"No surface is being left untouched," Ramis Memishi of Five Kings Properties told The Hinsdalean this month about Gateway Square, the center near York Road and Ogden Avenue. It's a bold line for a property where, so far, every surface is the same. The courtyard, signs, parking lot and lighting are all still waiting on Village approvals.
The storefronts are a different story. Since August, a children's bookstore, a party decor shop and a planned wellness spa have signed on at 777 N. York Road. One longtime tenant tripled its space. Gateway Square is being rebuilt in reverse order: the businesses came first, and the renovation is scheduled for 2027. For Hinsdale residents, that means the reason to stop there has already arrived. The new paint hasn't.
A 1985 center that needed new tenants first
Gateway Square opened in 1985. It's two one-story buildings with about 38,800 square feet of space and 246 parking spaces, according to Village planning records. At a February 2024 Economic Development Commission meeting, members noted business closures at the center, and Village staff had been working to help fill the empty spaces.
Five Kings Properties bought the center in 2025. Memishi presented conceptual redevelopment plans to the EDC in May. He is direct about where things stand. "The space was very tired. There was a lot of deferred maintenance that needed to be addressed right away," he told The Hinsdalean.
That history explains why the tenant news matters more than the renovation news right now. A repaved lot can't bring people back to a center on its own. Shops that host storytimes, birthday parties and spa appointments give people a reason to park there and walk in.
Who is in the courtyard this fall
All three new arrivals are businesses where you have to show up in person.
The Book Nook opened on Aug. 12. Owner Alison Kozlow has lived in Hinsdale since February 2020, and she told The Hinsdalean the idea came from her mother. "That week I created an LLC," she said. The shop is decorated in blue and green with whimsical wall art. It carries classic and recent picture books and chapter books, plus stuffed animals and book bags. Kozlow chose every title herself. You can rent the store for birthday parties and book club meetings, and she plans to add book subscriptions, drop-in events and author readings. The shop's event calendar lists a Storytime on Friday, Oct. 2, from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Paris312 sold party decor online for 10 years before opening this store. An earlier storefront in Lincoln Park closed several years ago. Co-founder and COO Niku Ghalkhani said the company had outgrown that space when COVID hit. Its production center in Chicago's West Town neighborhood is still running. The Hinsdale store has two sides. The retail space faces the courtyard. The production side faces the parking lot and holds giant helium tanks and bins of ribbon, confetti, tassels and balloons, including 20 shades of teal and blue alone. The store sells balloons, fresh flowers, backdrops, gifts and favors, and the team can handle setup and teardown for an event. "Our goal is to really be the go-to for all your small and medium-sized events," Ghalkhani said.
Sage Wellness Sanctuary is the third arrival, and it hasn't opened yet. Its website still says "Opening October 2026" and gives no exact date or hours. Owner Bianca Castlebuono will run about 2,800 square feet of space. The Hinsdale Village Board approved a special use permit for the spa on Jan. 20 by a 4-0 vote. Plans include a meditation and movement studio, private contrast therapy suites, a wellness retail boutique, an elixir bar, workshops and membership packages.
Two existing tenants round out the picture. I Design Salon & Blow Dry Bar, owned by Michele Zayed, moved to a larger unit in the center in February and tripled its size. The new space has a Davines Signature Head Spa and a lash and brow bar. IMPACT Physical Therapy is in Unit 11 and offers physical therapy, athletic training and recovery services.
Kozlow pointed out that every business that opened at Gateway Square in the past year is woman-owned. "We are partnering to make sure we bring Gateway back to its glory days," she said.
Hours worth knowing before you go
| Business | Weekdays | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Book Nook | Wed–Fri, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Mon–Tue | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. |
| Paris312, #1B | Tue–Fri, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Mon | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. |
| IMPACT Physical Therapy, Unit 11 | Mon–Thu, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. | Closed | Closed |
| Sage Wellness Sanctuary | Opening October 2026; hours not yet posted |
The two shops overlap on Wednesday through Friday afternoons and on Saturdays before 3 p.m. Both are closed on Mondays.
