Myesha JohnsonThe Detroit News
Sterling Heights — Almost as vibrant as it was nearly 50 years ago, Lakeside Mall saw locals filled with nostalgia wandering the two-story landmark Sunday — the final day the once-bustling mall was open to the public.
Dominic Ciolino was one of them, standing outside capturing cellphone video of the exterior of a place where he remembers spending many of his holidays.
"Christmas time was probably my favorite time to come here, and then when I had kids of my own, we'd bring them here," the 55-year-old Sterling Heights resident said. "They'd play in the play area, come and see Santa. It was nice. Sad to see it go."
Ciolino said he and his wife still frequented Lakeside Mall during its decline: "It was sparse the last couple of years; you could see the place starting to empty."
"It was (once) a packed mall. This was like the attraction. They had an ice rink in here, they had a water slide, movie theater. ... There was no malls like that at the time, at least not here," added Ciolino, reflecting back to the late '70s.
Inside Lakeside on Sunday afternoon, people took photos of the mall directory board, an empty ice rink and made videos of remnants. Mallgoers left notes on former mall posters that read: "Goodbye Lakeside :( Thanks for the memories <3," "Lakeside forever in our hearts," and "I love this mall, so very sad for your new plan."
Built in 1976, Lakeside lost anchor stores Sears in 2018 and Lord & Taylor in 2019, with similar departures plaguing shopping centers elsewhere in Michigan and across the country. Anchor retailers drive traffic to malls, and without them, smaller stores struggle, cracking the mall business model and pushing owners to consider alternatives for the properties.
The 110-acre mall site at Hall and Schoenherr will be transformed into a mixed-use development, the latest Metro Detroit shopping landmark to succumb to shifting retail trends. Lakeside's new incarnation is expected to feature residences, retail stores, dining, parks, a hotel and office space. Groundbreaking on the development, called Lakeside Town Center, is set for late 2025, according to the developer.
Developers have touted Lakeside's planned Town Center as an area that will be bustling with residents living within walking distance to shops, restaurants, offices and coffee houses. Renderings show a central park area that serves as a focal point and gathering space. It is also expected to include a two-story community center with pools and fitness equipment.
Mall transformation has been on the upswing in recent years as retailers push to figure out how to keep consumer attention in a digital age shaped by online shopping and the likes of Amazon.com Inc. One in five U.S. malls will remain shopping centers, according to experts in "The Mall of the Future" report.
Malls have been rebuilding occupancy rates since the pandemic, according to Coresight Research, but not all have been successful. Even newer properties in growing areas are not immune to the shopping evolution.
The Mall at Partridge Creek has had to contend with two large empty anchor spaces after losing two department stores: Carson’s in 2018 and Nordstrom in 2019.
The mall, owned by Florida-based Starwood Capital Group, went into receivership in 2021 after defaulting in 2019 on its mortgage that includes three other properties in other states. The receivership happened amid a global pandemic and the growth of online shopping.
Another longtime Metro Detroit mall, Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, is struggling to hang on amid store closures. Such malls as Eastland Center in Harper Woods and Northland Center in Southfield have shuttered, with their sites being redeveloped. Oakland Mall in Troy and Fairlane Town Center are under new ownership.
Others are now gone. The former Eastland Center in Harper Woods, which closed in 2021, is now home to an industrial complex with its first tenant, automotive supplier Thai Summit. And the former Northland Center, which closed in 2015, is the site of a mixed-use development under construction in Southfield.
Locals speculate the e-commerce boom is why Lakeside is closing its doors. For people who like the tangible shopping experience, it's disheartening to know that only the attached JCPenney and two Macy's flagship stores would remain open during and after construction.
Suzie Thomas, 48, of Clinton Township and her daughter, Ashley, 22, were among those gawking at the site Sunday afternoon: "It's the end of an era," Ashley Thomas said.
Suzie Thomas' first job was at Hudson's, which is now occupied by Macy's, sorting hangers when she was 19 years old. She kept the job for a few years. Ashley remembers playing floor games in the children's area and shopping for back-to-school items with her mom every year.
"I wish it wasn't going to close," Suzie Thomas said. "If there was stuff here, I'd still come."
The closure means that mall walkers Mary Ann Carmichael, 66, of Chesterfield Township and Wanda Monteleone, 66, of Sterling Heights will need to find a new space for the activity they've been doing for about four years. They were dressed in active wear Sunday afternoon, getting their last laps around the building.
"I used to shop here all the time with my mom. We'd stop at Sander's every time we went shopping; we'd stop and have a cream puff fudge," said Carmichael of Chesterfield. "The mall used to be so crowded. ... This was the first time we've seen this many people in ages."
mjohnson@detroitnews.com
@_myeshajohnson
