Hawthorn Mall is about to get a serious interior reset, with the 53-year-old Vernon Hills shopping center betting that warmer finishes, better places to hang out and a redesigned kids area can make the old mall feel less like a pass-through and more like a destination.
The roughly $5 million refresh is already underway and is expected to be substantially complete by fall, according to NBC Chicago. Centennial Real Estate, which owns Hawthorn, says the work is meant to support the mall’s shift toward a mixed-use campus where visitors can shop, dine, gather and spend more time on-site.
What Shoppers Will See Inside
Plans call for a transformed center court, new lounge seating, upgraded dining-court seating and lighting, updated flooring and railings, warmer natural materials, integrated greenery, and modern furnishings. The Daily Herald also reported that the redesigned Kids Zone will include interactive play features, climbing elements and reading nooks, while improved way-finding will help knit the sprawling interior together.
That “stay awhile” strategy is the point: the owner is treating common areas as an amenity, not just the space between stores. The Village of Vernon Hills describes the broader redevelopment in similar terms, emphasizing enhanced common areas, shopping, dining, entertainment, residences and activated green space as part of Hawthorn’s planned evolution.
Hawthorn Row Already Changed The Property’s Edges
The interior work follows a first wave of changes outside the traditional mall footprint. NBC Chicago noted that Hawthorn Row opened in 2024 with tenants including Anthropologie, FP Movement, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille and Yard House; AMC Hawthorn 12 has added an IMAX auditorium, and Tricoci expanded with a MedSpa in June.
More visible construction is expected in 2027, when the east and south sides are slated to be reworked with outward-facing storefronts, landscaped plazas and a new entrance, according to The Daily Herald. That next phase is also tied to additional residential development, meaning the mall is being reshaped around a broader mix of apartments, restaurants, retail and entertainment rather than just a traditional enclosed shopping trip. The village has pledged $46.5 million in pay-as-you-go incentives for the redevelopment, the newspaper reported.
For Vernon Hills, the refresh is a fairly practical bet: make the indoor core more comfortable while the surrounding property grows more walkable and populated. If Centennial can pull that off, Hawthorn’s next act may depend less on nostalgia for the old mall and more on whether the new one gives people a reason to linger.
