Frandor Shopping Center

Frandor Shopping Center
Frandor entrance sign along North Clippert Street
Location Lansing, Michigan
Coordinates 42°44′16″N 84°30′23″W / 42.73778°N 84.50639°W / 42.73778; -84.50639Coordinates: 42°44′16″N 84°30′23″W / 42.73778°N 84.50639°W / 42.73778; -84.50639
Address 300 Frandor Avenue, Lansing, MI 48912-5290
Opening date 1954
Management Corr Commercial Real Estate, Inc.
Owner Lansing Retail Center, LLC
No. of stores and services 60
No. of anchor tenants 6
Total retail floor area 450,000 square feet
No. of floors 1

Frandor Shopping Center, in Lansing, Michigan, is located at the very eastern edge of the city bordering the neighboring city of East Lansing and freeway US Highway 127. It is a 450,000-square-foot (41,800 m2) strip center anchored by a Sears,[1][2] a Kroger supermarket, HomeGoods, Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Guitar Center, and Cost Plus World Market.[3]

Storefronts along east end of
Frandor Shopping Center

History

Frandor was the first shopping center in Lansing and the second in Michigan, opening in 1954, shortly after Northland Center in Southfield, Michigan.[4] The shopping center was originally owned by Francis J. Corr, and was named using a conjunction of his and his wife Dorothy's name.[5]

Before beginning construction, Corr secured Sears as Frandor's anchor store, which they remain as to this day. Corr negotiated a swap with the Sears in Lansing, buying the old store and selling the south 14.5 acres of the Frandor site to Sears. Corr then built and "fixtured"[1] the new Sears store.[1]

In 1972, the formerly open-air center was enclosed, and several new storefronts were added.[6] This enclosure was removed in 1998, while adding several big-box stores to either end of Kroger, then the center's western anchor.[7]

Current development

Frandor has a variety of options for incoming businesses, allowing start-ups to lease a small space with the option to expand. The Frandor Merchant Association has a high participation level and meets regularly.[8]

Theatres

Spartan Twin

In 1967 the Spartan Twin (later Spartan Triplex) opened in the Frandor Shopping Center. The theater played the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday nights. The establishment was closed in February 1994 and later used as a Discovery Zone.[9][10]

The Odeon

The Odeon was a small film house in Frandor owned by Frank Leahey that featured foreign and independent films. It is no longer open.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sears Deal Negotiated". Lansing State Journal. November 3, 1953. p. 1.
  2. ↑ "Sears Hopes To Open Store Here Nov. 26". Lansing State Journal. October 3, 1954.
  3. ↑ "Welcome to Lormax Stern Development Company". K-Data of West Michigan. 2008. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Frandor Shopping Center". Lansing Malls & Shops. Pure Michigan. Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Frandor Shopping Center". LostLansing.com. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  6. ↑ Moles, Lloyd (November 5, 1972). "Frandor work progresses". Lansing State Journal. p. E12. Retrieved June 30, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  7. ↑ Banas, Teri (April 28, 1998). "Frandor fights facelift frowns". Lansing State Journal. pp. 1A, 2A. Retrieved June 30, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ "Frandor: Part of the Fabric of Greater Lansing". The Greater Lansing Business Monthly. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Multiplex Theatres". LostLansing.com. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Spartan Twin". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  11. ↑ "2008 Recipient Bios". Retrieved July 14, 2009.
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