Lakeview Square Mall

Lakeview Square Mall
The mall's western entry in 2016.
Map
LocationBattle Creek, Michigan
Coordinates42°15′47″N 85°11′02″W / 42.263°N 85.184°W / 42.263; -85.184
Address5775 Beckley Road
Opening dateAugust 3, 1983
DeveloperForbes/Cohen
ManagementGK Development
No. of stores and services18
No. of anchor tenants3 (1 still vacant)
Total retail floor area550,000 square feet (51,000 m2) (GLA)
No. of floors1
Public transit accessBus interchange Battle Creek Transit
Websitewww.lakeviewsquare.com

Lakeview Square Mall is an enclosed shopping mall serving the city of Battle Creek, Michigan. It opened in 1983 and features Horrocks Farm Market and ExtraSpace Storage as anchors. Previous anchor stores at the mall included Sears, J. C. Penney, Macy's (previously Hudson's and Marshall Field's), and Gilmore Brothers. Other major tenants include Barnes & Noble, Shoe Dept. Encore, and Dunham's Sports. The mall is managed by GK Development.

History

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Sidney Forbes and Maurice Cohen, owners of Forbes/Cohen Properties, first announced plans for Lakeview Square in 1980. The proposal called for a mall to be located on property on Beckley Road on the south side of Battle Creek, bound to the north by I-94 and to the east by M-66. In order to construct the mall, Forbes/Cohen had to acquire a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to relocate Brickyard Creek, a creek running along the western side of the property. [1]

Lakeview Square opened on August 3, 1983.[2][3] When it opened, the mall featured three anchor stores: JCPenney, Sears and Hudson's (which became Marshall Field's in 2001 and Macy's in 2006), along with a Big Boy, which is now where Applebee's is, Cole's, which relocated from the Downtown Michigan Mall, opening a women's clothing store, along with a men's clothing store in 1986. Zales also relocated from the Michigan Mall, along with Florsheim. [4] In 1993, Kalamazoo-based Gilmore Brothers opened at the mall. One of the first expansions at the mall was a movie theater complex, which was added to the Sears wing and opened in 1995.[5]

General Growth Properties bought the mall, along with Westwood Mall and Lansing Mall, from Forbes/Cohen in 1998.[6] The same year, Old Navy opened at the mall, replacing a space vacated by Kalamazoo-based department store Gilmore Brothers five years prior.[7] In 1999, the mall was remodeled. Dunham's Sports also opened a store at the mall in 2006, relocating from a nearby plaza.[8] Steve & Barry's opened a store at the mall in 2007, replacing Old Navy. The Steve & Barry's went out of business during the company's bankruptcy in 2008. That space is now occupied by Shoe Department Encore. [9][10]

The mall was sold to Cushman & Wakefield in 2011,[11] and again to GK Development in 2013.[12]

Around the 2010 to 11 mark, when the mall was remodeled again, the food court was removed and a Buffalo Wild Wings opened in its place.

On January 4, 2017, it was announced that Macy's would be closing as part of a plan to close 68 stores nationwide. The store closed in March 2017.[13] On March 17, 2017, it was announced that JCPenney would also be closing on July 31, 2017 as part of a plan to close 138 stores nationwide which left Sears as the only anchor left.[14] After those two closures, more stores left the mall, including FYE in July 2018.[15] On November 8, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as well in February 2019 as part of a plan to close 40 stores nationwide which will leave the mall with no anchors left.[16] Around late 2022 to early 2023, more stores left including: Bath & Body Works(opened in 1998), left the mall and moved to a bigger building at the Harper Village Center a block away, Claire's, which moved into the nearby Walmart Supercenter, and Auntie Anne's. Leaving only a couple stores in the middle corridor of the mall including: General Nutrition Center(GNC), and Chinese Wellness. In late 2023, Maurices left the mall and moved into the vacated Gordon Food Service building. This left the mall with only 12 name brand stores.

References

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  1. ^ Rick Burnham (July 31, 1980). "Hudson's says it's close to Forbes-Cohen pact". Battle Creek Enquirer. pp. B1, B3. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  2. ^ "15 May 1983, Page 31 - Battle Creek Enquirer at". Newspapers.com. 1983-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  3. ^ Massie, Larry B.; Schmitt, Peter J. (1984). Battle Creek, the place behind the products: an illustrated history. Windsor Publications. p. 116. ISBN 0-89781-117-8.
  4. ^ Willis, Elizabeth (12 October 2008). "Looking good in silver: Mall marks 25th year". Battle Creek Enquirer. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  5. ^ "Theater opens Friday at Lakeview Square". Battle Creek Enquirer. November 16, 1995. p. 13. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  6. ^ Sinderman, Martin (February 1, 1998). "Retail Investment Forecast -- 1998". Retail Traffic. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  7. ^ Rea, Linda (July 11, 1998). "Business booming at Lakeview Square". Battle Creek Enquirer. pp. 1A, 2A.
  8. ^ Hanna, Stacy (31 May 2006). "Plaza to get new tenant". Battle Creek Enquirer. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  9. ^ Antonian Rutherford, Stephanie (5 December 2007). "Holiday shoppers notice changes at Lakeview Square Mall". Battle Creek Enquirer. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  10. ^ Antonian Rutherford, Stephanie (18 October 2007). "Steve & Barry's moving into mall". Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved 6 January 2011.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Lakeview Square Mall now under new management | Specialty Retail Report". Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  12. ^ "GK Development Buys Lakeview Square for $9M". nreionline.com. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Macy's at Lakeview Square Mall in Battle Creek to close". mlive.com. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  14. ^ "J.C. Penney store in Battle Creek is among 138 to be closed". mlive.com. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  15. ^ "FYE in Lakeview Square Mall is closing in July". Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  16. ^ "Another 40 Sears, Kmart stores closing: See a list and map". USA Today.
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