@billybob :
If I remember right, they closed the GP location before moving to EP. I was only there once, when they were still at GP.

I'm actually really surprised this particular store is in trouble. Everytime I make it out there they are pretty busy. Know someone who works in the Lancome counter there and they said it's one of the top performing counters in the nation. I'd hate to see it go.

@froggy Do you happen to know if they own the Grand Prairie store or is it leased space?

@billybob : It's leased

@billybob : No idea.

The auction is TODAY
"MILWAUKEE -- A joint bid by two liquidation firms will be the starting point for bidding Monday in the bankruptcy auction of Bon-Ton Stores.
Bon-Ton, the parent company of [Bergner's,] Boston Store, Younkers and other department store brands, has designated an undisclosed bid by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners as the baseline bid, according to a court filing Friday. That means it is the top bid to date, and sets the floor for bidding in Monday's auction of the company and its assets.
Hilco and Gordon Brothers are part of a group that is running the going-out-of-business sales for Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores in the U.S.
Asked whether any of the bids submitted for Bon-Ton were from firms that want to keep operating the company, Bon-Ton issued a statement: "We are making every effort to sustain Bon-Ton as a going concern.""

Update by @cjsummers:
www.peoria.com/msg/l ooks-like-bon-ton-go ing-bye-bye.php?p=11 43966

Sounds like it will be official tomorrow. ALL stores owned by Bon-Ton (including the Bergner's stores in Peoria, Pekin, and Bloomington) will likely be closing within the next 45 days.

Well, it's official.
This is very sad news.
www.week.com/story/3 7985464/bergners-par ent-company-will-clo se-all-us-store

It's going to be hard to fill those big retail spots vacated by the Bergners stores, especially by other chain retailers, because of all the online shopping. I'm sure Bergners will still have a website to order goods from?

@DennisinPeoria :
I don't think so. My understanding is that they will be liquidating ALL assets.

I heard Von Maur was interested in coming here back when Grand Prairie was first being built but we wouldn't give them a tax incentive. Well we hand them out like candy now so maybe we can still get there over here!

@lanestar7 At the time, was Von Maur in Bloomington/Normal or did they open there after passing on Grand Prairie?
If they did come to Peoria now they would be holding all the cards in talks with the city.

@lanestar7 :
Let's hope that the owners of the Shoppes at Grand Prairie are already in talks with the owners of Von Maur. VM has a history of moving into mall spaces vacated by other department stores. I'm generally not in favor of tax incentives, but I'd make an exception in this case.