Westwood Mall (Jackson, Michigan)

Westwood Mall is an enclosed shopping mall serving the community of Jackson, Michigan owned and managed by Brookfield Properties Retail Group. It opened in 1972 and features two anchor stores: JCPenney and Walmart. It is managed and owned by Brookfield Properties Retail Group.

Westwood Mall
LocationJackson, Michigan
Coordinates42.250°N 84.436°W / 42.250; -84.436
Address1850 W. Michigan Ave.
Opening date1972 (1972)[1]
DeveloperForbes-Cohen
ManagementBrookfield Properties Retail Group
OwnerBrookfield Properties Retail Group
No. of stores and services50+[1]
No. of anchor tenants3 (2 open, 1 vacant)
Total retail floor area510,000 square feet (47,000 m2) (GLA)
No. of floors2 (Second floor is mall staff only)
Websiteshopwestwoodmall.com

History

The mall was built in 1972 with Wurzburg's and Montgomery Ward as its anchor stores, but Wurzburg's sold its store to J.W. Knapp Company shortly before completion. Original tenants included Claire's, Motherhood Maternity, Kinney Shoes, Waldenbooks, Spencer Gifts, Circus World Toys, Merle Norman Cosmetics, and Walgreens. The Knapp store sold to JCPenney in 1980.[2] Elder-Beerman was added as a third anchor in September 1993.[3] General Growth Properties acquired the mall from Forbes/Cohen in 1998, along with nearby Lansing Mall and Lakeview Square Mall.[4]

In 2004, Walmart opened its first Jackson location on the site vacated by Montgomery Ward three years prior.[5][6] Five years later, the company expressed interest in purchasing houses behind the mall to build a retention basin.[7]

Several stores closed in the mall in the late 2000s, including Gap,[8] Ritz Camera and an original tenant, Crown & Carriage Gifts.[9] Despite the loss of these stores, the mall retained a higher occupancy rate than the national average.[10] The Elder-Beerman store was re-branded Younkers in 2012.[11]

On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Younkers would be closing as parent company The Bon-Ton Stores was going out of business. The store closed on August 31, 2018.[12]

References
  1. "Westwood Mall". Brookfield Properties Retail Group.
  2. http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/07/peek_through_time_cool_comfort.html
  3. "The Bottom Line". Dayton Daily News. June 20, 1993. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  4. Sinderman, Martin (February 1, 1998). "Retail Investment Forecast – 1998". Retail Traffic. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  5. Susan, Stock (April 18, 2003). "Wal-Mart plans new store at mall in Jackson". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  6. "Westwood Mall Welcomes Wal-Mart". Business Wire. July 21, 2004. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  7. Gautz, Chris (March 26, 2009). "Walmart trying to buy homes near Westwood Mall to build detention pond". Jackson Citizen Patriot. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  8. "Gap store at Westwood Mall in Jackson closing on Jan. 26". Jackson Citizen-Patriot. January 7, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  9. Gautz, Chris (December 29, 2010). "Crown and Carriage Gifts in the Westwood Mall, and Best Books at Jackson Crossing have announced plans to close". Jackson Citizen-Patriot. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
  10. Guenther, Heather (May 31, 2009). "Vacancy rates skyrocketing at malls across the U.S." Jackson Citizen-Patriot. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  11. http://www.mlive.com/business/jackson-lansing/index.ssf/2012/09/elder-beerman_department_store.html
  12. https://www.wlns.com/news/mid-michigan-younkers-stores-to-close/1130150603
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