Muskegon Mall

Muskegon Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in downtown Muskegon, Michigan. Opened in 1976, it closed in 2001 and was torn down for redevelopment.

Muskegon Mall
Aerial view of Muskegon Mall, c. 1976
LocationMuskegon, Michigan, United States
Coordinates43°14′11.99″N 86°15′4.22″W
Address100 Muskegon Mall
Opening dateMarch 27, 1976 (1976-03-27)
Closing dateDecember 2001 (2001-12)
(demolished November 2003)
DeveloperEconomic Development Corp.
ArchitectLandman/Andrews[1]
No. of stores and services60
No. of anchor tenants3
Total retail floor area500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2)[2]
No. of floors1

History

Muskegon Mall construction began in 1974, and the mall opened for business on March 27, 1976.[3] Created by enclosing three blocks of Western Avenue and building a department store at each end - Sears at one end, and Grand Rapids-based Steketee's at the other - the mall also resulted in the closure of parts of First, Second, and Jefferson streets. Incorporated as a third anchor, an existing store, Hardy's, had been in operation since 1881, and its store was partnered with Herpolsheimer's after being rebuilt in 1946.[4]

The most popular shopping center in Muskegon County by 1989,[5] the Hardy's-Herpolsheimer's store closed the same year.[4] By 1992, its space had become Burlington Coat Factory,[6] while the mall was sold to Harold Back and Richard Perlman.[5] The mall continued to lose tenants throughout the 1990s, when retail stores were built along Sternberg Road at US Highway 31 southeast of town.[7]

When The Lakes Mall opened in that area in 2001,[8] Sears relocated there from Muskegon Mall, and Steketee's closed. Muskegon Mall closed in December 2001 and demolition began on the structure in November 2003. The site was used for redevelopment, such as the reopening of Western Avenue to traffic and the construction of new buildings on the former mall site.

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References
  1. "Shopping Center Directory". 24 (2). 1984: 5–343. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. Directory of major malls. MJJTM Publications Corp. 1990. p. 332.
  3. "Downtown History" (PDF). City of Muskegon. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  4. Carlson, Tom. "Hardy's & Grossman's Department Stores" (PDF). Lakeshore Museum. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  5. Franklyn, Mary (November 2, 2009). "Looking Back: Muskegon Mall transformed downtown". The Muskegon Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  6. Directory of Shopping Centers in the United States. 2. National Research Bureau. 1992. pp. 4–386. ISBN 9780912610795.
  7. Alexander, Dave. "From a legal point of view: Jack Briggs says bad timing spoiled opportunities for Muskegon's downtown and waterfront". The Muskegon Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  8. Sanchez, Mark (August 2, 2002). "Locals To Run The Muskegon Mall". Grand Rapids Business Journal. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
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