What the 2027 work covers, and what it still needs
The plan has four parts: a rebuilt courtyard, new signs and colors, a repaved parking lot and new lighting. Memishi said Five Kings is working with the Village on the approvals needed before work can start. "We are aiming for the entire project to be completed next year," he said. So far, that's a goal. No construction start date has been announced.
The plan is aimed as much at people passing by as at shoppers. Memishi said he wants the center to be "more inviting for people who are driving by, people who might be walking around the street." That fits a property facing York Road, where most people see it from a car.
There's also talk of a new name. After the May presentation, EDC members suggested the center consider calling itself "Gateway on York." For now that's only a suggestion, and the center is still Gateway Square.
The empty spaces are about evenings
The new tenants explain the daytime. The vacancies explain what's still missing. Two empty spaces top the leasing list: the former Hua Ting and the two-story building that was Fox's Pizza until 2018. "We think there is such incredible potential to include restaurants that can thrive throughout the day but also into the evening," Memishi said.
The hours in the table above show the gap he means. On weekdays, the new shops close at 5 p.m. and IMPACT closes by 7 p.m. On weekends, everything listed is closed by 5 p.m. Filling those two restaurant spaces is what would keep the center busy after dark. The courtyard and lighting work in the 2027 plan is designed for those hours too.
One note for anyone searching: Egg Harbor Cafe's Hinsdale location is not part of this story. It moved downtown to 29 E. First St. in 2021.
An October that runs through both ends of town
Gateway Square's new tenants keep daytime hours. Many of Hinsdale's October events are on Saturdays in the village center, so it's easy to plan a morning on York Road around them. Here's the calendar:
- Thursday, Oct. 8: Chamber Wine Walk, 5–8 p.m. You'll sample wine at downtown businesses. It starts as The Book Nook and Paris312 close, so plan any shopping for earlier in the afternoon.
- Monday, Oct. 12: Final Hinsdale Farmers Market, 7 a.m.–1 p.m. This is the last market of the 50th season, at Burlington Park, 30 E. Chicago Ave. Both new Gateway shops are closed on Mondays. Read more about the market's history in our post on the farmers market Hinsdale built to fight back.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: Fall Sidewalk Sale, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The sale runs along downtown streets. Paris312 opens at 9 a.m. that day and The Book Nook at 10, so you can stop at Gateway on the way.
- Sunday, Oct. 18: Pumpkin Decorating at the Zook, 10 a.m.–noon. The Hinsdale Historical Society hosts it at the Zook Studio in KLM Park, 5901 S. County Line Road. It's $10 per person, and registration is on the Society's website.
- Friday, Oct. 23: A Haunting at The Community House, 5–9 p.m. Held at 415 W. Eighth St., it includes a haunted house recommended for ages 8 and up, plus games and crafts. Tickets are $15.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Hinsdale Family Fall Fest, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. This free Village event is at Hinsdale Middle School, 100 S. Garfield Ave., with trick-or-treating at participating downtown businesses. There will be inflatables, food trucks and crafts, and the first 500 participants get a pumpkin. For the costume contest, check in at the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce table between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
For a costume finishing touch or party supplies before the Oct. 24 festival, Paris312 opens at 9 a.m. that Saturday, two hours before the fest begins. Sage Wellness Sanctuary may also be open by the end of the month, but check its website before planning a visit.
For more on the village center, see our summer walk through Hinsdale's First Street and our Hinsdale neighborhood guide.
A refreshed shopping center a few minutes away changes what nearby buyers see when they look at a house on the north end of Hinsdale. If you live near York Road and are wondering how changes like the Gateway Square renovation might affect your home's value, The Schiller Team can walk you through it. Request a free home valuation from Hinsdale's local experts.