Universal Mall
Encyclopedia
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
. It is on the site of a former enclosed shopping mall also called Universal Mall, which opened in 1965.
, Woolworth
, and Federal's Department Store (a Detroit-based chain) as its anchor stores. By 1979, Federal's had closed and was converted to Crowley's
. A western wing with Mervyns
was added to the mall in 1988, and shortly afterward, the eastern wing was renovated to include a movie theater and food court. After the addition of Mervyns and the food court, the mall was re-named "Universal Mall".
In 1997, the F. W. Woolworth chain closed the last of its stores, leaving a large vacancy in the northern wing. Three years later, Montgomery Ward closed the last of its stores as well. Also in 2000, Value City acquired the Crowley's location at Universal Mall and two other Detroit-area malls. Many of Universal Mall's major chain tenants either moved to other malls, or closed up entirely. By the end of the 1990s, Universal Mall's occupancy was below 35%, and it became a dead mall
.
Universal Mall Properties acquired the mall in 1999, and mall renovations began soon afterward. Burlington Coat Factory
opened that year, displacing the former Woolworth and most of the other stores in the northern wing; A.J. Wright
opened a year later in a space formerly occupied by Ben Franklin
. Plans were also made to divide the former Montgomery Ward space into smaller shops. Eventually, occupancy at Universal Mall rebounded to 75%, although by 2007 it had declined to 48% (in part due to the closure of Mervyns' Michigan operations in 2006).
The mall was closed in June 2008 and demolition began on the 23rd of that month, leaving only the Burlington Coat Factory, AJ Wright, theater and former Value City. The rest has been replaced by a strip containing 35 tenants, including Petco
and Target
.
Power center
In geometry, the power center of three circles, also called the radical center, is the intersection point of the three radical axes of the pairs of circles...
located in Warren, Michigan
Warren, Michigan
Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb....
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Detroit. The first phase opened in mid-2009 with 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...
, 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...
and Petco
PETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
. It is on the site of a former enclosed shopping mall also called Universal Mall, which opened in 1965.
History
The original mall opened in 1965 as Universal City with 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...
, Woolworth
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
, and Federal's Department Store (a Detroit-based chain) as its anchor stores. By 1979, Federal's had closed and was converted to 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....
. A western wing with 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...
was added to the mall in 1988, and shortly afterward, the eastern wing was renovated to include a movie theater and food court. After the addition of Mervyns and the food court, the mall was re-named "Universal Mall".
In 1997, the F. W. Woolworth chain closed the last of its stores, leaving a large vacancy in the northern wing. Three years later, Montgomery Ward closed the last of its stores as well. Also in 2000, Value City acquired the Crowley's location at Universal Mall and two other Detroit-area malls. Many of Universal Mall's major chain tenants either moved to other malls, or closed up entirely. By the end of the 1990s, Universal Mall's occupancy was below 35%, and it 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...
.
Universal Mall Properties acquired the mall in 1999, and mall renovations began soon afterward. 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...
opened that year, displacing the former Woolworth and most of the other stores in the northern wing; A.J. Wright
A.J. Wright
AJWright was a chain of about 129 American retail/outlet stores established in 1998 and owned by TJX Companies. Like its sister company T.J. Maxx, AJWright sold clothing, domestics, giftware, footwear, accessories, and fragrances at prices between twenty and seventy percent below regular prices...
opened a year later in a space formerly occupied by Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin Stores
Ben Franklin Stores are a chain of five and dime discount stores found in small towns throughout the United States currently owned by Promotions Unlimited. They are organized using a franchise system, with individual stores owned by independent proprietors. It was perhaps the first retail...
. Plans were also made to divide the former Montgomery Ward space into smaller shops. Eventually, occupancy at Universal Mall rebounded to 75%, although by 2007 it had declined to 48% (in part due to the closure of Mervyns' Michigan operations in 2006).
The mall was closed in June 2008 and demolition began on the 23rd of that month, leaving only the Burlington Coat Factory, AJ Wright, theater and former Value City. The rest has been replaced by a strip containing 35 tenants, including Petco
PETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
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...
.