Old Chicago - Closing

Closing

Illinois Central took full control of the mall's logistics in early 1977, rescheduling the hours of operation and spending over $8 million adding new attractions. A series of management changes occurred, but the shops continued closing one by one.

By 1978, Old Chicago began closing on Mondays and Tuesdays. More fires struck during 1979: The Old Chicago Tobacco Company caught fire when a tobacco dryer malfunctioned. There were no sprinklers in the area where the fire started. A Fourth of July fireworks display also ignited prematurely, causing minor injuries to two people.

Finally, in March 1980, the entire amusement park shut down and the rides were sold. The last remaining stores left soon afterward, as management attempted to pitch the idea of recreating the mall as a discount outlet, then as a soundstage for motion pictures. Neither plan attracted investors, and the mall closed and subsequently was boarded up permanently in August 1981. A group of investors purchased the enormous building shortly afterward with plans to convert it into a casino. The village of Bolingbrook nixed the idea and the building was put up for auction in 1982, but no bids were received. Illinois Central expressed their desire to demolish the structure, but the village, in the hopes of finding a buyer, changed its zoning laws to prevent the destruction. While Bolingbrook sought a new buyer for the building, structural damage from roof leaks began ruining the vacant building. In addition, vandals repeatedly broke into the building, causing more damage.

In 1985, the building was finally sold to investment banker C.L. Carr, who initially pledged to keep the building open as an entertainment complex, but later attempted to sell parcels of the Old Chicago land, which would force the eventual demolition of the building.

Last-ditch efforts to salvage the enormous building - as an international trade center for the People's Republic of China, as a venue for the 1992 World's Fair, even as a Major League Baseball stadium for the Chicago White Sox - would all fail and the building was demolished in the spring of 1986. Currently the property is home to the largely outdoor Arena Auto Auction, one of the largest dealer-only auctions in the state of Illinois.