  Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5924 Registered: 02-2004 |
Sources from Fox 2 News reported that another dead mall slated to be closed and to be torn down to future retail development. Universal Mall have been serving the Warren/Madison Heights area for 42 years. It become a instant dead mall since Crowleys, Wards and Woolworths left years ago. New competitive malls like Great Lakes Crossing and Somerset with their fancy achor stores is making old inner ring suburban malls die. Any viewpoints. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1297 Registered: 06-2006 |
suburbs are just changing w/ the times... Livonia is doing the same thing with its improvements to the Wonderland mall site and the Livonia mall site, which were both outdated... I just wish they would have built the new Wonderland structures right up against Plymouth road and placed the parking lots in the back, instead of putting the new buildings behind 1,500 feet of asphalt... Other than that, these are welcome improvements...if people want to go to a shopping mall, 12 Oaks, Great Lakes Crossing and Somerset are better options anyways and a quick ride down the expressway from almost anywhere else in the suburbs... | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 77 Registered: 02-2007 |
I did a blog on deadmalls.com about universal mall. Its there for anyone to read if they want to. The only thing keeping universal open as it is would be the movie theater. Mostly all the big name stores are gone. What mall goes next? Livonia? Frenchtown? Summit Place? My money is on Livonia. I hear the only thing keeping that place open is the Sears. They wanted to demo it already, but I guess Sears don't want to give up their largest mall-based store even though the building is dated and the mall is dead. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1298 Registered: 06-2006 |
I think Livonia mall is a given...from what I've heard, something else will almost certainly be there by 2010...that mall is so outdated and hasn't been an attractive shopping option for nearly a decade...whatever happens, Sears will likely remain the site's biggest tenant... | ||
Waxx Member Username: Waxx Post Number: 180 Registered: 09-2006 |
My mother told me about Summit Place. It was Oakland County's TOP SPOT in the 70s and 80s-she used 2 work @ Beaumont Hospital-and I went there recently 4 the 1st time and I was just disillusioned at how dilapidated it was (I regret not going there when I was younger). Like thejesus stated, the best malls in Oakland County are Great Lakes Crossing, Somerset, 12 Oaks (and perhaps Oakland Mall). I'll check out deadmallls.com later on. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 4412 Registered: 08-2004 |
I remember back in the late 1970's when Malls were still all the rage. Saturday Night Live did a skit that sort of foretold the future. It was about a dying mall (back when such a thing hardly existed). The skit centered on "The Scotch Tape Store" (Scotch Tape was their only product) doing poorly, and neighboring retailers stopped by to lament on how badly business was going in the mall, and on how many stores were closing. Gilda Radner's character was asking about how business was going at The Puppy Palace. "Lousy" was the reply... the unsold puppies were getting so old that "even the puppies were having puppies"!  Deja Vu! | ||
Haydenth Member Username: Haydenth Post Number: 223 Registered: 05-2005 |
I didn't even know Universal Mall was still there. I thought they knocked it down years ago... | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1300 Registered: 06-2006 |
Wikipedia entry on the history of Wonderland Mall and the future of "Wonderland Village" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W onderland_Village | ||
Toog05 Member Username: Toog05 Post Number: 142 Registered: 03-2006 |
Here is the link to the news... http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/my fox/pages/News/Detail?contentI d=3331225&version=2&locale=EN- US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2. 1 | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 360 Registered: 02-2007 |
When we first got our driver's licenses, I think thats where we headed to hang out, Universal Mall. O well, progress. | ||
Superaygun Member Username: Superaygun Post Number: 582 Registered: 04-2005 |
the only thing i will miss about that mall is the Cinemark theater. oddly enough they get a pretty good roster of second-run movies. of course there's also the usual crap like RV and such... | ||
Toog05 Member Username: Toog05 Post Number: 143 Registered: 03-2006 |
Superaygun, They are keeping the theater there. | ||
Wilus1mj Member Username: Wilus1mj Post Number: 194 Registered: 05-2005 |
Another article in detail. http://www.dailytribune.com/st ories/052807/loc_mall001.shtml | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 646 Registered: 10-2003 |
Anybody got a pic of the cool space tile mural from the mall's Universal City days? | ||
Noggin Member Username: Noggin Post Number: 90 Registered: 09-2004 |
When you start seeing athletic shoe stores and other cheap junk shops it is the beginning of the end of that mall. There is so little good shopping close to the D that it is easier to just buy what you need online. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 647 Registered: 10-2003 |
