A strip mall in Chicago's southeastern suburbs has been ordered to shut down due to "severe code and fire safety violations," according to village officials.
Matteson Town Center, located at 158 Town Center Road, will officially close Thursday, May 15, a Facebook post from the Village of Matteson said.
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WATCH HERE"All businesses must vacate the premises by that date," the post read. The village added that two of the mall's previous tenants, Sharks Fish & Chicken and Goldenmyne African Store, were "successfully relocated within the village," with grand openings to come.
"We appreciate your patience as we work to revitalize the site and shape future plans that reflect the community's vision and values," the message went on to say.
A statement from the Village of Matteson emailed to NBC Chicago a judge issued an order of condemnation after personally viewing the property. The judge's ruling was based on "overwhelming findings of safety, fire and building code violation on the property and within its structures, the village said.
The statement also said that fines of more than $4 million had been issued to the property owner over multiple years, which remain unpaid. Emails sent by NBC Chicago to mall owner Mason Asset Management were not returned.
In its Facebook post, the village responded to comments on the post regarding plans for demolition, saying a final decision hadn't been made.
"We understand there's strong interest in the future of the site, and we'll be sure to keep the community informed as plans develop," the update said.
The village also said the closure had been long-planned, with relocation efforts of existing tenants dating back to Sept. 2024.
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SIGN UP "We've been working with impacted tenants at the Town Center for quite some time to help relocate them to other locations within the village," officials said in the Facebook post. "While the announcement may feel sudden, this process has been in the works for an extended period due to ongoing safety concerns."
In a mall brochure from Mason, the strip mall appeared to be mostly vacant, with more than a dozen spaces, including a 29,000 square-foot anchor store, available to lease.
Stores that currently were leased, the brochure showed, with the exception of the two that were relocated, were Subway, Save the Music, Matteson Smoke Shop, Star Nails, Conceal Carry Institute, Foot Locker and Chicago Land Fat Loss Camps. It wasn't known which stores remained in operation when the closure was announced.
Nearby, at the site of Matteson's former Lincoln Mall, a new, 50,000 square-foot children's museum is being developed, with an anticipated opening date of 2028.
“It’s time to shift from Matteson’s retail-focused past to an experience-driven future,” Matteson resident Michelle Kennedy said in a previous announcement about the project. “The Village of Matteson is on an upswing, with new businesses emerging and public parks in the pipeline.”
In 2015, Lincoln Mall closed due to a court order after 41 years in operation.
“We regret that it was necessary to close Lincoln Mall, but this action was necessary because of persistent and long-standing building violations at the mall that have not been corrected,” then-Village of Matteson Administrator Brian Mitchell said in a statement at the time. “However, this sad day is just a stage in the process and we hope that in the years to come, it will be seen as a positive step towards the possible redevelopment and reuse of the Lincoln Mall property."
According to reports, the mall was demolished in 2017.
