Dead Metro Detroit Malls *Universal, Livonia and Summit Place Mall pictures included*

[ASR89]

A while ago, there was a thread about Livonia Mall. It had maybe 70+ posts, but towards the end, it turned into city-suburbs debate. I was going to post some pictures that someone requested, but never got to it. I passed by the former Livonia Mall yesterday and it made me think about the subject of "dead" or former Metro Detroit malls. So I uploaded and compiled a lot of pictures that I took. Two of the malls don't exist anymore.

The 200+ pictures of Livonia Mall, Universal Mall and Summit Place Mall can be seen at:

http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n...bad89/?start=0

UM = Universal Mall
LM = Livonia Mall
SPM = Summit Place Mall

First, there is the Universal Mall in Warren, on the first page. It closed last summer. I went with someone else and checked it out a couple days before it closed. Most stores were closed by then except for Burlington Coat Factory, a few clothing stores and an arcade.

Then from page 1 until 4 is Livonia Mall. The first of three Livonian malls was closed a few years ago, Wonderland Mall. That has since been redeveloped. They plan to do the same here. Only Sears and the cool mall sign were left on that site. When I passed by yesterday, everything else was completely leveled with only dirt left. I went maybe two days before it closed last summer. A couple months prior, the mall was still on life support at maybe 15% occupancy. It was dark and there was a buzzing sound as I passed through the halls.

From the end of page 4 until 6 is Summit Place Mall in Waterford on the border of Pontiac. Supposedly, it was originally very small but grew to 1.4 million square feet in the early 90s, making it the largest Michigan Mall for a while. I know Twelve Oaks is over 1.5 million sq ft now. Unlike the others, Summit Place is still open, but it was really vacant and dark. It's amazing to think that at one time, it was completely full. I read that as of April, it is now 96% vacant.

Discussion is welcome.

[artds]

These malls served their purpose and they all thrived in their day; but times change, and like everything else, retail must change with the times. New concepts like mixed-use developments are now all the rage.

[R8RBOB]

Growing up back in the day, I remember going to malls like Tel-Twelve, Wonderland, Livonia and Northland. Tel-Twelve isn't really a mall anymore. Wonderland and Livonia no longer exist and Northland is on last rites. Funny how these gathering places turned into ghost towns.

[Roq]

New concepts like mixed-use developments are now all the rage.

That is what is happening to Universal. I drove by the other day and the Target looks about ready to open [[if it hasn't already) and the Del-Taco facing Dequindre looks open. I haven't heard what the other stores will be yet.

[DetroitDad]

These malls served their purpose and they all thrived in their day; but times change, and like everything else, retail must change with the times. New concepts like mixed-use developments are now all the rage.

Lodgedodger, what happened to you? You switched from being likable and giving out hugs, to giving out jeers and calling people out. Where did the old Lodgedodger go?

[LodgeDodger]

Lodgedodger, what happened to you? You switched from being likable and giving out hugs, to giving out jeers and calling people out. Where did the old Lodgedodger go?

Still that lovable old gal. In the future, you might wish to think twice before calling me out concerning my knowledge of the city.

For the record, I've never handed out a "jeer" on this forum.

[daddeeo]

Laurel Park is still buzzing on 6 mile in Livonia.

[DetroitDad]

Great pictures!

Change is always tough, but in this case I think it will prove to be a good thing.

I know Wonderland was once an open air mall. Does anyone know what was on these sites before they were malls?

[LodgeDodger]

Great pictures!

Change is always tough, but in this case I think it will prove to be a good thing.

I know Wonderland was once an open air mall. Does anyone know what was on these sites before they were malls?

And how, will this prove to be a good thing? Summit Place Mall is empty except for the anchors. The only reason the anchors are still open is due to the stores having a direct entrance from outside. The largest retailer around Summit, at this time, is a St. Vincent DePaul store. There is a Target store, but I'm quite sure it won't be in operation long--they currently lose $66K/week to shoplifting.

Tell me how this has the potential to be a good thing, DetroitDad.

[Det_ard]

And how, will this prove to be a good thing? Summit Place Mall is empty except for the anchors. The only reason the anchors are still open is due to the stores having a direct entrance from outside. The largest retailer around Summit, at this time, is a St. Vincent DePaul store. There is a Target store, but I'm quite sure it won't be in operation long--they currently lose $66K/week to shoplifting.

Tell me how this has the potential to be a good thing, DetroitDad.