Which is why the malls are so empty. | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 4467 Registered: 10-2003 |
Universal has been a dump for close to 15 years. People go to Oakland Mall, which is still always packed and kept up. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 834 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ed.... .....much of this has to do with the changing face of retail itself. The Trib article noted that Wards and Mervyns went out of business which is bad for malls, but many of the "traditional" small box stores like Kinney Shoes, Eddie Bauer, Lane Bryant and the like have either closed up or scaled way back. Look at shoes, for example. Mary Jane, Bakers, Chandlers, Father and Son, Kinney and Tom McAnn used to be staple stores of shopping centers (not to mention traditional "downtowns") and they're gone, replaced only by Payless. Take away the Kresge's, Woolworth's, Cunninghams and the like and you've got precious little to fill a mall...... | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 648 Registered: 10-2003 |
Douglasm, You've got a point. Personally, I stopped shopping there when they got rid of the monkey cage. Build a monkey cage and they will come. | ||
Warrenite84 Member Username: Warrenite84 Post Number: 102 Registered: 01-2007 |
Cinemark Theatre lost me when people would bring their kids and infants to "R" rated movies because they were too cheap to pay for a baby sitter. I did have many childhood memories going there. The mall entrance with it's galaxy tile mosaic; the snack counter in Ward's; Zsa Zsa Gabor at Ward's; and the two step below grade food counter in the mall. | ||
1805 Member Username: 1805 Post Number: 53 Registered: 03-2007 |
From the article: Warren Council President James Fouts, whose home is near Universal Mall, blamed its downfall on discount movie theater Cinema City showing films long after initial release dates. "It was a dumping ground for teenagers," he said. Yeah, the problem with the MALL was the TEENAGERS. Say what you really think, Jimbo. | ||
Esp Member Username: Esp Post Number: 68 Registered: 09-2005 |
quote: Yea ... anybody? I've got one of those tiles. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5929 Registered: 02-2004 |
Universal Mall will be 4th DEAD MALL in the Metro-Detroit area and the 3rd DEAD MALL in the Metro- Detroit area to be torn down to make way future development. Most people think that Shopping Malls are going to least forever but unfortunately without its anchor store, a shopping mall could DIE! Mr. Boileau, I think its time to take that last photo of Universal Mall before it closes. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1306 Registered: 06-2006 |
1805: Are you implying that the mall's decline was not the result of the patrons being mostly teenagers but rather the result of some other characteristic of theirs? Say what you really think, 1805. | ||
Bongman Member Username: Bongman Post Number: 1481 Registered: 12-2003 |
Wasn't Universal the Mall that had the spitting fish lagoons in front of every store ? I seem to remember a large bird atrium at one of the entrances also. | ||
Miss_cleo Member Username: Miss_cleo Post Number: 625 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thats too bad. Had a lot of fun times there as a teenager in the 80's | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5931 Registered: 02-2004 |
Teenagers are not the big problem in Universal Mall or any other malls. It's the greedy corporate anchor dept. stores. Once they shut down, they stores near by will close due to lack of customer patronage. It seems to me that Westland Mall is next hot spot for mostly white kids and teens. So far Macy's ( Formally Marshall Field's, formally Hudson's) is still going strong and so is JC Penny's and now the mall have SEARS. Westland Mall's management hasn't install any curfew restrictions to for kids and teens for they want them to shop there. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 1307 Registered: 06-2006 |
Danny: Are you saying that anchor stores are being greedy when they shut down due to lack of sales? | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5932 Registered: 02-2004 |
Thejesus ( whoever you are), Corporate dept. stores where they're anchored to a shopping district or being a outlet do whatever in their power to make a profit. They don't care about making customer friends anywhere. If they don't make money at a particular place, they leave causing the building itself to be vacant until another company takes over or have it torn down. Once again SHOPPING MALLS CAN DIE IF THERE IS NO ANCHOR STORES. That's what happen to Wonderland, Tel-Twelve, Tower Center and Fountain Walk and now Universal Mall So Since Lord and Taylor shut down in Fairlane Mall, the stores located near the place have to shut down or move to another part of the mall. Once to have gone there you will see a big wall where the stores near Lord and Taylor used to be. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 1262 Registered: 02-2007 |
"SHOPPING MALLS CAN DIE IF THERE IS NO ANCHOR STORES." Which is why Lower Woodward NEEDS an Anchor (a big name anchor) if it wants to attract retail. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 2517 Registered: 10-2003 |
