Mailbag: Universal Mall

PurpleBubba said...
"They started demolition on the mall. It's being turned into a lifestyle center and Target is moving here and leaving the store they have a few blocks south."

I read this in the Detroit News almost the same day Purble Bubba posted it. It was about time if you ask me. If a center is failing as bad as Universal was, you need to do something about it. I dunno how a Lifestyle center is going to do, but I do hope it is a success. Considering the poor state of the economy here, I'm not a cynical as I once was about lifestyle centers. I hate cold weather and because I think that other ppl feel the same way I do. lol

Anyway, I never had a chance to write about this mall here, but if you would like some backround, you can check out the commentary that I helped write on deadmalls.com:
http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/universal_mall.html

Value City Department Store closing all Mall locations

This is probably not new news to most of you, but VCDS has decided to close all their mall locations. I was flipping through the Detroit News today and saw a full page advertisement that said that 3 Metro Detroit Locations only have 8 days left and that all items are up to 60 percent off. Two of the locations are obvious, the stores at Livonia Mall and Universal mall. The 3rd location was Macomb mall in Roseville. Universal mall is as I already mentioned closing and will be torn down to build the newest fad in retail shopping; a lifestyle center. Livonia mall still has no plans to close that I am aware of, but I'm positive that this won't help matters. Macomb Mall does fairly well considering its age and proximity to Oakland and Lakeside and Eastland malls. I doubt this closure will hurt macomb much. I can totally see a Burlington Coat Factory and Steve and Barry's filling the vacant space.

VCDS has no plans to close any of their stand alone or strip mall store ( I only know of one, anyway) so thats good I suppose. I have been in several VCs and did not care form them much. It felt very generic and just blah. Nevertheless, it is another blow to the hurting retail landscape in Michigan; definately not what we need.

Update on Universal Mall; Warren Michigan

I met an employee from Universal a few days ago that told me that "they" (city or mall management?) are planning to invest a considerable amount of money ( I can't remember the exact amount) into tearing down the existing mall and building Warrens' first lifestyle center. He also told that AJ Wright and the movie theather plan to stay, but no word on Burlington Coat Factory. The employee added that he hopes the movie theater does leave because it has become a babysitting service for children and teens whose parents drop them off there. He seemed pretty excited about it, but I can hardly be. Lifestyle centers just dont work with michigans weather pattens and it being cold half the year. Why do you think that they enclosed both Wonderland Mall and Northland after a while?

I know that I haven't posted a blog on the dead Universal Mall yet, but I plan to in the future. I just thought I would share this lil bit of info with you before I forgot it.

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