Recreation by the Yard

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the October 2022 issue.

As shopping malls across the country continue to search for ways to remain relevant in the age of online retail, Fox Valley Mall in Aurora is focusing some of its efforts on what goes on outside its walls with a new open-air plaza called Fox Yard. Located on the site of the old Sears store and intended as a community gathering place for both shoppers and residents of the under-construction Lumen Apartments complex, the one-acre landscaped grassy space, set to open this fall, will include a half-mile-long walking trail, a dog park, picnic-style seating, a variety of lawn games, a new artistic fox mural, and a large stage for events. —M.L.

Photo courtesy of Torti Gallas + Partners