^Lower Woodward isn't a mall. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 1264 Registered: 02-2007 |
True Dan, but Michigan Avenue isn't a mall either and they have Macy's and have been doing peachy (at least overall). I was just reinterating the fact that you need a big guy in order for retail to thrive. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 2518 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Not true. Georgetown and Newbury Street are two areas off the top of my head that don't have any anchor stores, but are thriving high-end retail centers. On the other hand, Cincinnati has downtown department stores that are heavily subsidized, but there is an absence of a thriving retail sector. If you try to treat Lower Woodward as a mall, you will fail. Woodward is an urban retail strip, and should be treated as such. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 841 Registered: 04-2006 |
^No it doesn't. An organized shopping district would help it a lot more in the long run. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 1266 Registered: 02-2007 |
Why do you think they're trying to find Anchors for that Gateway Park project on 8 and Woodward Dan? | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 2519 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Because that property will be owned and operated by a single-entity as a big box shopping center, as opposed to an urban retail strip with many different landlords. The Gateway Park project will likely consist entirely of chain stores, which always require "luring" anchors like Target, Wal Mart, or Home Depot to convince the smaller chains to set up shop. It's predicated on an entirely different set of principles. | ||
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl Post Number: 12 Registered: 04-2007 |
The time of the mall has past. Even new malls are having trouble attracting and retaining tenants. Have you been to Great Lakes Crossing lately? I counted nearly 30 empty stores. They're filling them with displays for Majic Windows, for crying out loud. Check out this article from CNN/Money in 2003 (http://money.cnn.com/2003/07/0 2/pf/yourhome/deadmalls/) Malls: Death of an American icon The shopping mall is headed the way of the drive-in movie and the eight-track. What's replacing it? I agree with the article . . . "Americans are looking for a sense of place." That's what the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street program is all about. Don't get me wrong, Universal Mall and Oakland Mall were my hangouts and employers when I was younger. But for a sense of place, and to go to a store where they knew my name, family and style, it was Hamtramck or Pontiac. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 480 Registered: 10-2003 |
Malls are crap. How about building a shopping area where the storefronts butt up against the sidewalks, and the parking is in the rear? You might even create some sort of thriving downtown, with pedestrian traffic and everything. What an amazing breakthrough idea! | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 844 Registered: 04-2006 |
^See the intersection of Grand River and Greenfield. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 371 Registered: 02-2007 |
"Malls are crap. How about building a shopping area where the storefronts butt up against the sidewalks, and the parking is in the rear? You might even create some sort of thriving downtown, with pedestrian traffic and everything. What an amazing breakthrough idea!" Yeah, right, like that would work. Dreamer. On a more metrospective note, I've never seen an area go through so many malls in a half century. You Michigan shoppers must just wear them out, or something. I've been going to the same ones down here for 30 years! Very few new ones. But in SE Michigan, You just can't win a mall. (Message edited by Larryinflorida on May 29, 2007) | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 2521 Registered: 10-2003 |
quote: Actually, in some circles, that radical notion is known as a "city". I wouldn't expect you to know that, though, given that Florida is little more than Michigan with sunshine and hurricanes. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 483 Registered: 10-2003 |
Dan, I think Larry was actually agreeing with me and being sarcastic, as I was in my post by saying "what a breakthrough idea". Thanks for having by back though yo. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 4421 Registered: 08-2004 |
Larryinflorida, assuming what you say is true, that very few new malls have been built in Florida over the last 30 years (which I respectfully disagree with). But look at how the population in Florida has changed over the last 30 years... off the top of my head I would say it has doubled or possibly tripled. So existing malls there would tend to be doing very well indeed. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 2522 Registered: 10-2003 |
^I really hope Larryinflorida was being sarcastic. And if he was, my apologies to him. It's so damn hard to interpret tone over the internets, sometimes. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 375 Registered: 02-2007 |
