MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. (WTVO) — Businesses are bringing new life to a long-abandoned stateline mall.

A new self-storage facility has moved into the space. There will be a bar and gaming parlor coming to to the area as well.

The owners are excited to be part of growing the Machesney Park community.

“We call it vacancy to vibrancy,” said David Flaherty, CEO and president of Nestory Park Self Storage. “It’s just amazing to see what the transformation of something like this can do for a community.”

The area of the old Machesney Park Mall is back in business after decades of vacancy. Community members and nearby businesses celebrated the opening of Nestory on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“I think the more that you bring new businesses, fresh ideas, people that are thinking outside of the box, you bring it down here, people are going to show up,” said Rory Colwell, president of Benny’s @ Nest.

There are plans for a bar with gaming to open in the space next door. It will have a patio for outdoor events and live entertainment.

“Rory, my partner at Benny’s and his brother and his teammate, I mean, they run a first-class operation,” Flaherty said. “They have young people, older people have a place to come and have fun. It’s going to be a big, big deal for this whole area.”

It is another way to drive people to the revitalized area.

“We think we can bring people from around the community, whether that’s from Beloit, Wisconsin, whether it’s from Rockford, Loves Park, Belvidere… You know, you start bringing the stateline community down here because there’s a place that that they want to come and visit. That’s what we’re looking to do,” Colwell said. “And, as people start to come to this area and it attracts more business, hopefully we’ll see the rest of the space get filled up.”

The business owners are excited to grow together.

“The community is all about, you know, leaning in and helping one another, and we’re taking full advantage of helping everybody, and they’re helping us,” Flaherty said.

The owners hope to work with Machesney Park officials to continue to bring new business to the open lots.