Comings & Goings: Macy’s to open 2 new stores in Evergreen Park

By Bob Bong

Macy’s has announced it will be opening its first dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage stores at the Evergreen Plaza, located at 9700 S. Western Ave.

Both stores will offer unique shopping experiences with Market by Macy’s offering customers the latest fashion trends and Macy’s Backstage appealing to those on the hunt for a great deal.

The dual stores are set to open this fall and will utilize both levels of the former Carson’s building. Market by Macy’s will be on the first floor and Macy’s Backstage on the second.

The move was hinted at by the village in April, when officials said a national retailer was willing to invest more than $10 million in improvements to the site with some financial assistance from the property owner.

The village board on April 4 approved a resolution making the site eligible for a Class 8 property tax incentive from Cook County. The county board has to approve the Class 8 tax incentives.

“We’re excited that Macy’s will be coming soon to Evergreen Park,” Mayor Kelly Burke said in a release. “Macy’s will deliver expanded fashion, clothing and home goods options that residents have been asking for. I am delighted that Macy’s chose Evergreen Park for its first Chicago-area location for Market by Macy’s.”

Macy’s will be hiring for a range of positions in anticipation of a fall 2022 opening and will offer competitive pay, merchandise discounts, and access to a debt-free education program for both parttime and full-time colleagues. New job opportunities will be posted on macysinc.com/careers as they become available.

“Macy’s decision to come to Evergreen Park is a vote of confidence in our vibrant retail community. The new Macy’s location will serve as a magnet for other great retailers to come to our Village,” added Burke.

The 120,000-square-foot Carson’s space has been empty since an attempt to revive the retailer in Evergreen Park failed in 2020. Carson’s had originally opened at the new Evergreen Plaza in September of 2016. Bon-Ton Stores, the owner of Carson’s, declared bankruptcy in February 2018 and ceased operating two months later after no buyer came forward.

Market by Macy’s will open on the first level and is a smaller version of the Macy’s traditional department store. The spin-off store will offer branded fashion, fragrances cosmetics and accessories.

Macy’s Backstage is a place where shoppers can find a deal and will be located on the second level. The store will carry off-price apparel, housewares, make-up and skin-care products, fragrances, unique gifts, holiday items, home maintenance, accessories, pet items and more.

The original Evergreen Plaza shopping center opened in 1952 and was the nation’s first regional mall. It was an open-air mall until it was enclosed in the 1960s.

In 2014, owners demolished the plaza and redeveloped it with a smaller footprint. In October, the 255,000-square-foot shopping center on Western Avenue was purchased for just over $67 million by California investment firm LBX Investments from a joint venture between Fortress Investment Group and Lormax Stern.

The plaza is now home to DSW, TJ Maxx, Burlington, Whole Foods Mart, Planet Fitness and Ulta Beauty.

For more information about Market by Macy’s, visit macys.com/marketbymacys. For more information about Macy’s Backstage, visit macysbackstage.com. For more information about the Village of Evergreen Park, please visit www.evergreenpark-ill.com.