West Dundee Development Plans for Former Spring Hill Mall Site

The site once occupied by Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee might transform into a space for homes, retail, entertainment, and civic facilities. This development plan was introduced to the West Dundee Village Board by Tim Scott, the village’s director of economic development, alongside Houseal Lavigne Associates, an urban planning firm from Chicago.

Development Concepts

Two key concepts were presented: an “urban village” and a “mixed-use boulevard.” The vacant mall space could accommodate between 778 to 1,326 residential units. The development specifics largely depend on project proposals for the site.

Urban Village:

• Projected 778 residential units
• 320,000 square feet of retail space
• 200 retail jobs
• 35,000 square feet of civic space
• 1,830 parking spaces
• Maximum building height of five floors
• Estimated buildout cost of $283 million

Mixed-Use Boulevard:

• Possible 1,326 residential units
• 400,000 square feet of retail space
• 35,000 square feet of civic space
• 1,350 parking spaces
• Maximum building height of five floors
• Estimated buildout cost of $449 million

The development serves as a way for the village to attract developers. Sujan Shrestha from Houseal Lavigne highlighted the importance of placing housing near existing homes and retail by current retail establishments, such as the Cinemark theater and Jewel-Osco store. Features like the retention pond will be integrated into the new design. The area near Carpentersville might extend naturally to village-owned parts of the mall, previously anchored by a Kohl’s store.

Community Engagement and Forward Steps

An online microsite will be launched to host the presentation and offer updates. Houseal Lavigne is also developing an interactive application allowing users to explore proposed site features virtually. Village President Chris Nelson emphasized the need for meetings, discussions, and public feedback. A town hall forum is planned for later in the summer, with full redevelopment expected to take at least a decade.

In February 2025, a contract worth $124,970 was signed with Houseal Lavigne to assist with mall site redevelopment. The mall, established in the 1980s, ceased operations in March 2024 after substantial purchases by both West Dundee and Carpentersville. West Dundee invested around $6 million in demolition and related costs like utilities and legal fees.

Upcoming Plans

The next phase involves preparing essential documents to solidify the village’s vision, expectations, and timelines. These serve as a framework for evaluating development proposals.

Another priority is finalizing plans for a new public safety center on the site. Public perception issues have arisen about the center being the sole development, but it’s likely just the first project due to direct village control. This will occupy about four acres of the 100 available.

Utility and roadway concepts also need finalization. This involves understanding how to modify existing infrastructure like water mains and sewers to fit the new street layouts.

“Documents need to clearly outline the village’s vision and post-closing control, providing a framework as development pieces are considered,” Village Manager Joe Cavallaro stated.