Standing in the expansive parking lot earlier this week, with hundreds of cars driving along Lakeside Circle, it seemed hard to believe Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights was soon closing due to lack of foot traffic.
But as of 6 p.m. Sunday, life as we know it for the longtime mall — once a thriving regional destination shopping center and social magnet — will come to a close when the facility shuts its doors forever.
Mayor Michael Taylor watched the cars whizzing by as they left various restaurants, senior citizen residential facilities, offices and other businesses that were originally attracted by the mall and have set up shop around it.
“It’s hard to get your mind around the fact that the mall is closing,” he said. “It used to be incredibly busy. I have memories of this parking lot being completely full.”
Lakeside — so named after a retention pond on the property near Hayes Road — has been on the decline for many years as shoppers abandoned brick-and-mortar buildings and flocked to online outlets.
And that’s why developer Out of the Box Ventures, which owns the mall, is launching a $1 billion redevelopment plan that will fundamentally transform the property at the intersection of Hall and Schoenherr roads over the next 20 years.
“That will soften the blow of Lakeside closing. And it will help get the community ready for something new,” Taylor said.
From farmland to fortune
Opened in 1976, the Alfred Taubman-built Lakeside Mall was expanded in 1990 and last renovated in 2007.
The community along Hall Road (M-59) was largely farmland before that, only to be replaced by the 1.5 million-square-foot, two-level shopping center.
The enclosed center quickly proved to be a catalyst or “economic engine” for development in and around the shopping center area, including numerous out lots on Hall Road and Lakeside Circle, according to city officials.
“The mall became a destination spot for hundreds of thousands — maybe millions — of people,” said Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool. “It became one of the most vibrant areas of our city because of Lakeside.”
But Lakeside soon experienced a trail of tenant departures in recent years as shoppers turned their attention to online retail experiences or other facilities.As shopping centers like Lakeside faced dwindling customers they took on steep losses after 2000.
According to Out of the Box Ventures, the decision to close Lakeside Mall comes with after several years of study, planning and consideration by an “army” of stakeholders.
The mall will be replaced with Lakeside Town Center, a bustling complex with shops, offices, coffee houses, and restaurants, officials say will create a lively atmosphere. Some believe it will become the city’s downtown.
The mall owners plan to demolish much of the existing structure, and create a Town Center, consisting of new offices, apartments, retail space, a 120-room hotel with attached parking deck, restaurants, recreational amenities, and more along M-59, which is known locally at the Golden Corridor.
*When you think about building a downtown, which is what Lakeside Town Center will be, a downtown that we don’t have, that is something that will last forever,” Vanderpool said. “Downtowns typically don’t go out of business. Malls, we have learned, do have a finite period of time.”
Only Macy’s and JC Penney will remain open after the mall shuts down.
In 2022, the City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with Out of the Box Ventures, the private owners of the mall, to redevelop the 110-acre site into a revived area of dining, retail, residences, parks, office space and a 120-room hotel.
Future ‘incredibly exciting’
Plans call for:
- 2,219 units of housing (including 750 units of independent living and assisted living).
- Nearly 180,000 square feet of retail and food and beverage spaces.
- And 70,000 square feet of office space.
As part of the $1 billion-redevelopment, about 30 acres of the site will be set aside for public spaces, including parks with outdoor seating. A central park, featuring restaurants and outdoor seating, will serve as a focal point for community gatherings, music, art, and events. A two-story community center that will anchor the park will provide recreational amenities such as pools, fitness facilities, and lending libraries.
A new two-story community center that will anchor the park will provide recreational amenities such as pools, fitness facilities, and lending libraries. A biking/walking trail that would connect with other area trail are also included.
The mall will be supported by the developer and a variety of tax incentive plans that will pay for the infrastructure to create a Town Center. Officials say the entire process will probably take 10-15 years.
Business boosters are excited by the prospect of having a town center
Stacy Ziarko, president and CEO of Connect Macomb (formerly the Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce), said Lakeside Mall had been a community hub for shopping, gathering and business for generations.
“As someone that personally worked at Lakeside for 10 years in my younger days, I loved the community that formed between the many of us working in different stores or locations that you got to know during each and every shift,” Ziarko said.
“I look forward to seeing the redevelopment and how we can continue to build a community with options for everyone in Macomb County.”
Owner announces fixtures sale, events sponsorship as Lakeside Mall nears the end
Mayor Taylor co-signed on to that feeling.
"We are incredibly excited over what this property will look like in the future and I think it will be an even better destination for people to come to than the original," Taylor said. "It will bring countless jobs and revenue support to pay for our police officer, firefighters and other city essentials."
Earlier this week, employees could be seen moving fixtures and other items out to their cars. When approached by a reporter, they declined to be interviewed or photographed.
Inside the mall, dozens of people roamed through the building taking cellphone photos to remember whatLakeside looked like.
"This is too much," said Jonah Montanez, a retired welder from Shelby Township. "I can't believe it's really closing."
Once the mall is shuttered, it will sit vacant for roughly 18 months as demolition is expected to begin in the latter part of 2025, officials said.
Vanderpool said the developer hopes to bring a Planned Unit Development encapsulating the project back to City Hall by the end of the year. Before the demolition takes place, a massive job of disconnecting utilities and mobilizing construction crews must also take place, Vanderpool added.
Taylor said:"While it's sad to see the mall close, the future of the property is incredibly exciting."
