Another new store opens inside Westfield Old Orchard's massive former Lord & Taylor space

Zara, Pottery Barn, Arhaus and Puttshack will all open at the former Lord & Taylor space

Furniture and design brand Arhaus has opened at Westfield Old Orchard Mall in Skokie inside the newly renovated space once occupied by a Lord & Taylor department store.

The furniture store officially opened to the public Friday, according to an announcement from the mall. It's one of four highly-anticipated tenants taking over the massive space, which was recently redeveloped into a multi-unit building flush with floor to ceiling windows.

Provided by Reztark Design Studio

European fashion brand ZARA was the latest store to open inside the remodeled building, with Puttshack set to also open there in 2024. In the fall, Pottery Barn is set to relocate from its current store in the mall and become a tenant.

The opening comes as part of an ambitious plan the mall announced in 2022 to make Westfield Old Orchard the "preeminent live, work, shop, and play destination on the North Shore."

“As a top destination on the North Shore, we remain focused on creating a suburban oasis that has everything that the city offers and more—where you can shop top fashion, dine at the best restaurants and enjoy the latest in entertainment in a lush, outdoor environment unlike anything else in Chicagoland," senior general manager of Westfield Old Orchard Serge Khalimsky said in previous press release.

According to officials, the plan also includes a public park, health and wellness amenities and a sprawling apartment complex with approximately 400 luxury units.

Other suburban malls, including Golf Mill Town Center Mall in Niles, are also seeing major redevelopment.

Last week, the village held public open houses and unveiled renderings of what Golf Mill's $450 million project is expected to look like, which includes completely rebuilt stores, restaurants, luxury apartments --- and even a new water mill.

Officials described the redevelopment of the decades-old mall -- once anchored by department stores like Sears, Roebuck & Co. -- as a "renaissance."

Meanwhile, other suburban malls recently shuttered good.

In February, Spring Hill Mall, in West Dundee announced that it will, with some exceptions, "close its doors permanently" March 22. Demolition on the mall is set to begin this summer.

Less than a month later, on April 21, Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale shuttered. The mall announced the closure at the end of March.