"Dan, I think Larry was actually agreeing with me and being sarcastic, as I was in my post by saying "what a breakthrough idea". Thanks for having by back though yo." Funny you mentioned that. I almost edited the post to use the <sarcasm> </sarcasm> tags around that part. =) Pure tongue in cheek. We all know they were all made like that before megamalls centralized the buildings. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 376 Registered: 02-2007 |
In hindsight, we have had a half dozen or so smaller malls go away or really downsize. Maybe I just didn't notice. Or they get converted into glorified flea markets. | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 205 Registered: 04-2006 |
Right, the Cinemark (oddly enough, the only thriving business left at Universal) ruined the mall by bringing in *gasp* teenagers?!?! Did this guy seriously not consider that Universal's main anchor going bankrupt and closing all its stores might have had something to do with it? And if Warren is so worried about this retail competing with the new "downtown," why'd they let that massive project at 12 and Mound go through? | ||
Dustin89 Member Username: Dustin89 Post Number: 16 Registered: 07-2006 |
I've attended all of the meetings so far on rezoning/refurbishing the Summit Place site in Waterford Twp. I'm a citizen advisor on the Oakland Press Editorial Board, and have also written a column about the Summit Place in that newspaper. The Summit Place was doing serious business in the 1990s, right up until Great Lakes Crossing opened, with its freeway access. However, there were other unfortunate contributing factors to the Summit Place's decline: the opening of separately owned and operated peripheral development: the Summit North and West strip malls, and the Oakland Point strip mall across Telegraph in Pontiac (which is still fairly stable and successful to this day.) The closing of three major anchors, two of which were attached to the mall (Montgomery Wards, Service Merchandise, and HQ in Summit North) also dealt a death blow to the mall. I've always loved Summit and felt that it was a well-constructed mall that simply could not outlive increased competition and unsustainable development and expansion. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 485 Registered: 10-2003 |
I never cared for Summit. Its linear floorplan did not make a lot of sense to me. Twelve Oaks makes much more sense, being more of a circle, or square I suppose. Even when I did visit it in the early-mid 90's, it was already going downhill with plenty of empty storefronts. Plus, the location isn't that great. It's not by any expressways other than M-59 and Telegraph, and those aren't the best for moving people in and out of an area. | ||
Jfried Member Username: Jfried Post Number: 977 Registered: 11-2003 |
What a shitty thread title. Yeah, the mall will be demolished, but more importantly "officials said all current shopping areas would be demolished to build 400,00 square feet of new retail space." | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 380 Registered: 02-2007 |
So, if I'm getting this, the "mall-turnovers" are maybe tracking the direction of urban sprawl. maybe there is less "outward migration" here. Although they keep building west of here into the everglades. So new malls spring-forth there. | ||
1805 Member Username: 1805 Post Number: 55 Registered: 03-2007 |
Thejesus: Sorry, but I don't buy for a second that Jim Fouts' panties are all in a bunch over some teenagers at a mall -- and then blaming them for the downfall of it. No, what Jim Fouts' really is implying is a racial issue. Am I supposed to ignore how prejudiced people in that area that can be? Is that etiquette? It's where I grew up. It's a way of life there. "Black people go to Cinemark!" I've heard it a million times. There are so many negative, hateful connotations. I've watched Jim Fouts on Warren Public Access in City Council meetings for years and know who he caters to and what his agenda is. "Teenagers at the mall" is just sugarcoating it. | ||
Ja1mz Member Username: Ja1mz Post Number: 44 Registered: 02-2007 |
1805-Its not a racial issue, its business issue, no anchor stores equals no carbon units, no matter what color they are- | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5940 Registered: 02-2004 |
Johnlodge, you quote that malls are crap. How about building a shopping area where the storefronts butt up against the sidewalks, and the parking is in the rear? You might even create some sort of thriving downtown, with pedestrian traffic and everything. What an amazing breakthrough idea! It already did about 50 to 30 years ago. Northland Mall, Wonderland Mall, Southland, Eastland, Westland, Livonia, Macomb Mall, Briarwood Mall. Tel-Twelve Mall, Orchard Mall have these outdoor outlet until the owners sealed it up. Now most of those indoor malls are DEAD and some are still alive. I SAY: Fountain Walk tried to bring back the out door outlet atmosphere but suddenly went DEAD in 2 years. What a waste of investment dollars! Bearinabox you quote that the Cinemark (oddly enough, the only thriving business left at Universal) ruined the mall by bringing in *gasp* teenagers?!?! Did this guy seriously not consider that Universal's main anchor going bankrupt and closing all its stores