Harrison Avenue and Perryville Road
Village of Cherry Valley, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois' mall metamorphosis began in 1954 with the completion of the MEADOW MART strip center. NORTH TOWNE CENTER, another strip complex, opened in 1956. It was eventually made into a partially-enclosed mall. COLONIAL VILLAGE CENTER made its debut in 1962. Like NORTH TOWNE, it was remodeled into a partially-enclosed facility.
The first regional-class, fully-enclosed shopping center in Greater Rockford was developed by Cleveland's Richard E. Jacobs Group. It was built on 75 acres, which were part of a 233-acre parcel. This site was located 5.8 miles southeast of center city Rockford, in the Village of Cherry Valley.
Work got underway on THE MALL AT CHERRYVALE in January 1972. A 2-level (121,900 square foot) Sears began business on September 26, 1973. A 3-level (154,000 square foot), Chicago-based Marshall Field & Company welcomed first shoppers on November 1st. Twenty inline stores also commenced operation at this time.
An official mall dedication was attended by Coleen Ann Meternich, "Miss Illinois 1973," who released 1,000 balloons. US Representative John B. Anderson (R) was also on hand for the festivities. Music was provided by the East High School and Harlem High School Bands.
In its original state, the 2-level, shopping hub encompassed approximately 713,900 leasable square feet. Charter stores included Lane Bryant, Brentano's & Kroch's Booksellers, Casual Corner, Chess King and Disc Records. A 2-level (129,000 square foot), Sheboygan-based H.C. Prange (a.k.a. "Prange's") opened, as the mall's third anchor, on August 2, 1974. This store was accompanied by a two-section Prange-way discount mart, which opened in 1974.
A freestanding movie house, the Plitt Theatres CherryVale 1-2-3, was built adjacent to the northeast parking area. Its first features were shown on August 29, 1975. The Plitt CherryVale Mall 4 opened, inside the mall proper, on February 11, 1983. The CherryVale 1-2-3 was in business until 1999. The inside 4-plex closed in early 2000.
Rockford's DOWNTOWN MALL (1975-2009) never provided any commercial competition for THE MALL AT CHERRYVALE. The only rival, MACHESNEY PARK MALL {8 miles northwest, in Machesney Park} was completed in 1978. It eventually fell on hard times and was gutted and rebuilt as MACHESNEY PARK TOWNE CENTRE, a big box-based power plaza.
Meanwhile, THE MALL AT CHERRYVALE had been officially renamed CHERRYVALE MALL. Prange-way I and II were shuttered in December 1988. The mall's first renovation commenced soon after. Early '70s decor was updated and the 9-bay Pavilion Food Court installed in vacant Prange-way II space.
Anchor rebrandings began on September 4, 1992. Twenty-five H.C. Prange stores, including the CHERRYVALE location, were rebannered by Des Moines-based Younkers. A Peoria-based Bergner's nameplate was installed in June 1996.
Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates acquired the shopping hub in January 2001. They conducted a second renovation of the property between March and November 2004. New lighting, ceilings, elevators and escalators were installed. Moreover, stores such as Ann Taylor Loft, Hollister Company, Charlotte Russe and Dress Barn were added to the tenant directory.
The highlight of this project was the construction of a 1-level (93,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, at the mall's North Entrance. This store held its grand opening on August 1, 2004. The gross leasable area of the complex now stood at approximately 806,900 square feet. On September 9, 2006, the mall's third anchor rebranding converted Marshall Field's into a Macy's.
A third mall renovation got underway in 2007. A "lifestyle component," known as THE DISTRICT AT CHERRYVALE, was constructed in the southwest parking area. Encompassing 75,000 square feet, it housed upscale tenants such as Coldwater Creek, Barnes & Noble, Jos. A. Bank, Chico's, Talbots and Granite City Food & Brewery. An official dedication was held in November 2007. With the completion of THE DISTRICT AT CHERRYVALE, the mall encompassed approximately 849,300 leasable square feet and housed 134 store spaces.
Bergner's anchored CHERRYVALE MALL for 22 years. The chain became a division of Pennsylvania's Bon Ton Stores conglomerate in 2006. As a result of the bankruptcy of Bon Ton Store, all Bergner's locations were shuttered on August 29, 2018. Sears shuttered their 45-year-old CHERRYVALE store in March 2019.
The lower floor of the Bergner's building was retenanted by a series of home decor stores; Choice Furniture (2018-2020), Galleria Furniture (2021-2024) and Home Trends (2024- ). The vacant Sears was reconfigured as a family entertainment center. On the lower floor was Tilted 10. Tilt Studio filled the upper floor. These facilities held a soft opening on June 20, 2020.
Sources:
The Belvidere Daily Republican
http://genealogytrails.com/ill/winnebago/cherryvale.htm
movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
www.malletin.com
www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
https://www.mystateline.com
"Cherryvale Mall" article on Wikipedia
