Oakbrook Center - History

History

Oakbrook Center, originally to be named Oakbrook Terrace (but the name was changed when a town near the mall took that name), opened in 1962 with Sears and Marshall Field's, as well as a Jewel Food Store. Bonwit Teller was later added, as was Lord & Taylor in 1973 on the south side. I. Magnin, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus joined the center in a 1981-1982 expansion that doubled the physical size of the center with a new southeast court.

In 1987, a four-screen movie theater (which closed in 2001) was added near Saks Fifth Avenue. Bonwit Teller closed their location in 1990, while I. Magnin was shuttered in January 1991, with its former site subdivided in 1994 for specialty stores, including Eddie Bauer and Tiffany & Company. In 1991 a new two-story, open-air addition opened northeast of Sears. Built on top of a parking garage it added 210,000 ft² of mall retail and a 220,000 ft² Nordstrom.

Saks Fifth Avenue closed their store in 2002 and sold the store to Federated Department Stores, which used the site to open a 91,000 sq.ft. Bloomingdale's Home store on September 12, 2003. Bloomingdale's Home closed in March 2012. Marshall Field's adopted the Macy's name on September 8, 2006.

General Growth Properties acquired a half-interest and management of the mall in 2004, when it acquired The Rouse Company (which had itself acquired its stake the mall in 2002). It is co-owned with an institutional investor, the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

The sales tax rate for Oak Brook, Illinois (DuPage County) is 7.75%.

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