Hi-Five Sports to Leave Northbrook Court, Another Setback for Struggling Mall

Hi-Five Sports, the recreational sports facility that has pulled hundreds of families into Northbrook Court over the past several years, is packing up and leaving the mall this fall.

The company told families in an email sent Sunday that it will move out of its two spaces at Northbrook Court and open new locations elsewhere on the North Shore. The email described the change as an upgrade rather than a retreat, but the departure still removes one of the mall's few remaining draws from a property that has lost tenants for years.

Hi-Five Sports Zone, the company's original operation inside the mall, opened in 2017 in a 14,000-square-foot space on the second level that once housed Sports Authority, which closed in 2016. The Zone includes an indoor basketball court and several other activity areas built for kids ages 2 to 14, offering sports and gymnastics camps, classes, clinics and birthday parties. In 2024, Hi-Five expanded into a second space in the mall for a movement studio focused on tumbling and gymnastics.

Both spaces are now closing. According to the email, the movement studio will reopen at 600 Waukegan Road in time for the start of fall programming on Aug. 24. The Sports Zone doesn't have a permanent replacement site yet; Hi-Five said it's developing new locations and will run classes and clinics out of venues in Deerfield, Northbrook and Highland Park in the meantime. The company also said it plans to open additional locations in Glenview, Northfield and Glencoe. No exact move-out date for the Northbrook Court space has been announced.

"We surprised everyone when we launched the Hi-Five Sports Zone concept in 2017," the email read. "We did it again with the Hi-Five Movement Studio in 2024. Now, both venues are getting the full 2.0 treatment with new and upgraded equipment, plus enhancements we've been developing behind the scenes every day."

The framing doesn't change what it means for the mall itself. Northbrook Court has been shedding tenants for years, and dozens of storefronts inside sit empty. As of July, the mall's remaining occupants included Neiman Marcus, White House Black Market, Gap, AMC Theaters and the restaurant DiPescara. Hi-Five had drawn repeat visits from parents dropping off kids for camps, clinics and birthday parties, a different pattern than the one-time shopper traffic most mall tenants rely on.

Attempts to redevelop the property have moved slowly. Mall owner Brookfield Properties has been working with the village of Northbrook on a plan to convert much of the site into housing, with commercial space to follow later. In 2025, village officials confirmed Brookfield had asked to proceed with its most recent residential proposal for the property. Northbrook Village President Kathryn Ciesla said at the time that the village remained "enthusiastic about the long-term vision for this project and its potential to transform Northbrook Court into a vibrant, mixed-use destination."

The plan has not moved to construction. Northbrook Court continues to lose tenants, including one of its more consistent sources of foot traffic in Hi-Five. Neiman Marcus, one of the anchor department stores, publicly denied rumors last year that it planned to close.

Neither Northbrook Court nor Hi-Five Sports had responded with additional comment as of publication. Families who use the Sports Zone can expect programming to continue at the temporary Deerfield, Northbrook and Highland Park venues while Hi-Five finalizes its new North Shore locations, with the movement studio's move to 600 Waukegan Road set for Aug. 24.