might have had something to do with it? And if Warren is so worried about this retail competing with the new "downtown," why'd they let that massive project at 12 and Mound go through? I SAY: Technically NOT TRUE! The main reason that Universal Mall is DEAD because those anchor stores left No Anchor stores, no mall and Ja1Mz is agreeing based upon my comments. Jim Fouts doesn't know what he's saying about the Cinemark and black patrons going there. That is NOT the blame of Universal Mall's demise. There's going to more black folks shopping in Warren just like any other suburbs because of lack of neighborhood retail in Detroit's main roads So don't blame race as an issue for Universal Mall's failure. Do you all want to think that the 5:00pm. curfew at Fairlane and Eastland Mall to be a race, kids and teen issue? They put those rules there to keep the mallrat population down and bring back the Family patrons and I hope it works. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 414 Registered: 02-2007 |
Sorry if I seem out of touch a little. But do you mean the Jim Fouts who used to make a horse's arse out of himself consistently at Warren City council meetings? My mom used to watch those like wrestling! Are you saying that he wasn't run out of town on a rail, but actually has advanced to some higher position? Again, sorry for the lapse in info. | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 80 Registered: 02-2007 |
The reason there are so many empty storefronts in GLC is the same reason there are so many empty storefronts in FTC: Malls charge crazy expensive rent. That coupled with the fact the economy has been in the shitter for the last 8 or so years. Noones shopping cause they can't afford to...Retailers quickly close underperforming stores..not making money means you cant pay the bills.. I don't really think malls are going out of style or anything like that | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 81 Registered: 02-2007 |
I do, however; beleive that a lot of these mall closings have to do with demographics. The Detroit are is pretty well over malled. People like what is new and exciting. Would you rather shop at Livonia mall or Laurel Park Place? and then you have Westland just down the road. Peoples wants and needs change, too. Its just a matter of weather you can adapt. Northland kinda and Fairlane did. Wonderland and Livonia did not. Just be glad we don't live in New York..Where once upon a time there were 2 indoor malls built right across the street from each other..Seperate malls..They are both dead now..I wonder who got blamed for that debacle. | ||
48202 Member Username: 48202 Post Number: 44 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ericdetfan: Malls ARE going out of style – "more malls are shutting down because of poor traffic trends than are being built." source What malls in New York are you referring to? | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 493 Registered: 10-2003 |
"It already did about 50 to 30 years ago. Northland Mall, Wonderland Mall, Southland, Eastland, Westland, Livonia, Macomb Mall, Briarwood Mall. Tel-Twelve Mall, Orchard Mall have these outdoor outlet until the owners sealed it up. Now most of those indoor malls are DEAD and some are still alive. " Danny, you totally missed the point of my post. It was a tongue in cheek insinuation that it was better for everybody when retail existed in a downtown environment, like in Royal Oak, Ferndale, etc, that puts the pedestrian before the automobile. I CERTAINLY was not referring to Tel-Twelve mall or that butt-ugly Fountain Walk. How do you figure those places put the storefronts against the sidewalk with parking in rear? Just because they aren't covered malls doesn't mean they aren't malls. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5942 Registered: 02-2004 |
Johnlodge, You're codespeak is correct. The context of your words are: "How about building a shopping area where the storefronts butt up against the sidewalks, and the parking is in the rear?" It's your codespeak for an OUTDOOR MALL And I'm have agreeing your viewpoints. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 494 Registered: 10-2003 |
No.. Larry understood what I was talking about. I guess I'll have to be more literal here or something. I will rephrase. How about instead of building more indoor or outdoor malls, retail goes back into cities' downtown mainstreet areas where it belongs and helps a city thrive? There, now got it? | ||
Kslice Member Username: Kslice Post Number: 45 Registered: 04-2007 |
I used to love the old Wonderland mall, but what kind of name is Wonderland VILLAGE?!? That sound like the stupidest thing I've ever heard! O, now it's a VILLAGE! How pretentious! I want to shop there now. Downtown Livonia is that corner that Bates is on, not much shopping going on there. Woodward's a different story. | ||
Waz Member Username: Waz Post Number: 51 Registered: 11-2006 |
Larryinflorida, Not only is Fouts alive and well, he is now running for Mayor of Warren. He said he put his hat in the ring because of advice from residents!! | ||
Jdkeepsmiling Member Username: Jdkeepsmiling Post Number: 257 Registered: 01-2006 |
