Four Illinois State University art students are helping McLean County residents picture a vastly different future for the 53-acre Eastland Mall property in Bloomington, Illinois. As the mostly vacant complex prepares for a sale to a new developer, a collaborative community engagement project has transformed abstract public ideas into detailed drawings.
WGLT Content Director Ryan Denham initiated the public consultation project to spark renewed local conversation regarding the high-profile retail footprint. According to reporting by news.illinoisstate.edu, the radio station gathered community proposals and selected five distinct concepts for the students to illustrate, making the broad possibilities feel more tangible for residents.
The property’s physical and economic decline has weighed on the community for years. In an October 2025 property tax appeal report prepared by law firm Siegel Jennings and obtained by wglt.org, mall owner CBL Properties noted that revenues dropped steadily between 2022 and 2024, driven largely by the shift toward online shopping.
Turning Public Submissions Into Detailed Visuals
Working alongside professor Mike Wille of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, student artists Hayden Engelsman, Troian Fresia, Abbey Rademacher, and Loris Tonella met weekly starting in August to tackle the illustrations. Rather than dividing the five concepts among themselves, the artists shared the workload across every single drawing to blend their distinct strengths.
The community-submitted visions brought to life by the student team include:
- The Eastland Grow Hub, featuring vertical farming and indoor farmers markets
- Eastland Flats, a pocket neighborhood designated for adults over 55 and individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities
- Eastland Speedway, proposing a racetrack layout
- A family fun center and public park concept known as Eastland Commons
Gagandeep Singh, a Bloomington resident who moved to the area from Rhode Island in 2020, submitted the Grow Hub concept after noticing a lack of accessible organic produce options in a region surrounded by farmland. His proposal envisions transforming anchor stores into vertical agricultural operations that partner with local university programs.
When we moved here we were slightly disappointed because we saw the infrastructure here, but just a couple of stores that were open and serving,
Singh said, as reported by wglt.org.
Balancing Artistic Instincts Under Real-World Deadlines
For the student creators, the project offered a rare glimpse into professional design constraints. Junior Abbey Rademacher, an art education and drawing major from Bloomington who has visited the mall since childhood, noted that collaboration required stepping back from individual creative control.
The biggest thing I learned from this experience is compromise,
Rademacher told news.illinoisstate.edu. As someone who tends to try and take control of group projects, it was a good challenge for me to take a step back and let everyone take control.
Senior studio art major Troian Fresia echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that teamwork helped offset individual weaknesses while meeting the expectations of a public audience. Professor Wille praised the students’ dedication, noting that the assignment gave them valuable experience applying perspectival drawing skills outside classroom walls.
Uncertainty Ahead for the 736,000-Square-Foot Site
While the student illustrations do not dictate the official future of the 736,000-square-foot facility, they provide a concrete visual reference for local discussions. Residents driving past the aging structure have increasingly viewed the empty storefronts as an eyesore and wonder if traditional retail is still viable for the space.
With CBL Properties seeking to part with the property, the ultimate path forward rests entirely with the incoming developer. McLean County officials have not yet decided if the site will transition toward residential housing, culinary spaces, or community agriculture.
