Lincolnwood Town Center is officially closing May 1 after being open for 36 years.  Despite having retail staples such as Kohl’s and Old Navy, the mall faced financial struggles due to declining occupancy and the rise of online shopping. Instead of keeping the mall, the Village of Lincolnwood decided to redevelop the property.

According to the Lincolnwood Town Center concept plan, the mall will be redeveloped into a mixed-use district that has entertainment, dining, commercial and recreation destinations. Senior Idara David is glad the empty mall is finally closing, believing that the Village should turn the mall into something different to benefit the Lincolnwood community.

“I think the closing of the Lincolnwood Town Center is necessary because no one ever shopped there. There was no need for it,” David said. “It [is] a waste of space and they could make use of it. I believe they could add grocery stores like Food 4 Less. Or if they really want to, they could make it into something like a park.”

Freshman Elle Scarton finds the closing of the mall slightly upsetting because she knows people who grew up with it.

“I don’t think it’s that good of a mall anymore,” Scarton said. “I think they could replace it with stores that people are going to actually shop at. I’m not really upset because I didn’t really grow up here, but I think it is still kind of sad because I know a lot of people grew up going to the mall.”

Freshman Maya Wojsznis grew up going to the mall. She thinks the mall was a fundamental part of Lincolnwood but that its time has ended as a popular mall.

“I am upset that it is leaving because I spent a lot of my childhood there, but it looks like a ghost town when I go there now so I think its time has come to an end,” Wojsznis said.

When asked, English teacher Dena Lichterman said she grew up going to malls, and it is upsetting watching stores go out of business due to online shopping.

“It’s a desolate mall, but it also speaks to how much online shopping has taken over…businesses,” Lichterman said. “I think it is kind of sad and depressing that things like Amazon are pushing out businesses. It’s a shame because I mean, I went to malls when I was a kid. That’s what we did, it was fun. When you lose places like that, you lose places for people to gather together.”