I think that the death of the mall is highly overrated. I am not saying this because I am any great lover of malls, but rather through experience. I believe that well managed malls that are able to adapt to current trends will continue to do well. I cannot speak to rates that malls charge, but if they do not overcharge they should be OK. They also MUST be renovated every ten years at a minimum. If you don't believe me look at Livonia mall, which should be thriving, and is instead losing out to Westland. Conventional wisdom would say that Livonia has better demographics then Westland. As an example of this I will use three malls that have been in my life at various points. 1. Southland Mall - Taylor: This mall has been able to stay open and thrive due to a couple of factors. The owners have invested money in changing the retail mix to fit the times and the clientèle. They added a food court in the 90's and recently converted an old 2 screen movie theater into a Borders. They have also added a Best Buy. This is smart relevance, keeping up with retail trends (food court and Best Buy) and adaptively reusing space (movie theater to Borders, when the theater was driven out of business by the multiplexes.) 2. Briarwood - Ann Arbor: I do think that this mall benefits from a great location and from being the only enclosed mall in the Ann Arbor area. It has also been lucky to maintain its anchor stores. I believe that they could benefit from adding a food court and also some kind of signature retailer. They should be able to attract one given the good demographics of the area. This mall is in danger as retail spreads west to the Jackson Rd. area. Westland Mall - Westland: I am amazed that this mall does as well as it does. It is almost at capacity. I don't know the management company but they must do a great job. Not in the greatest of areas, not bad, but not the typical massive mall demographic. This mall is always clean, and recently was renovated and that makes all the difference. This mall could also benefit from adding a couple of stand alone stores in the parking lot. I think now that it was recently renovated inside, they should put some money into the exterior and landscaping. This malls future could depend on the redevelopment of the Livonia mall and the other stores in the area remaining healthy. There are already a few vacant storefronts in the area, and these must be filled. Any comments thought on my weird ramblings would be most appreciated. JD | ||
1805 Member Username: 1805 Post Number: 56 Registered: 03-2007 |
Ja1mz: I'm NOT saying race killed Universal Mall. I INFERRED that from Jim Fouts' statements, knowing his politics, demographics, and the social temperature of the area. You misunderstood. Those are not my views. And, I'm not exactly an expert on what kills malls, but I'm sure the biggest reason why Universal died is its dearth of anchor stores (all of Universal's big three went out of business). I love Universal Mall, ironically. | ||
Fury13 Member Username: Fury13 Post Number: 1718 Registered: 10-2003 |
I was in a rock band that played in the center of Universal Mall in the summer of 1973. We got the volume up so high (to "11") that the glass walls of the stores were vibrating. The kids loved it. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 428 Registered: 02-2007 |
"Larryinflorida, Not only is Fouts alive and well, he is now running for Mayor of Warren. He said he put his hat in the ring because of advice from residents!!" *blinks* I may live here now, but thru osmosis with visiting my mom, I've logged hours upon hours of Warren City Council meetings. At one point, I wanted to do a documentary on it. It was like a steel cage deathmatch of beer-guzzling factory workers and reptillian public-servants. An he had the longest tail. Too Bad. (Message edited by Larryinflorida on May 30, 2007) | ||
Ladyinabag Member Username: Ladyinabag Post Number: 268 Registered: 03-2007 |
Who are the sources from Fox 2 News that you are quoting? I haven't heard anything about Universal Mall Being closed and demolished. Was this on the news or in the newspaper? Please reveal your sources. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 496 Registered: 10-2003 |
I saw it on the news a couple days ago. Plus two articles had links posted on this thread. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 550 Registered: 07-2004 |
The time of the mall is not over. The problem in places like Metro Detroit and other North American metro areas, is that we have over retailed our metro region. Lets be honest. How many malls do you need that have all the same stores? The reason there are dead malls, is because we don't need more retail, but we keep building, and just take shoppers from one mall and send them to another. If we did not have as much retail then we would not have dead downtowns or malls. I can't remember the exact stat, but Americans have something like three times the amount of retail space per person compared to people in Europe and other parts of the world. | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 720 Registered: 11-2003 |
Here's a video of a boat show that took place at Universal in 1986. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =SMzpcY6xxPA I walked through Universal a couple of years ago and just found it to be depressing as hell. There couldn't have been more than ten people in the whole mall. The whole northern wing was boarded up. | ||
