Lakeside Mall owner wants to demolish it, build $1 billion mixed-use project

**Airforceguy** · October-28-22, 11:58 AM

This will definitely change the feel of Hall Rd if built, but my question is can Macomb County support it. Especially in the light of the issues with Partridge Creek.

Lakeside Mall owner wants to demolish it, build $1 billion mixed-use project

The project, currently dubbed Lakeside Town Center, would include about 2,800 multifamily housing units, with 750 of those for seniors; 150,000 new square feet of retail and dining space [[in addition to the 400,000 square feet that would remain between the Macy's and JCPenney department stores); 60,000 square feet of office space, and a 120-room hotel with a parking deck.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...oject-proposed

**ShadowSoarer** · October-28-22, 02:00 PM

Imagine if this project and the Northland projects were built inside the Detroit City limits instead. Speaking of large residential projects what is the status on the Brewster Douglas development? In 2018 it was approved by the city and HUD approved the sale in 2019 but has been pretty much quiet ever since.

**Scottathew** · October-28-22, 02:02 PM

https://www.wxyz.com/news/plan-calls...se-development
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**sirrealone** · October-28-22, 02:42 PM

Lakeside was a victim of its own success. It did so well that it attracted retail up and down Hall Road. With so much retail available, spending the day in one building started to out of favor. Online shopping took a bite, and opening Partridge Creek a mile away was probably the point of no return for Lakeside to continue as a major draw.

It seems that the area can support three thriving large-size malls [[Somerset, Twelve Oaks, Great Lakes).

I haven't heard about specific problems with Partridge Creek. What's been happening? It always seemed odd that they would try to push to the outdoor mall model here in Michigan, where our weather seems less than ideal [[though Villages of Rochester Hills seems to be doing just fine).

Good that they're getting in front of things rather than the usual 'dead mall' model of letting it fall to complete ruin before doing something about it.

**EGrant** · October-28-22, 03:20 PM

Malls in general have struggled to compete with online retailers.

**Warrenite84** · October-28-22, 03:32 PM

Partridge Creek lacks anchor stores [[empty), and IMHO should have never been built. Poor forward planning for controlled growth and the self-importance of mall owners being greedy killed the mall concept.

**NSortzi** · October-28-22, 05:02 PM

Good luck with that.

**Danny** · October-28-22, 06:37 PM

Lakeside Mall is dying. It's time for the mall to be demolished and build more super condos and mega lo marts.

**hybridy** · October-29-22, 02:14 PM

No mention of the $116 Million in TIF and taxpayer subsidies being requested. Bend over with that big golden butthole ��

**JBMcB** · November-01-22, 08:30 AM

It's a complicated topic, and there are a bunch of factors that caused the mall industry in general, and lakeside mall in particular, to get into trouble.

For malls in general, in the 90's and 2000's, the large mall operators sucked all the value out of their existing malls to try to expand. Instead of maintaining and updating their existing malls, they used their operating capital to buy new ones. As the malls started becoming dated and foot traffic declined, their operating revenue collapsed. This is pretty much what happened to GCP, and they nearly went bankrupt after the real estate collapse until they were bought out by private equity.

For Lakeside in particular, all of the above happened, as well as the death of their anchor department stores for similar reasons to the malls in general. You also have the issue that M-59 is an absolute disaster on a good day. The other big box stores in the corridor are doing OK.

I think malls still can do well. 12 Oaks and Sommerset are still doing OK. It's nice being able to shop inside during the busiest shopping time in December. It's also nice being able to walk somewhere when it's freezing cold or scorching hot outside.

**K-slice** · November-01-22, 01:14 PM

What are they going to call it, Sprawlsville?

**Gistok** · November-01-22, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

This is pretty much what happened to GCP, and they nearly went bankrupt after the real estate collapse until they were bought out by private equity.

On the DYES forum the acronym GCP = Grand Circus Park.

What other meaning does that acronym stand for?

**Danny** · November-01-22, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

What are they going to call it, Sprawlsville?

Better yet Pleasantville.

Macomb TWP. is sprawlsville already.

**sirrealone** · November-02-22, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

What are they going to call it, Sprawlsville?

They're infilling to create more density. I thought that was a good thing. Or is everything bad no matter what because it's in the suburbs?

**hybridy** · November-02-22, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by sirrealone

They're infilling to create more density. I thought that was a good thing. Or is everything bad no matter what because it's in the suburbs?

It's a very good thing. Here's a precedent project that developer's reference in the current press.

https://www.cnu.org/what-we-do/build...-places/belmar
Belmar: Lakewood, CO

**EGrant** · November-02-22, 03:35 PM

If the developer can pull this off, this will probably be the best mixed use area in all of Macomb County.

It's obviously just a rendering above, but I'd argue that the end result looks better than Belmar, which still has a ton of parking lots. The Lakeside development appears to be denser, although the trees in the rendering seem to be doing a lot of work to hide the surface parking.

