Sterling Heights’ Lakeside Mall To Permanently Close In July
Gone are the days of Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights. Well, almost. Detroit Free Press reported that Lakeside Mall will permanently close on July 1.
According to the news outlet, they plan to demolish the 1.5 million-square-foot mall that was built in the 1970s. By late 2025, a groundbreaking is expected for a $1 billion-plus redevelopment. The plan for the redevelopment is the Lakeside Town Center, a town-square-type project with apartments, new retail, restaurants, offices, a hotel, and public recreation space.
Some Stores Will Remain
For now, the existing Macy’s and J.C. Penney department stores at the mall will stay open and “help anchor” the future development. They added that the former Sears and Lord & Taylor stores will also remain standing.
“While the current mall itself is in a state of decline and there’s more and more vacancies, the area around Lakeside Mall is thriving,” Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool told the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday. “That area right there at M-59 and Schoenherr is one of the most vibrant areas in the region, and everyone is greatly anticipating this project coming forward.”
The Macomb Daily reported that Sterling Heights’ city council last month voted to accept a $3 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to help acquire properties around the derelict mall to support the redevelopment.
The properties in mind include the former Sears and Lord & Taylor department stores. Sterling Heights officials have described the owners of those shuttered stores as “holdouts” who have yet to agree to sell.
“Lakeside Mall is one of the largest malls in the state of Michigan, with more than 1.5 million square feet. In its heyday, Lakeside was a prime example of the enclosed suburban mall culture,” said the city of Sterling Heights officials.
“We Saw It Coming”: People Remember Lakeside Mall
According to the city, the project will be a “game-changing mixed-use lifestyle community” that will revitalize Sterling Heights’ City Center. Lakeside will have over 2,800 multi-family apartments, including 750 for senior housing, nearly 150,000 square feet of retail and dining (in addition to the existing 400,000), 60,000 square feet of office space, and a 120-room hotel. The developer plans to donate approximately 30 acres to the public for a park system, streetscape, and infrastructure.
A few months ago, someone took to Reddit to share their thoughts about what the mall has become and said, “It’s becoming rather depressing to walk through here.” Someone else shared, “This was an awesome mall when I was a teenager in the 1980’s.” Another person mentioned, “my childhood mall, sucks to see it like this. a good location too.”