Park Forest Plaza

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Park Forest Plaza was a shopping center in Park Forest, Illinois. It opened in 1949 and was developed by Philip M. Klutznick, a prominent Jewish community leader who later served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The architects were Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett.

It was one of the first large regional shopping centers built after World War II and served as the village’s downtown. Klutznick followed design ideas similar to those of developer James W. Rouse. The center’s open courtyard featured a distinctive clock tower that became a symbol of both the plaza and the village. Its grassy, tree-lined spaces gave it an airy feel most of the year.

The plaza was anchored by Marshall Field's, Sears, and Goldblatt's. In the early 1970s, a new, larger indoor mall in nearby Matteson drew shoppers away. Park Forest Plaza lasted until 1996, when Field's closed and Sears moved to Lincoln Mall.

The village then converted what remained into a downtown area with local shops, a banquet hall, a cultural arts center, a dance studio, a movie theater, a senior housing community, and Village Hall. Single-family homes are being built on the outskirts.