A strip mall in Chicago's southeastern suburbs has been ordered to shut down due to "severe code and fire safety violations," according to village officials.
Matteson Town Center, located at 158 Town Center Road, will officially close Thursday, May 15, a post from the Village of Matteson said.
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WATCH HERE"All businesses must vacate the premises by that date," the post read. The village added that two of the mall's previous tenants, Sharks Fish & Chicken and Goldenmyne African Store, were "successfully relocated within the village," with grand openings to come.
"We appreciate your patience as we work to revitalize the site and shape future plans that reflect the community's vision and values," the message went on to say.
The village also responded to comments on the post regarding plans for demolition, saying a final decision hadn't been made.
"We understand there's strong interest in the future of the site, and we'll be sure to keep the community informed as plans develop," the update said.
It wasn't immediately clear what led to the closure, and emails to mall owner Mason Asset Management were not returned.
In a mall brochure from Mason, the strip mall appeared to be mostly vacant, with more than a dozen spaces, including a 29,000 square-foot anchor store, available to lease.
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SIGN UP Stores that currently were leased, the brochure showed, with the exception of the two that were relocated, were Subway, Save the Music, Matteson Smoke Shop, Star Nails, Conceal Carry Institute, Foot Locker and Chicago Land Fat Loss Camps. It wasn't known what stores were still in operation.
The Facebook message from Matteson Town Center about the closure generated more than 50 comments within hours of being posted as the village answered questions from residents, with some saying the news felt sudden.
According to the village, the closure had been planned.
"We've been working with impacted tenants at the Town Center for quite some time to help relocate them to other locations within the village," officials said. "While the announcement may feel sudden, this process has been in the works for an extended period due to ongoing safety concerns."
The Village of Matteson did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago's request for comment.
Nearby, at the site of Matteson's former Lincoln Mall, a new, 50,000 square-foot children's museum is being developed, with an anticipated opening date of 2028.
“It’s time to shift from Matteson’s retail-focused past to an experience-driven future,” Matteson resident Michelle Kennedy said in a previous announcement about the project. “The Village of Matteson is on an upswing, with new businesses emerging and public parks in the pipeline.”
In 2015, Lincoln Mall closed due to a court order after 41 years in operation.
“We regret that it was necessary to close Lincoln Mall, but this action was necessary because of persistent and long-standing building violations at the mall that have not been corrected,” then-Village of Matteson Administrator Brian Mitchell said in a statement at the time. “However, this sad day is just a stage in the process and we hope that in the years to come, it will be seen as a positive step towards the possible redevelopment and reuse of the Lincoln Mall property."
According to reports, the mall was demolished in 2017.
