Extreme makeovers give old malls new life

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Extreme makeovers give old malls new life

Glitzy newcomers force updates to area's first shopping meccas

By Tenisha Mercer / The Detroit News

WARREN

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Metro Detroit Mall Photo Gallery

The granddaddy of them all, Hudon's Northland in Southfield during the mid-1950s.

An aerial view of Northland Mall in 1961.

Eastland mall in Harper Woods circa 1957.

George and Lillian Davinich rest during a shopping outing at Eastland in 1975.

Sculptor William McVey poses with his "Hippo" at Eastland in 1957

Eastland in 1958.

Workmen put the finishing touches on Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights in 1976.

A court inside Lakeside Mall, circa 1980.

Nearing completion in 1968, Oakland Mall was already being touted as "Troy's Downtown." At the time it consisted of Sears Roebuck's largest retail outlet, a full-line Hudson's store and five other shops.

While shopping indoors is convenient, you still have to navigate the parking lot. This motorist hurdles 14- to 16-foot snow piles in the Oakland Mall parking lot in 1985.

Southland Mall in Taylor 1n 1970 as it neared completion.

Westland Mall in 1966.

Dennis and Beatrice Hartman and daught Patricia, 7 months, of New Baltimore spend a day at Eastland Mall in 1975.

A helicopter lifts a smoke-detection unit onto the roof at Eastland Mall in 1970.

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