malls in metro Flint

[dtown]

i was kinda wondering MJLO, what kind of research are you doing that you need all this info on malls?

[MJLO]

It's for a business history class, I have to pretty much Identify and describe all the indoor shopping centers in Michigan. which is unfortunate, because it's going to be an all weekend event by the time I get around to the Malls in metro Detroit.

if you all want I can post the stats when i have it all done, It may be a while, it's pretty slow going.

[TenPoundHammer]

according to wikipedia.

"On July 17, 1997, Woolworth closed the remaining 400 of its F.W. Woolworth five-and-ten-cent stores and changed its name to Venator."

So I am right there is no way it could have lasted until 2000. But, I am positive the one at Genesee Valley closed years before that even.

Okay, my mistake. I'm pretty sure that my 1997 phone book lists it though.

[bobjgumby]

Okay, my mistake. I'm pretty sure that my 1997 phone book lists it though.

Just because the phone book lists it does not mean it is still there either. My family owned a small retail store on Corunna Rd for a few years, it was listed in the phone book for a couple of years after it closed.

[TenPoundHammer]

Just because the phone book lists it does not mean it is still there either. My family owned a small retail store on Corunna Rd for a few years, it was listed in the phone book for a couple of years after it closed.

Good point. I know that my local phone book lists a 7-Eleven that closed in 1991! Isn't that ridiculous?

[dtown]

It's for a business history class, I have to pretty much Identify and describe all the indoor shopping centers in Michigan. which is unfortunate, because it's going to be an all weekend event by the time I get around to the Malls in metro Detroit.

if you all want I can post the stats when i have it all done, It may be a while, it's pretty slow going.

EVERY MALL!!!!

man, i can think of a ton, i wonder if there are any malls up north, besides the Grand Traverse Mall?

[TenPoundHammer]

EVERY MALL!!!!

man, i can think of a ton, i wonder if there are any malls up north, besides the Grand Traverse Mall?

There are a couple in the UP, as well as my nearest mall, Alpena Mall. Granted, Alpena Mall is smaller than a Wal-Mart Supercenter, as are all of the malls in Yooperland...

By the way, here are a couple pages I made listing all the malls in Michigan. I don't have Windmill Place in Flint or the former Trappers Alley, but those are arguable. The data are a couple months old, so I haven't acknowledged (a) that the anchor of Kentwood Village Mall WAS a Kroger, (b) that the JCPenney catalog center in said mall IS still open, or that the Circuit City at Tel-12 closed.

http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/malldirectories/mallpage.html

http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/malldirectories/mallpage2.html

[wolverine]

Montgomery Ward was demolished. In its place will be a Barnes & Noble anchoring a mini "lifestyle center"-type strip.

I'll post an old rendering of it later when I get home. I can't access Photobucket from work.

Man, Marshall Fields should have moved into the Montgomery Ward Unit, and the Fields portion should have been demolished. It's ugly as hell. Although, I'm positive the MW unit was much smaller.

[TenPoundHammer]

Man, Marshall Fields should have moved into the Montgomery Ward Unit, and the Fields portion should have been demolished. It's ugly as hell. Although, I'm positive the MW unit was much smaller.

Monkey Wards was smaller from what I recall. I don't think that the Field's at GVC was ugly though, and I'm not just saying that because my grandfather helped build it... That, and it would be pretty expensive to demolish a huge two story structure, I would think.

Anywho, anyone know when the food court/mezzanine level was added to Genesee Valley? Or did it always have a mezzanine? (I would imagine that it wasn't always a food court.)

[bobjgumby]

Monkey Wards was smaller from what I recall. I don't think that the Field's at GVC was ugly though, and I'm not just saying that because my grandfather helped build it... That, and it would be pretty expensive to demolish a huge two story structure, I would think.

Anywho, anyone know when the food court/mezzanine level was added to Genesee Valley? Or did it always have a mezzanine? (I would imagine that it wasn't always a food court.)

Like I said in the last post on the first page.

According to the Flint Journal business section from June 15, 2004 "Genesee Valley opened in 1970 and was last renovated in 1987 with the addition of the second-floor food court and the Mervyn's and Montgomery Ward anchor stores". Man am I glad I save newspaper clippings.

[TenPoundHammer]

Like I said in the last post on the first page.

According to the Flint Journal business section from June 15, 2004 "Genesee Valley opened in 1970 and was last renovated in 1987 with the addition of the second-floor food court and the Mervyn's and Montgomery Ward anchor stores". Man am I glad I save newspaper clippings.

Whoops, didn't see that. And I would have thought that JCPenney was added before Montgomery Ward.

[bobjgumby]

Whoops, didn't see that. And I would have thought that JCPenney was added before Montgomery Ward.

No problem. I am sure that JCPenneys was there before the Montgomery Ward's. The Mongomery Wards was added to the wing in 87, not sure when JCPenney was built but it was before that.

[wolverine]

Food Courts were definitely a 90's innovation. I recall Fashion Square mall in Saginaw having to knock out an oddly place department store along the stretch to fit it in.

You def would have thought that the addition to the GVC food court was always there. They did a good job IMO.

[dtown]

they did a really good job, because i didnt even know there was an addition, lol

[wolverine]

Well, that's probably because the mall had a renovation when it was built..which they did a good job during that time too.

[MJLO]

I remember when I was a kid back in the mid 80's, It was such a treat going to GVC, I remember the mall being all tore up while they were adding the second story food court. I thought it was the coolest place on earth

[dtown]

i like GVC, for a mall anyway

[wolverine]

I remember when I was in sixth grade, my parents used to go there a lot so I obviously got dragged along. We ALWAYS enetered the mall through Hudson's. The concourse that joined Hudson's always smelled like roasted almonds. I've always loved that smell, yet my parents rarely got them for me b/c they were so expensive. So yeah, that's basically my GVC memories.

[MJLO]

I miss Hudsons so much, I worked there when I was 18. Hudsons was Michigans high end department store, alas it went the way of the big corporation.

[wolverine]

And then we gained some affection towards Marshall Fields only because it was a midwest chain, now that no longer exists.

[VeeFan]

But at least come September we'll have a Macy's.

[MJLO]

I don't think anything will change other than the name, That was the only difference When Fields converted over. I think the difference on that one, would have to be that Dayton Hudson, bought the Marshall Fields Brand, years before they turned all their stores to the same name. But do you think that Macy's will try to more personalize the stores? I just cant foresee there being a difference at all, Macy's is right on par with Fields. They are not Nordstrom, Saks, or Neimans.

[wolverine]

Well, I hope that Macy's will at least renovate the GVC store. It needs it badly.

[VeeFan]

Macy's is going to bring in more designer labels (right now, the most high-end clothes that Marshall Fields sells is Ralph Lauren), plus there are going to be a lot more changes to the staff. They've already started firing people because Macy's doesn't employ full-time workers. There are a few other things as well, but I don't remember them quite so well, but my sister-in-law works for Marsall Fields and said that once the switch is made she's quitting because of Macy's employee policies.

[MJLO]

I wouldn't doubt if you see Macy's with a hiring sign, anytime there is a change of management, there will be an exodus of employees.