'Blues Brothers' mall to be demolished

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HARVEY, Ill., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Illinois officials announced plans to demolish a suburban Chicago mall that served as a set for a famous scene in the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers."

Gov. Pat Quinn said Thursday the state is receiving a $4 million federal grant to demolish Dixie Square Mall in Harvey to make way for redevelopment to revitalize the area, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

The mall, which has been vacant for more than 30 years, served as a filming location for the mall car chase scene in "The Blues Brothers."

"Dixie Square has been a place that we know has to change fundamentally," Quinn said. "I look forward to the day real soon when we will have this site cleaned and available for development.

"This is a huge investment in cleaning up Dixie Square. For years and years it has been an eyesore," he said.

Local officials have expressed hopes of replacing the Dixie Square Mall with a new shopping center, but no plans have been finalized.

Officials said the demolition is scheduled to begin in November and will last for about four months.