The Meadows in Freeport will be home to new brand name stores after $11M investment

Corina Curry, Journal Standard
·2 min read
A rendering of the proposed new Meadows Mall in Freeport featuring retailers such as Marshalls and Fire Below.
A rendering of the proposed new Meadows Mall in Freeport featuring retailers such as Marshalls and Fire Below.

FREEPORT — The City of Freeport announced Monday that developer Freeport IL LLC plans to bring stores like Marshalls, Five Below, Pet Supplies Plus and more to a new and improved Meadows Mall.

The revamp will come with a new name, too. The shopping center long known as Meadows Plaza of Meadows Mall will now go by just "The Meadows," the city said in a news release issued Monday afternoon.

According to the release, Freeport LLC plans to invest $11 million in the shopping center. The Meadows will get a major renovation and a new dog park.

"Without Doug and Mark Winters, the former owners, this project wouldn’t be possible. They were helpful in the transition and selective with who would transition ownership for this redevelopment," Victor Baeten, managing member of Freeport IL LLC, said in the release. "After 20 years of owning the center and being local residents themselves, they want the best for Freeport.

"Twelve to 18 months from now this shopping center will look totally different and have new life in it."

Marshalls and Five Below are anticipated to open by mid-November. Pet Supplies Plus should open mid-2023, according to the city. Additional retail tenants are expected to follow.

In 2023, Anytime Fitness will expand its space by more than 50%, the new release states.

Muddy Paws Pet Services will merge with Pet Supplies Plus.

The project is being completed by using the city’s Enterprise Zone, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing provided by CastleGreen Finance.

Work was done in conjunction with the Greater Freeport Partnership.

"We understand the importance of having local, expansive retail choices for the retention and attraction of a talented workforce,” Mark Williams, executive director of the Greater Freeport Partnership, said in the release.

The mall is expected to be fully leased by the end of 2023.

Corina Curry is the news director for the Rockford Register Star and Freeport Journal-Standard: ccurry@rrstar.com; @corinacurry

This article originally appeared on Journal Standard: $11M investment in Freeport shopping center will bring new stores