To the west and south of the mall retail is pretty dead, but to the east [[across Telegraph) there seems to be a lot still. At one point I heard about a proposal for a minor league baseball stadium for the soon-to-be-dead Summit Place Mall site. That'd be cool.

That Target shoplifting figure is insane. $3 million a year? Average sales per store is about $38 million, that particular Target is probably $30 million or less so shrink is 10% of revenue [[assuming the $66k figure is at retail)?? Like I said, insane, if true. Average is probably 2% - 3%. That's enough shrink to put the store out of business if it were a stand-alone.

[LodgeDodger]

The Oakland Pointe shopping area isn't in much better condition. Other than a couple of restaurants, a women's store, some fast-food restaurants, and a huge dollar store, there really isn't much over there to write home about.

The area is dying. I don't understand how it can be 'a good thing'.

As far as the Cruisers team, I've not heard much about them of late.

[Johnlodge]

And how, will this prove to be a good thing? Summit Place Mall is empty except for the anchors. The only reason the anchors are still open is due to the stores having a direct entrance from outside. The largest retailer around Summit, at this time, is a St. Vincent DePaul store. There is a Target store, but I'm quite sure it won't be in operation long--they currently lose $66K/week to shoplifting.

Tell me how this has the potential to be a good thing, DetroitDad.

Sean thinks that if the suburbs die, everybody will move back to the city and his decision to move there will be vindicated. In fact, if that happens then the region as a whole will just die, and the City of Detroit will be even more dead than it is without any surrounding economic activity to share at least some symbiotic benefit with.

And no, Lodgedodger hasn't changed at all from what I've seen. Must be something else.

[LodgeDodger]

Sean thinks that if the suburbs die, everybody will move back to the city and his decision to move there will be vindicated. In fact, if that happens then the region as a whole will just die, and the City of Detroit will be even more dead than it is without any surrounding economic activity to share at least some symbiotic benefit with.

And no, Lodgedodger hasn't changed at all from what I've seen. Must be something else.

Thank you, John. *big hug*

[DetroitDad]

Sean thinks that if the suburbs die, everybody will move back to the city and his decision to move there will be vindicated. In fact, if that happens then the region as a whole will just die, and the City of Detroit will be even more dead than it is without any surrounding economic activity to share at least some symbiotic benefit with.

And no, Lodgedodger hasn't changed at all from what I've seen. Must be something else.

If you think that the suburbs of this country are in any way sustainable, you are living on fantasy island buddy.

[DTWflyer]

Partridge Creek is not performing to expectations for many retailers. Expect a few stores to close when their leases come up for renewal.

[aoife]

If you think that the suburbs of this country are in any way sustainable, you are living on fantasy island buddy.

That statement is ridiculous on so many levels. Clearly you have issues with suburbs, but work it out and grow up. Not every suburb is some crazy built-up ex-urb in the middle of nowhere. I live in a suburb that has been around for over a hundred years- it can be very sustainable if you get the design right and maintain it with good services. And people who actually care about their neighborhood.

[Johnlodge]

If you think that the suburbs of this country are in any way sustainable, you are living on fantasy island buddy.

I'm no fan of uncontrolled sprawl. I live in Ferndale, does this pass your judgement test? People who first lived in these houses built Model-Ts for a living. Is it acceptable for me to raise children here, or will that make me one of your terrible suburban parents whose children are ticking time bombs about to go on a rampage of drugs and violence at any moment simply because of where they live? Err, where was that bus stop shooting again? I just want to make sure my decisions on how and where to raise my family meet the standards of the twenty-something expert. If where I live is cool with you, then maybe we can pass judgement on people who live further out, and talk about how they don't know how to raise their kids, and it will make us feel better about our own decisions.

[Stosh]

If you think that the suburbs of this country are in any way sustainable, you are living on fantasy island buddy.

I can't believe that you actually feel that Detroit is sustainable in it's present shape and form. Why so negative? Just because you have had a bad experience in Suburbia doesn't make it all bad. Hang out in Royal Oak, lots of packs of hipsters there, spouting inanities. You'd feel right at home. And there's even a bus line!

I just love the view from Campus Martius as well, it doesn't mean that me setting up a BBQ in Perrien Park will be as nice. now THAT's an 'urban park". Sure as hell ain't no waterfalls and ponds there.

[ASR89]

DetroitDad - I imagine a lot of malls were fields or farm land. It seems like early malls formed when people moved out of the city into the suburbs. According to the following article, Wonderland was formerly an aiport.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7688544/Na...vonia-Michigan

[rjk]

I'm surprised that Universal lasted as long as it did.
The last time I was there [[early 2000's) it wasn't much more than a flea market.

