Louis Joliet Mall area bouncing back

Cinemark last week reopened the last seven of its refurbished movie auditoriums, the latest of several projects in and around the Louis Joliet Mall that are adding new life to the city’s main retail district.

Despite the demise of Sears and Carson's, which vacated anchor spaces in the mall in the past year, and the empty big-box store outside the mall where Toys R Us used to be, the center of Joliet's retail and restaurant business is showing resilience.

Cinemark has spent $2.1 million refurbishing its 14-screen mall theater, adding luxury lounger seats and installing equipment for future sales of beer, wine and cocktails.

“We love being in the Joliet mall,” said Nick Vedda, marketing and promotions manager for Cinemark USA. “There are many opportunities to really draw people in the mall.”

Cinemark has put sample seats in the mall so shoppers can get a sense of the new movie-going experience.

“They are real nice, extra-wide plush seats,” Vedda said.

There is more to check out both inside the mall and outside.

Inside the mall, Dry Goods, a women’s fashion division of Von Maur, is remodeling space for a new store. Crab Boil and Bar is preparing to open in the former Tilted Kilt space. And, M.A. Jewelers has moved into the store that Jared jewelers vacated.

Outside the mall, Aldi has remodeled, a Shell gas station is being rebuilt, and Chick-fil-A is reported to be interested in the former Lone Star restaurant.

The biggest project of all may be a new shopping center, which, if built, will be down the road a bit but could be considered an expansion of the mall district into Plainfield.

The Boulevard, a project stymied by the recession, appears to be getting its footing back.

Costco, although unconfirmed, is reported to be a likely anchor of The Boulevard, which is on a site that straddles Joliet and Plainfield in the northwest corner of the Interstate 55 and Route 30 interchange – the other side of the interchange from the mall.

Eric Loula, manager of the Louis Joliet Mall, said he counts the site as part of the same market and good for business.

“It’s good for all of us,” Loula said. “It makes a shopping destination occur.”

Costco has been considered a potential anchor for The Boulevard since the project was proposed more than 10 years ago. More may be known after the Joliet Plan Commission meets Thursday for a special meeting called to accommodate the schedule of the developer, who wants to start excavating in July.

In the meantime, the Louis Joliet Mall is preparing for store and restaurant openings.

Dry Goods will open in June. Cajun Crab and Boil plans to open in July.

Loula said he visited the Cajun Crab and Boil in Oakbrook Terrace and found it to be a unique and “enjoyable experience.”

“You literally put plastic gloves on your hands and dig in,” he said.

Cajun Crab and Boil has other locations in Orland Park and Oak Park.

Local residents can try it closer to home June 7 when Cajun Crab and Boil will be one of the food vendors at New Orleans North in downtown Joliet. The annual celebration of the New Orleans lifestyle factored into the decision to locate in Joliet, said Kurtis Lott, one of the owners of Cajun Crab and Boil.

“We did our market research,” Lott said. “There are a lot of people in Joliet and surrounding areas that really enjoy seasoned seafood.”

Filling vacant anchor space at the mall and the big-box store that formerly held Toys R Us will remain a challenge, said Joliet Economic Development Director Steve Jones. But there is strong interest in smaller space, especially from restaurant developers.

The mall area remains attractive, Jones said, because “everyone wants to be close to that traffic.”

The Circle K Shell gas station outside the mall is being rebuilt and expanded at a cost of $1.9 million, according to city building department records.

“There’s still a lot of traffic out here on Route 30,” Aldi Division Vice President Heather Moore said at a reopening ceremony for the store in March after an extensive remodeling. The store thrives on customers picking up items after the workday, Moore said, and the location provides “a lot of going-home traffic.”