Jiscodazz Member Username: Jiscodazz Post Number: 28 Registered: 02-2007 |
Gonna miss the $1 shows for sure. Anyone know any other good $1 shows around here? | ||
Ericdetfan Member Username: Ericdetfan Post Number: 84 Registered: 02-2007 |
48202: I'm not sure, but they are on the deadmalls.com site..I have been over that entire site, so I dont remember which ones exactly. | ||
1805 Member Username: 1805 Post Number: 57 Registered: 03-2007 |
The movie theatre is staying, Jiscodazz. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5944 Registered: 02-2004 |
Jdkeepsmiling, Westland Mall is doing so great that you can see more hip cool skinny white kids shop there like mallrats. | ||
Keoki96701 Member Username: Keoki96701 Post Number: 8 Registered: 04-2004 |
I am not a resident of Michigan anymore, but I do know that people are lazy, and want something better. When they go shopping they want to escape from their lives. They like to look at new stores, new gagets, new clothes, new trends and NEW PEOPLE. So I think that these old stores are like the old furniture that we have. It's still good but we want something up to date. So we go a little bit further to the NEW store or mall. It is conversation "Did you go to the NEW _____? I think what would be good for these old malls is to possibly build a highrise condo next to it so the residents and there family and friends could go there with little effort... getting back to lazy. Also with the cost of gas it would be easy for them. Families could send there kids to the mall and be close by. Mall could hire Security to keep an eye on ANY kids that are a problem. That's my 2 cents on the matter....but then again 2 cents will get you just 2 cents...lol. That is what I would do if I own one of them malls. ALOHA | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 721 Registered: 11-2003 |
Anyone remember Gell's Sporting Goods? A website mentioned that there use to be a Gell's at Universal. I don't seem to recall a Gell's at Universal, but the name sounds very familiar to me. Anyone know when Gell's went out of business and some of the locations in the metro area. Thanks. | ||
Hornist9 Member Username: Hornist9 Post Number: 29 Registered: 05-2005 |
Rjk, Yes, there was a Gell's at Universal. A guy I grew up with was the store's manager for a while. My wife and I would go and walk there with the Mall Walkers. It's depressing to see what was once a thriving mall slowly dying. I have to add my opinion on Fouts. I serve as Secretary of the Warren Cultural Commission. I have sat and watched the Council Meetings for a number of years. I once told Joe Muneum (City Communications Director) that if he ever wanted to add theme music for the opening and end credits, he ought to use the Gillette "Look Sharp" March. For those of you that are too young to remember, it was the theme music of the "Friday Night Fights" televised in the 50's by ABC. I have called the Council Meetings the "Tuesday Night Fights". Fouts just loves to run his mouth. Since he's running for Mayor, I will relate a true story of why I will NEVER support him for ANY office. The Cultural Commission and Administration in Warren got a sizable grant to build an Amphitheater in Halmich Park in the 80's. Bids were let, $60,000 worth of structural steel was purchased. A group of Nimbyites (Not in my Back Yard) went to Fouts with stories that they were afraid if it were built, that people attending the concerts would be pissing in their front yards, and littering with beer bottles and such like. Fouts ran a bunch of these people in front of the entire council (it was an election year) and was successful in getting the project canned. I had good friends and Colleagues that pleaded with the council not to do it, but in the end Fouts won. The City ended up scrapping $60,000 worth of steel. I don't think in the nearly 25 years that he's been on Council, that he's ever done one positive thing for Warren. He rails against the current administration, he calls the new City Hall the "Hazel Park Race Track". He has constantly voted against anything that would benefit the city. I hope he gets his ass handed to him. Oh, by the way, he was using the Teenager "Card" against Cinemark and the Mall, well guess what his day job was? He was a US Government Teacher at Sterling Heights High School. | ||
Larryinflorida Member Username: Larryinflorida Post Number: 535 Registered: 02-2007 |
Hornist9, those City Council meetings would be considered good entertainment..by people who also consider 'Jerry Springer", good entertainment. But I guess it stops being funny after awhile, when you watch questionable decisions regarding your actual future occur. | ||
Designerguy24 Member Username: Designerguy24 Post Number: 88 Registered: 10-2006 |
Has anyone heard anything more on when Universal Mall will actually be torn down? I go by there all the time nad see no work being done yet and no mention of it is on the Universal Mall website. | ||
763z Member Username: 763z Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2008 |
There's talk that the demolition is slated to begin in late March/early April. I've also heard a less substantiated rumor about a SuperTarget being built on the site. |
