HARVEY, Ill., Feb. 17
- A commercial developer from Chicago said it has plans to rebuild a mall in Harvey, Ill., more famous for a movie car chase than for merchandise.
The Dixie Square Mall was the setting for an indoor car chase in the movie “The Blues Brothers,” staring comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.
The mall had closed in 1979, a year before the movie was made. Prior to that, it had only a brief history as a retail hub, having opened in 1966 and fallen on hard times only a decade later, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.
MG Development South LLC attorney Thomas Planera said the new five-year plan for the 35-acre property includes big-box stores and local retailers.
Delays are possible because of a pending lawsuit over environmental concerns brought by Attorney General Lisa Madigan against the previous developer and the City of Harvey, the Tribune said.
Other than that, “this is more than a campaign promise, when you talk about the demolition of Dixie Square,” said Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg.
“We have made history,” he said.