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By Lisa Lockwood. June 30, 2025.
The property, that was originally built in the 1920s and is one of the oldest open-air shopping centers in the country, is being reimagined.
Plaza del Lago, the open-air shopping destination on Chicago‘s North Shore, is adding 13 new businesses as part of its transformation.
Among the new brands are Oscar de la Renta, Space 519, James Perse, LoveShackFancy, Cynthia Rowley, Hill House Home, Jenni Kayne, Veronica Beard, Rag & Bone and Peter Millar. Businesses will start opening their stores in July.
Hermès previously said it was moving into a space at Plaza del Lago next year. The French luxury brand has signed a lease with WS Development for a two-story, 8,000-square-foot boutique.
“There is something magical about Plaza del Lago,” said Samantha David, president of WS Development, which owns the center. “I’m not sure if it’s the 1920s architecture or the urban legend about its role in prohibition or the views of the lake you catch from unexpected corners, but some combination of these things have made it a beloved part of Chicago’s North Shore for nearly a century. It is both humbling and inspiring to take over the care of an icon and strive to do right by it, but that’s what we’ve done since the day we bought it and the lineup we announce today is everything we could have hoped for and more in terms of ushering this storied destination into its next chapter.”
She said these companies span the spectrum and are a mixture of local and national brands, soft goods and services at different price points.
“While we hope to attract a broad new audience with these beloved brands, we will never lose our commitment to serving our local community and are just as excited to see kids playing hopscotch on our sidewalks as we are to see customers patronizing our businesses. This is and will always be a place to come and sit as much as it is a place to come and shop,” added David.
Plaza del Lago, located in Wilmette, Ill., was originally built in the 1920s and is one of the oldest open-air shopping centers in the country, set on a scenic lakefront and featuring Spanish-style architecture. Upgrades include building restorations, infrastructure improvements and the transformation of second-story residential into two-story retail suites, as well as renewed gathering spaces, lush, layered landscaping and a new central strolling path designed to accommodate families and visitors. Distinctive art installations and community programming will add to the experience.