[Roq]

Speaking of mall/retail development, does anyone know what is going in at the corner of 8 & Dequindre? I was by there tonight and that whole corner has been demolished. I saw a sign was there but didn't catch what it said.

[softailrider]

Speaking of mall/retail development, does anyone know what is going in at the corner of 8 & Dequindre? I was by there tonight and that whole corner has been demolished. I saw a sign was there but didn't catch what it said.

There was some kind of warehouse club there [[not a Cosco or Sam's) about a decade ago. It's been totally vacent for that long. Not sure what's going in. Kind of a dead area in through there.

[Roq]

There was some kind of warehouse club there [[not a Cosco or Sam's) about a decade ago. It's been totally vacent for that long. Not sure what's going in. Kind of a dead area in through there.

Drove by again today and a new retail development is going in [[Gateway something?) anchored by I believe a Video store. Nice to see any kind of new retail in the area.

I snapped a quick pic of the corner:

[jita1]

My mother used to take me to Wonderland Mall when it was an outdoor mall in the 70's. Does anybody remember that? I worked there from 1989 to 1993 then again from 1994-1995. I used to catch the Plymouth bus from Elmhurst and Broadsteet all the way there. I have many fond memories of that place. It was really thriving back then. Sometimes, I would pick up my little check and spend it all at the mall..LOL .

I went there for lunch one Sunday afternoon about a year or so before it closed. It looked like a ghost town. They had just done a major renovation with a brand new food court. There was a brand new Burger King and at least six other restaurants there but they were all closed! There was one Chinese restaurant open for business. I asked one of the people [[I believe the owner) there and he said that business was slow to say the least. He said he was the last one standing.

[Stosh]

Drove by again today and a new retail development is going in [[Gateway something?) anchored by I believe a Video store. Nice to see any kind of new retail in the area.

I snapped a quick pic of the corner:

Here's the Tribune Article describing the project.:
http://dailytribune.com/articles/200...0005515100.txt




By Michael P. McConnell, Daily Tribune Staff Writer

David N. Posavetz/Daily Tribune Developer Peter Najar, left, and Hazel Park City Manager Ed Klobucher stand near the excavating machines that knocked bricks out of the massive and blighted Warehouse Club building on Eight Mile near Dequindre.


Warehouse Club building being demolished to make way for green design.

HAZEL PARK — A longtime commercial eyesore on Eight Mile Road promises to blink back to life with a $12 million redevelopment project.

Two huge yellow excavating machines Thursday took bites out of the empty brick Warehouse Club building, formerly a Federal Department Store.

Hazel Park City Manager Ed Klobucher, Tami Salisbury of the Eight Mile Boulevard Association and developer Pete Najar embraced in a three-way hug as they watched the first bricks fall.

Located at 1727 Eight Mile, the 70,000-square-foot building and massive asphalt parking area cover eight acres. It has been the largest vacant business property

in the city for about a decade and a symbol of unchecked blight near Dequindre where Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties share a border.

"This is a great day for Hazel Park," Klobucher said. "We're pleased to bring some good news to the region."

City and county officials were on hand for a ceremonial celebration and a chance to look at renderings of the new development.

"Full-scale demolition will begin on Monday," Najar said.

The Gateway Crossing development will include a new Sav-A-Lot grocery store, a 49,000-square-foot retail and office building, and a couple of out buildings are planned for the site, Najar said.

He credited Hazel Park with giving the site a brownfield designation and tax breaks totaling $1.4 million to spur the development.

"This is only possible because the City of Hazel Park bent over backwards to help make it happen," Najor said.

The project also got a $500,000 tax incentive from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Highlights of the project include adding 100 trees and shrubs and 600 feet of "bioswales" at the rear of the property. The bioswales include landscaping trees and vegetation on topsoil placed in a drainage ditch that removes silt and pollution from runoff rainwater on the parking lot.

"This will be a very green development," Najor said.

Demolition is expected to take about six weeks with construction set to get under way late this summer.

Salisbury is credited with bringing together city and development players to work out problems to get the project going.

"Historically, the relationship was not always as cozy as it is today," Klobucher said.

Salisbury has said the vacant property contributed to the stigma attached to Eight Mile Road, but the project will help reverse that impression.

Once completed, the Gateway Crossing development is expected to bring about 300 jobs to the city.