Livonia Mall
Encyclopedia
Livonia Marketplace is a shopping mall
in the Detroit suburb of Livonia, Michigan
. Opened in 2010, the center is anchored by Sears and Wal-Mart
. It occupies the site of the former Livonia Mall, which was an enclosed mall built in 1964. Livonia Mall lost the majority of its tenants in the 2000s, including its previous anchor stores of Crowley's
(later Value City
), Mervyns
and Children's Palace
. The mall was closed in May 2008, with only the Sears remaining from the old property.
Livonia Mall remained largely unchanged until the mid-1970s. A movie theater
was added in the Crowley's wing. Also in 1981, a new wing ending in a Mervyns
department store was added. Children's Palace
, a toy store chain, was added to the west end of the mall in 1989. This store closed three years later and was eventually converted to a paintball
arena which closed in the mid-2000s. Value City
bought the Crowley's store and two other mall-based Crowley's stores (at Universal Mall
and Macomb Mall
) in 2000, operating these as Crowley's Value City but later removing the Crowley's name. Konover Properties bought the mall in 2005.
In the 2000s, Livonia Mall lost the majority of its stores due to competition from newer malls nearby, and thus became a dead mall
. By 2007, Dollar Tree
, Gamestop
, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Foot Locker
were the only national chains with a presence there (besides the anchor stores), and the remaining tenants were local, independent shops. The mall also lost its Mervyns store in early 2006 when the chain exited Michigan. Konover Properties announced plans in 2007 for a possible redevelopment of the mall, including the addition of a new big box retailer. Originally, plans called for the demolition of everything but the Sears and Value City stores. Value City subsequently closed in March 2008 when the chain went out of business, and the entire mall was shuttered except for Sears and Jo-Ann Fabrics on May 31, 2008. Demolition began in February 2009.
supercenter as a second anchor. Wal-Mart opened in August 2010 along with RadioShack
; other proposed tenants include Great Clips, a Verizon dealer, a Dots clothing store and a coney island
restaurant.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in the Detroit suburb of Livonia, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
. Opened in 2010, the center is anchored by Sears and Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
. It occupies the site of the former Livonia Mall, which was an enclosed mall built in 1964. Livonia Mall lost the majority of its tenants in the 2000s, including its previous anchor stores of Crowley's
Crowley's
Crowley Milner and Company, generally referred to as Crowley's, was a department store chain founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1909. After several years of financial difficulties, the company ceased operation in 1999 and its assets were sold....
(later Value City
Value City
Value City was an American discount department store chain with 113 locations. It was founded in 1917 by Ephraim Schottenstein, a travelling salesman in central Ohio. The store was an off-price retailer that sold clothing, jewelry, and home goods below the manufacturer suggested retail price...
), Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
and Children's Palace
Child World
Child World was an American chain of toy stores that was founded in Avon, Massachusetts in 1970. Child World once boasted 182 stores and revenues of approximately $830 million annually...
. The mall was closed in May 2008, with only the Sears remaining from the old property.
History
Livonia Mall opened in 1964 as the second mall to be constructed in Livonia. Livonia Mall was one of the first two enclosed shopping malls to open in the State of Michigan and included two grocery stores, a doctors' office and a dental office. The mall was developed by Jack Shenkman as an enclosed mall. At the time of its opening, Detroit's suburbs were expanding, and new shopping malls were being developed in these suburbs. Livonia already featured an open outdoor mall in Wonderland Center (later Wonderland Mall), which opened in 1959 and closed in 2004.Livonia Mall remained largely unchanged until the mid-1970s. A movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
was added in the Crowley's wing. Also in 1981, a new wing ending in a Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
department store was added. Children's Palace
Child World
Child World was an American chain of toy stores that was founded in Avon, Massachusetts in 1970. Child World once boasted 182 stores and revenues of approximately $830 million annually...
, a toy store chain, was added to the west end of the mall in 1989. This store closed three years later and was eventually converted to a paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
arena which closed in the mid-2000s. Value City
Value City
Value City was an American discount department store chain with 113 locations. It was founded in 1917 by Ephraim Schottenstein, a travelling salesman in central Ohio. The store was an off-price retailer that sold clothing, jewelry, and home goods below the manufacturer suggested retail price...
bought the Crowley's store and two other mall-based Crowley's stores (at Universal Mall
Universal Mall
Universal Mall is a redeveloped open-air power center located in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The first phase opened in mid-2009 with Target, Burlington Coat Factory and Petco...
and Macomb Mall
Macomb Mall
Macomb Mall is an enclosed shopping center located in Roseville, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Anchor stores include Babies "R" Us , Kohl's, Old Navy and Sears. Macomb Mall features over 50 inline stores and restaurants, as well as a movie theater...
) in 2000, operating these as Crowley's Value City but later removing the Crowley's name. Konover Properties bought the mall in 2005.
In the 2000s, Livonia Mall lost the majority of its stores due to competition from newer malls nearby, and thus became a dead mall
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
. By 2007, Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree, Inc. is an American chain of discount variety stores that sells every item for $1.00 or less. A Fortune 500 company, Dollar Tree is headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia and operates 4,010 stores throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Its stores are supported by a nationwide...
, Gamestop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
were the only national chains with a presence there (besides the anchor stores), and the remaining tenants were local, independent shops. The mall also lost its Mervyns store in early 2006 when the chain exited Michigan. Konover Properties announced plans in 2007 for a possible redevelopment of the mall, including the addition of a new big box retailer. Originally, plans called for the demolition of everything but the Sears and Value City stores. Value City subsequently closed in March 2008 when the chain went out of business, and the entire mall was shuttered except for Sears and Jo-Ann Fabrics on May 31, 2008. Demolition began in February 2009.
Redevelopment
In September 2008, the Livonia City Council held a meeting to discuss redevelopment plans for the mall. Demolition of the vacant mall began in February 2009, and concluded in August of the same year. The Marketplace opened in mid-2010 with a Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
supercenter as a second anchor. Wal-Mart opened in August 2010 along with RadioShack
RadioShack
RadioShack Corporation is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...
; other proposed tenants include Great Clips, a Verizon dealer, a Dots clothing store and a coney island
Coney Island (restaurant)
A Coney Island is a type of restaurant popular in the northern United States, particularly in Michigan, as well as the name for the chili dog after which the restaurant was named.- Genealogy of the name :...
restaurant.