Westland Center
Encyclopedia
Westland Center is an enclosed shopping mall
located in the city of Westland, Michigan
, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit. The mall features more than 100 inline stores, with JCPenney, Sears
, Macy's
and Kohl's
serving as anchor stores.
Westland Center played a role in local history. During the early 1960s, the city of Livonia planned to annex the part of Nankin Township in which the mall was to be built. The shopping center eventually opened in 1965, joining Northland and Eastland malls in other Detroit Metro cities. In reaction to Livonia's annexation attempts, the people of Nankin Township voted to incorporate the remainder of the township as a city on May 16, 1966, known as the City of Westland, naming it after the mall.
During its opening, the mall's anchors were a four-story Hudson's department store, a Kresge store, and a Kroger
supermarket. Kroger was closed and demolished to make way for a J.C. Penney
department store in 1976. As the department store was built by A. Alfred Taubman
, he went on with his company to build the other Taubman malls. In the early 1980s, MainStreet
joined the mall and remained there until Kohl's
converted from that store in 1988. A year later, Kresge closed its store and was replaced with smaller stores. Sears added a store to the mall in 1997. In 2001, Hudson's was converted to Marshall Field's
, which in turn became Macy's in 2006.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in the city of Westland, Michigan
Westland, Michigan
Westland is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located about west of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,094.-Politics:...
, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit. The mall features more than 100 inline stores, with JCPenney, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
serving as anchor stores.
History
Westland Center was developed by J.L. Hudson Corporation. It was designed by Victor Gruen Associates and Louis G. Redstone Associates.Westland Center played a role in local history. During the early 1960s, the city of Livonia planned to annex the part of Nankin Township in which the mall was to be built. The shopping center eventually opened in 1965, joining Northland and Eastland malls in other Detroit Metro cities. In reaction to Livonia's annexation attempts, the people of Nankin Township voted to incorporate the remainder of the township as a city on May 16, 1966, known as the City of Westland, naming it after the mall.
During its opening, the mall's anchors were a four-story Hudson's department store, a Kresge store, and a Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
supermarket. Kroger was closed and demolished to make way for a J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
department store in 1976. As the department store was built by A. Alfred Taubman
A. Alfred Taubman
Adolph Alfred Taubman is an American real estate developer and philanthropist from Michigan. He pioneered the modern shopping mall concept and was described by CBS News as a "legend in retailing" who became wealthy developing upscale shopping malls. He built shopping mall developer Taubman Centers...
, he went on with his company to build the other Taubman malls. In the early 1980s, MainStreet
MainStreet
MainStreet was a department store chain based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The chain was launched in November 1983 by Federated Department Stores . Throughout the 1980s, the chain expanded to twenty-nine stores in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota...
joined the mall and remained there until Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
converted from that store in 1988. A year later, Kresge closed its store and was replaced with smaller stores. Sears added a store to the mall in 1997. In 2001, Hudson's was converted to Marshall Field's
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
, which in turn became Macy's in 2006.