**royce** · November-02-22, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

It's a complicated topic, and there are a bunch of factors that caused the mall industry in general, and lakeside mall in particular, to get into trouble.

For malls in general, in the 90's and 2000's, the large mall operators sucked all the value out of their existing malls to try to expand. Instead of maintaining and updating their existing malls, they used their operating capital to buy new ones. As the malls started becoming dated and foot traffic declined, their operating revenue collapsed. This is pretty much what happened to GCP, and they nearly went bankrupt after the real estate collapse until they were bought out by private equity.

For Lakeside in particular, all of the above happened, as well as the death of their anchor department stores for similar reasons to the malls in general. You also have the issue that M-59 is an absolute disaster on a good day. The other big box stores in the corridor are doing OK.

I think malls still can do well. 12 Oaks and Sommerset are still doing OK. It's nice being able to shop inside during the busiest shopping time in December. It's also nice being able to walk somewhere when it's freezing cold or scorching hot outside.

I think another few issues that have caused malls to fall out of favor involve Americans' need for expedience and a need to feel safe. First, a lot of Americans simply don't want to trudge through a huge mall to get what they are looking for. The new strip mall concept made it easier for shoppers to just get out of the car and go straight into a store to buy what they're looking for. Saves time. Then came internet shopping, which made it even more convenient. Now you have curbed-side pick-up, which is another convenience.

The second issue deals with the need to feel safe. Malls began experiencing a lot of unruly behavior initialed by teens. This behavior led to thefts, fights, and shootings. Many Americans stopped shopping at certain malls for safety reasons, and as a result, those malls closed. Well, that's my take on this topic.

**Zacha341** · November-03-22, 05:17 AM

^ Yep. The rowdy-rude-cursing-at-top-volume-teen factor killed my interest for Fairlane witnessing some walking four-five-across pushing shoppers to the walkway edges, or dropping stuff from balconies for fun. I only mall shop early morning hours of operation - never evenings.

The extended forced lock-downs also killed walk-mall-shopping. More order items from the Amazon empire and even eBay.

**Scottathew** · November-03-22, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by K-slice

What are they going to call it, Sprawlsville?

The proposal is way more dense than most of suburbia and it's also mixed-use, which would hopefully cause less road network use and promote walkability.

The proposal has caught my attention. We're going to see a lot of malls being converted. It represents a rare chance to do something different, perhaps something good, in the middle of fully-developed cities like Sterling Heights, Troy, Roseville, and many more across the country.

**mikeg19** · November-03-22, 07:41 AM

I live about 3 miles away down M59 and I've got mixed feelings on this one.

First, elated that the sea of parking lots will be in filled with a dense development that on paper looks like it could be a big win.

Second, terrified what an extra 2800 residential units will add to the daily traffic count on M59 and the surrounding roads. Hall Road in itself is a disaster no matter what time you are travelling on it. The east/west roads aside from 16 Mile & 23 Mile are in no WAY fit to handle a mass vehicle influx as they are all still 2 lane east/west flow.

**Richard** · November-03-22, 07:55 AM

I think there is a difference between development and smart development.

Thats the problem with the burbs,it’s a big Ponzi scheme,they need the influx of new development in order to keep from getting stagnant,they put the new development in and it pays for infrastructure improvements after the fact which pulls the quality of life down in the meantime.

On the west coast of fla it used to be a collection of small communities,or cities on the ocean,now you drive 100 miles in a continuous road that mimics every mile,it’s all the same like they took a rubber stamp and repeated the process.

There is no identity left other then hurry up and wait in traffic.

I would think in this case there has been a traffic impact study that should be available to the public,but they also may be thinking that because it was a mall and it handled that amount of traffic before it may have little impact other then a busy day at the mall.

**Burnsie** · November-03-22, 10:28 AM

It's amusing that the rendering features scores of mature trees. In reality, as usual the owner will plant seedlings which won't get properly watered. 3 years after that, we'll have some trees which will survive. The rest will be either dead or already removed, leaving only their little circles of woodchip mulch.

**Satiricalivory** · November-03-22, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by sirrealone

They're infilling to create more density. I thought that was a good thing. Or is everything bad no matter what because it's in the suburbs?

We do not need density at the very fringe of metro Detroit...

Totally pointless.

**401don** · November-03-22, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

We do not need density at the very fringe of metro Detroit...

Totally pointless.

Seriously? Density is better than sprawl everywhere. It saves on infrastructure costs, is better for the environment, for walkability, less busing of school kids, etc. etc.

**Richard** · November-03-22, 06:15 PM

Density creates sprawl,as soon as you fill that up the people that moved there in order to get away from the density that was created move further out,sprawl.

All you are really doing is repeating the move from the city to the burbs and the burbs move further out as sprawl and the decline follows it.