Chang’s. The Claim Company and Stir Crazy closed and/or moved.[8][9]
California Pizza Kitchen opened its doors on Northbrook Court's north side for the first time in August 2010.[10] On May 16, 2014, Arhaus officially opened at the mall's east side.[11]
The mall’s former Macy's, as seen from the first floor
The dawn of the 2020s saw several storied traditional department store retailers update their brick-and-mortar formats after being encroached upon to a degree by several digital retailers.
On May 11, 2019, it was announced after a strategy had been implemented by Macy's to solely focus on their highest achieving outposts that they had selected against staying on at the shopping center. The store was razed for a new enhanced development.[12][13]
Location of Former Macys
On August 27, 2020, it was announced that upscale specialty department store retailer Lord & Taylor would shutter its traditional brick and mortar format as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]
In the end of April 2023, Brookfield Properties showed the new redevelopment plan, which included outdoor shopping in the current Neiman Marcus parking lot, and mixed-use where Macy’s was. No official start date has been announced and redevelopment has yet to begin.[13][2] In June 2023, the mall was declared blighted and a new 1% sales tax was introduced to pay for improvements.[15]
Anchors
The mall’s Christmas Tree, which wasn’t put up for the 2023 Holiday for the first time ever. Management claims it broke and is being fixed.
Macy's — Opened in 2006, closed in 2019, building was demolished
Shopper's Find — Opened in 2021, closed in 2022
Location
Northbrook Court is located on Lake Cook Road (Cook County Trunk Highway A50), between the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 94/294) and Edens Expressway (Interstate 94/U.S. Highway 41). It is approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago and approximately four to 12 miles from the nine communities that make up the North Shore and is accessible via public transit from them and the City of Chicago. It is only eight miles from Westfield Old Orchard. Although smaller than Old Orchard, it competes with Old Orchard as well as several other suburban shopping centers in the Chicago area.
Filming
John Hughes, who grew up in Northbrook, and attended Glenbrook North High School, used the mall for his teenage film Weird Science, a movie about two outcasts who create a girl, who in turn helps them stand up for themselves. The side of the mall used in the film for exterior shots is currently a California Pizza Kitchen and the former The Claim Company.[16] The inside of the mall was also used; however, it has changed since the filming.
