NEW ILLINOIS CENTRE TO OVERLAP OTHER MARKETS

MARION, Ill. -- "When Edward J. DeBartolo puts a mall together, it's dynamic, wherever it is."

That was the comment of a mall representative from the million-square-foot Eastland Mall in Evansville made when he learned of the DeBartolo plans to construct the Illinois Centre at Marion.

"Whenever you look at a center that size," said the Eastland Mall official, "you can expect to overlap a lot of market areas, including that of the Evansville market. I'm interested enough in the Illinois operation that I'll certainly drive over for a look when it opens."

The $165 million, 830,000 square feet development will officially open Oct. 2. The new center will feature skylights, expanded walkways, bright tiles and wall coverings.

Plans for a gala grand opening were announced this week during a special hard-hat tour and press conference at the construction site, off Interstate 57 and Route 13.

More than 2,500 people are expected to attend the October grand opening, which is designed to benefit nine Area United Way chapters.

The gala will be held Oct. 1, and will be the public's first viewing of Illinois Centre prior to opening day.

"Representatives from the nine Southern Illinois United Way chapters, and mayors from several nearby cities will be together for the opening," said Sam Rossi, general manager of the center. "Linking the opening of the center with UW agencies in the area is an important first step in Illinois Centre's long term commitment to the community."

The new center, being developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corp., headquartered at Youngstown, Ohio, and Antonia Investments, Ltd., St. Louis, will be the largest regional shopping center in Southern Illinois, and will feature five anchor stores:

Dillard's, one of the nation's fastest growing department stores, 109,000 square feet.

Sears, relocating from University Mall at Carbondale, 91,000 square feet.

PharMor, a first in Southern Illinois, 67,000 square feet.

Target, a large discount department store, 112,000 square feet.

A fifth anchor to be announced.

The center will also have more than 100 specialty stores offering apparel, home furnishings and accessories, including Belden Jewelers, Camelot Music, Deb Shops, Electronic "Boutique, Everything's A Dollar, Footlocker, Hallmark Cards and Gifts, Lane Bryant, Lerner New York, Radio Shack and many others.

Included the mall's plans is the "Treats" area, a garden food court with 10 restaurants.

"Two of the anchors will get an early start on the mall," said Rossi. "Sears opened Saturday, and will have its own grand opening July 27. PharMor will open Aug. 1."

Since the DeBartolo Corporation started in 1944, the firm has completed more than 100 retail projects across the country. The company has developed or owns more than 89 million square feet of retail space from coast to coast, including the Northfield Square in Kankakee, Ill.

Hundreds of new jobs are expected to be created with the opening of the mall.

"The mall has already provided a big economic boost to the area," said Rossi. "In addition to hundreds of local jobs created during construction, the center will provide about 2,000 permanent jobs when it is complete."

Illinois Centre is one of five malls in the immediate tri-state area. Other centers include West Park Mall at Cape Girardeau, a 600,000 square feet operation with about 90 stores; Kentucky Oaks Mall, Paducah, Ky., with 780,000 square feet and more than 100 stores; University Mall at Carbondale, with more than 700,000 square feet; and St. Clair Square Mall near Belleville, Ill., with a million square feet and 135 stores. To the east, a pair of big malls are located in the Evansville, Ind., area Eastland Mall, with more than a million square feet and 140 stores and Washington Square Mall, about 600,000 square feet and 50 stores.

"We don't feel that we will see much change when the Marion mall opens," said Tony Stephens, manager of West park Mall. "We have many reasons for people to visit Cape Girardeau Doctor's Park, hospitals, the university...West Park Mall is a part of that community, and with our three strong anchor stores Famous Barr, Venture, and JCPenney's, a number of new specialty stores, we feel our customers will keep returning here."

Stephens also pointed to some of the new operations around the mall area.

"We're looking at a new Wal Mart Super Store, a new Shop 'N Save, new bank, and some new restaurants," he added. "We're ready for the retail challenge."

Bob Skebo, manager of Kentucky Oaks Mall, feels the majority of the Oaks customers will continue to shop at Oaks.

"A lot of people will visit the new mall at Marion," he said. "But I can't see it having a lasting effect on us. I feel we'll retain more than 95 percent of our customers."

The competition between University Mall at Carbondale, and Illinois Centre, 13 miles away, could be brisk. But the two centers have different anchor stores.

The big anchors at University Mall include Venture, JCPenney's and Elder-Beermen at present, with Famous Barr and Montgomery Ward to be open later this year.