Plaza del Lago, an outdoor shopping center in suburban Wilmette that dates back to the 1920s, is getting a major renovation, with as many as 13 new shops and restaurants, including at least three confirmed luxury and high-end designer stores.
The redevelopment comes as WS Development, which purchased the Spanish Court style shopping center along Sheridan Road in 2022, says the mall is on the verge of a transformation, hoping to make it "one of the top outdoor retail destinations in the region."
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WATCH HERE"The site will undergo a complete overhaul including the restoration of building facades including masonry, storefronts, and windows; upgrades to building systems and structures including roofs, elevators, flooring, and basements; reimagining the arcade to make it a beloved destination, and the execution of new parking lots, sidewalks, outdoor dining areas, and landscaping meticulously designed to complement the architecture with robust greenery and unique plantings," WS Development said as part of a March 2025 update.
One of the confirmed retailers, luxury French brand Hermès, will open at the mall in 2026, WS Development confirmed. A report from Women's Wear Daily said the new boutique will be two-stories and 8,000 square feet.
The store will be Hermès' second in Illinois -- with its only other location at 25 E. Oak St. in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.
WS Development also confirmed that Los Angeles clothing brand James Perse, and California lifestyle brand Jenni Kayne as tenants. Friday, The Record North Shore reported rag + bone, a premium label out of New York, would open a storefront at the mall as well.
More tenants are expected to be announced. Existing businesses, including Jewel, CVS, Starbucks and Convito Cafe & Market, remain open during the construction, the developer said.
The firm does not plan to demolish any structures or add new ones as part of the remodel, the update
"Plaza del Lago is on the cusp of a renovation that will honor and preserve the property’s iconic history and architecture while updating it to meet the demands of modern retail and dining and setting it up to prosper for the next 100 years just as it was designed to do for the last 100," the update went on to say.
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SIGN UP The Massachusetts-based developer purchased the Plaza de Lago shopping center in June of 2022. It's the same developer that in 2022 purchased and revamped Wilmette's Edens Plaza, which now includes Wayfair's first-ever brick-and-mortar department store in the center's former Carson Pirie Scott building.
Clothing and gift store Uncharted also recently opened at Edens Plaza, with a nail salon, gym and health food restaurant coming soon.
