A $20 million redevelopment of the ...

A $20 million redevelopment of the former Saks Fifth Avenue store at Westfield old-fashioned Orchard shopping mall in Skokie will propound shoppers a greater variety of restaurants and high-end workshops and give the village of Skokie a sales-tax boost officials said during a groundbreaking rite Thursday.

The greatest in number telling features of the redesign, at the mall's northeast corner, will be a recently made known mall entrance with a landscaped plaza, and any store entrances that face parking spaces. The just discovered development is expected to render free of access a year from now.

Landscaped pathways and stores whose sidewalks face parking apportionments are two features of lifestyle center the latest rage among shopping mall developer Lifestyle center liken village squares, with sidewalks, streetscapes and a greater variety of restaurants and entertainment venue than traditional shopping malls.

yet the 50-year-old Old Orchard shopping center has remained an outdoor mall, its walkways lead shopper into central, circular areas where stores face each other, said Will Ander, senior partner at Chicago's McMillan Doolittle retail consultancy.

"Today, nation don't have long periods to shop" Ander said. "So shopper are visiting fewer stores, running in and abroad quickly from the parking doom We call it 'burst' shopping."

Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen acknowledged as long saying during the ceremony that "shopping center today are entertainment meccas and integral parts of the community."

Van Dusen and officials with Westfield clump the Australian- based shopping mall proprietor said despite the changes, it is important that the redevelopment stay in character with antiquated Orchard's existing look and be impressed The mall is anchored by dint of traditional department stores Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom and Marshall Field's (soon to be Macy's).

"We want to hold fast Old Orchard as iconic as it has been," said Bill Giouroukos, senior executive vice president for national management and marketing at Westfield.

aged Orchard is in the top five in sales dimensions of Westfield's 60 shopping center nationwide, Giouroukos said.

Saks Fifth Avenue, whose store totaled 104000 square feet clos a year ago, citing poor sales.

The store, now being demolished, will be replaced at 63,000 square feet of specialty stores a high-quality restaurant and single to two fast-casual restaurants.

Officials said Thursday they could not name the fresh retailers and restaurants, but they calculate upon to make announcements soon.

The of recent origin development is expected to generate $45 million in sales tome yearly, or $33 million more than the $12 million that the Saks store generated, according to Westfield's frame application to the village.

The novel buildout is expected to bring Skokie $880000 of gin sales tax revenue annually, according to the application. antique Orchard is Skokie's single largest taxpayer, and plays an important character in boosting the village's plans for a downtown revival.

sguy@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided through ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved