The long-vacant former Kmart is coming down in Round Lake Beach to make way for a new Target, as the community moves on from the department store chain that was once a retail king but is now little more than a memory for most shoppers.
In a news release, the village of Round Lake Beach called the sale and demolition a “major economic development milestone” for the property at 400 East Rollins Road, marking a “significant revitalization project for the Rollins Crossing Shopping Center.”
The 190,000-square-foot facility has sat empty since December 2013, becoming what residents and village officials described as an “eyesore,” the release said. Round Lake Beach officials eventually moved to condemn the property, but Target stepped in to acquire it with the sale finalized in December.
Mayor Scott Nickles has been talking about the site for years, including in 2021 during his campaign for office, when he pushed for the continued revitalization of the shopping center to create a downtown for the village.
“We do not have a business district or a town square where people can walk into the small businesses,” Nickles said at that time. “If we can develop that, it will bring a hometown feel.”
After “a lot of time, a ton of work” by village staff and attorneys, he said he is “delighted” to announce the development.
“This process has been more than a decade in the making, so we are thrilled to announce something is finally happening with this site. This is a great day for Round Lake Beach,” Nickles said in the release.
Gil Rivera, director of building, economic and community development, said Target has already submitted permits to demolish the current structure. Timelines for construction, architectural plans and other information are “undefined at this point,” the release said.
“We are pleased to see progress on the property and look forward to a plan that will transform the area as it begins to take shape,” Rivera said.
In the release, Nickles said the village has long believed that Rollins Crossing could be revitalized into a project that serves as a true “village retail center” for the community.
“We are on the cusp of making it happen,” he said.
Vacant Kmart buildings have been a headache for various municipalities in the county and around the region going back decades — even before its 2002 bankruptcy — as communities try to figure out what to do with the last remnants of the once-massive retailer.
