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| Riverain Shopping Center | |
|---|---|
| Name | Riverain Shopping Center |
| Location | Riverton, Illinois |
| Opening date | 1992 |
| Developer | Hines Interests Limited Partnership |
| Manager | Cushman & Wakefield |
| Owner | Kimco Realty |
| Number of stores | 85 |
| Floor area | 650000sqft |
Riverain Shopping Center Riverain Shopping Center is a regional retail complex located on the south bank of the Des Plaines River near Interstate 55 in Riverton, Illinois. Opened in 1992 by developers associated with Hines Interests Limited Partnership and later acquired by Kimco Realty, the center served a trade area that overlaps with Joliet, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Aurora (Illinois), and the Chicago metropolitan area. It has undergone multiple redevelopments tied to municipal incentives from the Riverton Economic Development Authority and planning consultation with firms like Gensler and Sasaki Associates.
The site was originally zoned for light industrial use under ordinances enacted by the Will County Board and rezoned in a 1989 master plan coordinated with the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Groundbreaking involved financiers including Prudential Financial and equity partners from Barclays and Goldman Sachs. Anchors such as Sears and Sears Roebuck and Co. were signed in pre-leasing agreements alongside JCPenney and Kohl's. Retail openings coincided with regional projects like the I-55 corridor expansion and the Chicago Transit Authority suburban outreach studies. The center weathered the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recovery, prompting a 2012 refinancing with loans from Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Adaptive reuse projects in 2016 drew from precedents at Brookfield Place (New York City) and The Domain (Austin). Ownership changes involved Blackstone Group-linked funds and later a sale-leaseback to Simon Property Group affiliates before consolidation under Kimco Realty.
Designed in collaboration with Gensler and landscape architects from Sasaki Associates, the center blends elements from New Urbanism and postmodern architecture common to late-20th-century suburban malls. The plan features a central promenade modeled on concepts from James Corner Field Operations and a publicly accessible plaza inspired by Pioneer Courthouse Square. Structural systems used precast concrete supplied by Coreslab Structures and curtain wall glazing by Kawneer; mechanical systems referenced industry standards from Carrier Global Corporation. The two-level configuration integrates a power center typology with a lifestyle center spine, employing canopies similar to those at Southcoast Plaza and pedestrian linkages akin to Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Parking design followed guidance from the Institute of Transportation Engineers and included a park-and-ride component comparable to Metra (Chicago) commuter lots.
Original and subsequent tenants reflected national chains and regional retailers including Sears, JCPenney, Kohl's, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's, Apple Inc., Microsoft Store, Nike, Inc., Foot Locker, H&M, Zara, Macy's, Nordstrom Rack, Staples Inc., CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, T-Mobile US, AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Barnes & Noble, GameStop, PetSmart, Petco, IKEA, Home Depot, Lowe's, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap, Forever 21, Madewell, Anthropologie, The North Face, Under Armour, REI, Bed Bath & Beyond, Container Store, Ashley Furniture Industries, IKEA, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross Stores, Saks Off 5th, AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark Theatres, Dave & Buster's, Nordstrom, Sbarro, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Dunkin'', Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's, Applebee's, Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, and local restaurateurs affiliated with the Riverton Chamber of Commerce.
The center acted as a fiscal anchor for property tax revenues to Riverton Township and contributed to sales tax capture in Will County. It drew retail leakage back from Chicago and suburban nodes like Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois and spurred ancillary development including a Hyatt Hotels Corporation-branded hotel and office condos occupied by tenants from Accenture, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young. Studies by the Urban Land Institute and Brookings Institution cited the center in analyses of suburban retail resilience, transit-oriented development, and municipal incentive programs similar to those used in Frisco, Texas and Tysons, Virginia. Redevelopment phases invoked tax increment financing arrangements comparable to TIF Districts (United States) and public–private partnerships like those in Columbus, Ohio.
Riverain is adjacent to Interstate 55 with ingress/egress improvements coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation. Multimodal access includes shuttle links to Metra (Chicago) stations, express bus service by Pace Suburban Bus and park-and-ride functions paralleling Chicago Transit Authority suburban feeder routes. Bicycle access and Wayne County greenway connections mirrored plans from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy projects. Parking management employed smart meters and guidance systems influenced by implementations at Westfield World Trade Center and King of Prussia Mall. Freight access and loading docks were designed to standards promulgated by the American Institute of Architects and logistics firms such as XPO Logistics.
The center hosted cultural programming coordinated with the Riverton Arts Council and community nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Will County. Seasonal events included summer concert series modeled on Millennium Park events, farmers markets in partnership with Slow Food USA, film screenings aligned with Sundance Film Festival satellite programs, and charity runs associated with Susan G. Komen Foundation. The complex was used for civic gatherings during emergency response drills with Federal Emergency Management Agency and local agencies including the Will County Emergency Management Agency. Public art commissions involved artists connected to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and installations curated with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Category:Shopping malls in Illinois