DD's Discounts Leads Joliet Shopping Center's Remarkable Revival

JOLIET, IL — Just one year — and two days — after Joliet's once shaky North Ridge Plaza along Larkin Avenue opened the first Portillo's Pickup restaurant in the entire nation, a rapidly expanding retail store is opening its doors: dd's Discounts.

DD's Discounts fills the vacancy created in 2020 when Marshall's left the North Ridge Plaza to open a new store near the Mariano's supermarket on Route 59 in Shorewood.

Back then, the North Ridge Plaza had fallen on hard times; the Ultra Foods grocery had been closed for three years. And when Joliet's Black Lives Matter George Floyd demonstrations on Jefferson Street turned violent, Joliet's North Ridge Plaza became the central gathering point for vandals and looters.

Since the property destruction and loss of merchandise, North Ridge Plaza has undergone a dramatic transformation —all for the better.

One of the first major events was the August 2021 demolition of the IHOP restaurant. Amid the ruins, the Portillo's Pickup was built at 1444 N. Larkin, featuring a triple drive-thru. The Portillo's celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 1, 2022.

"Joliet's a great town," Michael Portillo told Joliet Patch that day. "My dad always has been an innovator and 39 years ago, we opened our first drive-thru, Downers Grove, and here we are."

VASA Fitness Opens Right After Portillo's

Ten days after Joliet's first Portillo's opened, VASA Fitness opened inside the old Ultra Foods.

During the past year, VASA Fitness has established itself as one of the main anchor tenants for the entire North Ridge Plaza.

On Tuesday afternoon, despite frigid temperatures, the VASA Fitness parking lot was packed. Joliet's VASA Fitness at 1590 Larkin Ave. has already racked up 420 Google Reviews in less than a year, averaging 4.4 stars out of 5.

"It's truly incredible to see the revitalization of the North Ridge Plaza," Joliet realtor, Brian Bessler of Karges Realty, told Joliet Patch.

During the 1980s, the plaza was anchored by a Cub Foods grocery store.

On Tuesday, Bessler told Patch, "the shopping center is, without a doubt, the most successful it's ever been in its 30-plus year history. It's great to see so many national and regional brands continue their investments in our city."

This weekend, dd's Discounts takes over the empty Marshall's, leaving the shopping center with few remaining empty storefronts.

DD's Discounts Grand Opening Saturday

Employees told Joliet Patch that dd's Discounts will have a soft opening on Friday and its grand opening on Saturday morning.

According to its website, the new dd's Discounts store for Joliet will be open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. this Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. for Saturday's grand opening gala and 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. At the moment, the company's website did not list the Joliet store's regular hours for next week. The first dd’s Discounts opened in 2004.

"We’re part of the Ross Family, so our buyers know all about delivering great deals every day on clothing shoes home decor fashions toys and much, much more. We have the looks and brands you love at prices well below other retailers," the dd's Discount website informs shoppers.

Besides the new store in Joliet, there are dd's Discounts across Illinois in: Bolingbrook, Aurora, Markham, Burbank, Hillside, Morgan Park, Melrose Park, Cicero, West Chatham, Calumet City, Chicago's Stony Island, River Grove, Chicago's Brickyard, Hanover Park, Chicago's Portage Park, Niles and Waukegan.

"We’re all about giving you amazing deals on the hottest fashions and quality home merchandise so it’s no surprise that dd’s stands for Deep Discounts! You won’t believe the prices," the growing Chicago area retail outlet's website informs shoppers.

The remake of the North Ridge Plaza includes two more noteworthy retail stores that will open in the coming weeks — plus a highly anticipated new Starbucks coffeehouse now in the final stages of construction, a short distance from the Portillo's Pickup along Larkin Avenue.

The Discovery Clothing Company has a Coming Soon banner above the Sky Wig & Beauty location. Sky Wig is moving three doors down in the same plaza. Discovery Clothing Company will be next to the Skechers Outlet store.

"We carry the hottest fashions at the most affordable prices, and many you can't get anywhere else. Clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories ... You'll break hearts, not the bank," the Discovery Clothing Company proclaims.

American Freight Furniture Coming To Joliet Too

In addition to dd's Discounts, Discovery Clothing Company and the Starbucks, the south corner of the Hobby Lobby store is being remodeled this winter. That corner of the building will be used by American Freight: Furniture, Mattress Appliance store.

The grand opening for the American Freight Furniture is probably still a few months away, employees at Hobby Lobby told Patch.

According to its website, American Freight started in 1994 and now has more than 360 locations in 38 states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. American Freight states that it "offers exceptional customer service and a one-stop-shop for quality furniture, mattresses and appliances at everyday low prices."

Below are some photos of Joliet's North Ridge Plaza taken on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The other photos were taken in 2018 and in 2020, when the plaza was on hard times.