Wonderland Village
Encyclopedia
Wonderland Village is an outdoor shopping center in Livonia
, Michigan
, United States
, a suburb of Detroit
. The center is located at the southwest corner of Middlebelt Road and Plymouth Road, approximately one mile south of I-96
. Wal-Mart
and Target
are the complex's anchor store
s.
and Service Merchandise
among its tenants. The old center closed in 2004 and demolished a year later for construction of Wonderland Village.
Wonderland Center was developed as an open-air shopping center in August 1959 on the site of a former airport
. The center, at the time, featured Montgomery Ward
and Federal's as its anchor stores.
In 1985, the mall was converted from an open-air complex to an enclosed shopping mall. This renovation added 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of gross leasable area
. Further renovation in 1989 added a Target
store and a movie theater operated by AMC Theaters, followed by Service Merchandise
, OfficeMax
and Dunham's Sports
in the early 1990s. After these latter expansions, Wonderland Mall was 862000 square feet (80,082.4 m²) in size and comprised more than 80 tenants.
Schostak continued to renovate Wonderland Mall extensively throughout the 1990s. By the end of the decade, the company relocated some stores from a wing to add entertainment-oriented tenants such as an f.y.e.
music store and an indoor amusement park called Jeepers! The mall's food court
was also redesigned and increased in size by 40%, adding national chain restaurants such as Burger King
, Sbarro
and Steak Escape
. The mall also introduced Cyberspace Safari, a marketing program that allowed patrons of the mall to surf the Web and learn about the Internet. The addition of these entertainment venues soon boosted mall sales 20%.
Despite the increase in sales brought on by the addition of entertainment venues, the mall gained a reputation for crime, which combined with the demise of two anchor stores, led to the mall's downfall. Service Merchandise closed in 1999 with the chain; the space was originally slated to be replaced with Burlington Coat Factory
, one of several anchor stores which was proposed but never came to fruition. In 2000, Montgomery Ward
closed the last of its stores nationwide; many of the other inline tenants began to close as well.
store (which also closed in 2003), and build a new shopping center anchored by a new Target store, as well as a Wal-Mart
Supercenter.
The Wal-Mart proposal was met with opposition by members the community, who cited the nearby presence of another Wal-Mart store, while other residents simply did not want a 24-hour Supercenter in their neighborhood. Opponents of the mall's redevelopment held a civic meeting in late 2005, which was interrupted by pranksters shouting epithets, and other opponents picketed in front of the vacant mall. Despite the local opposition, plans were approved for the new shopping center. Demolition of the old mall structure began in 2006.
, Chili's
, InkStop, and Casual Male XL.
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...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a suburb of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. The center is located at the southwest corner of Middlebelt Road and Plymouth Road, approximately one mile south of I-96
Interstate 96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
. 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...
and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
are the complex's anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s.
History
From 1959 until 2004, a shopping mall called Wonderland Mall operated on the site. Originally an outdoor shopping center, Wonderland Mall was enclosed and expanded in the 1980s and further renovated in the 1990s. Wonderland Mall had Montgomery WardMontgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
and Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
among its tenants. The old center closed in 2004 and demolished a year later for construction of Wonderland Village.
Wonderland Center was developed as an open-air shopping center in August 1959 on the site of a former airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
. The center, at the time, featured Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
and Federal's as its anchor stores.
In 1985, the mall was converted from an open-air complex to an enclosed shopping mall. This renovation added 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
. Further renovation in 1989 added a Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
store and a movie theater operated by AMC Theaters, followed by Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
, OfficeMax
OfficeMax
OfficeMax , is an American office supplies retailer that was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois.-History:On April 1, 1988, OfficeMax was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, by Bob Hurwitz and Michael Feuer. Hurwitz served as executive chairman and chief executive officer and Feuer...
and Dunham's Sports
Dunham's Sports
Dunham's Sports is a regional sporting goods superstore chain owned by Dunham's Athleisure Corporation, with stores located in the Midwestern United States. The chain specializes in athletic equipment, clothing, and other sports-related items...
in the early 1990s. After these latter expansions, Wonderland Mall was 862000 square feet (80,082.4 m²) in size and comprised more than 80 tenants.
Schostak continued to renovate Wonderland Mall extensively throughout the 1990s. By the end of the decade, the company relocated some stores from a wing to add entertainment-oriented tenants such as an f.y.e.
Trans World Entertainment
Trans World Entertainment Corporation is a chain of entertainment media retail stores in the United States. It currently operates just over 440 freestanding and shopping mall-based stores under several brand names....
music store and an indoor amusement park called Jeepers! The mall's food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
was also redesigned and increased in size by 40%, adding national chain restaurants such as Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, Sbarro
Sbarro
Sbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York.- History :...
and Steak Escape
Steak Escape
Steak Escape is a restaurant based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Locations are typically found in food courts in shopping malls as well as airports, all serving a variety of menu items including Cheesesteaks.-External links:*...
. The mall also introduced Cyberspace Safari, a marketing program that allowed patrons of the mall to surf the Web and learn about the Internet. The addition of these entertainment venues soon boosted mall sales 20%.
Despite the increase in sales brought on by the addition of entertainment venues, the mall gained a reputation for crime, which combined with the demise of two anchor stores, led to the mall's downfall. Service Merchandise closed in 1999 with the chain; the space was originally slated to be replaced with Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, one of several anchor stores which was proposed but never came to fruition. In 2000, Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
closed the last of its stores nationwide; many of the other inline tenants began to close as well.
Redevelopment
Wonderland Mall was officially shuttered in 2003, except for Target, Office Max, and Dunham's Sports, the latter two of which closed in 2004. After the mall was closed, plans were announced to demolish the entire structure and an adjacent former KmartKmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
store (which also closed in 2003), and build a new shopping center anchored by a new Target store, as well as a 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...
Supercenter.
The Wal-Mart proposal was met with opposition by members the community, who cited the nearby presence of another Wal-Mart store, while other residents simply did not want a 24-hour Supercenter in their neighborhood. Opponents of the mall's redevelopment held a civic meeting in late 2005, which was interrupted by pranksters shouting epithets, and other opponents picketed in front of the vacant mall. Despite the local opposition, plans were approved for the new shopping center. Demolition of the old mall structure began in 2006.
Description
The demolition of the old Wonderland Mall made way for construction of the new Wonderland Village shopping center, on which construction began in late 2006. Target opened its new store on July 25, 2007, followed by Wal-Mart a month later. Other tenants which have since opened include Noodles & Company, Johnny's Lunch (now closed), Qdoba, Verizon, FedEx Kinkos, Dot's, Five GuysFive Guys
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia.-Food:...
, Chili's
Chili's
Chili's Grill & Bar is a restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine. The chain has more than 1400 casual dining restaurants, mostly located in the United States and Canada...
, InkStop, and Casual Male XL.
External links
- Wonderland Mall (Archive)