Alpena Mall
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| Alpena Mall | |
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| Mall facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Alpena, Michigan, United States |
| Opening date | ca. 1983 |
| No. of stores and services | 21 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 2 |
| Total retail floor area | 225,000 ft² (20,903 m²) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Website | alpenamall.com |
Alpena Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in the city of Alpena, Michigan, serving most of northeastern Michigan. The enclosed mall features 25 tenants, and is anchored by J. C. Penney, J. C. Penney Home Store, and Glik's.
[edit] History
In 1977, Kmart opened a store on the south side of Alpena, at the site where Alpena Mall would later be built. The mall itself, retro-fitted to the existing Kmart, opened around 1983, with J.C. Penney store at the opposite end. As one of the only malls serving northern lower Michigan, it thrived for many years, featuring stores such as Circus World (later KB Toys), Fashion Bug, and RadioShack.
The biggest change to Alpena Mall came in 1997. Kmart's store in the mall was small and could not be expanded, so a new store was built across the street. Soon after Kmart left, their former store at the mall was partially taken over by Stage Department Store and Gordon Food Service. Stage Department Stores later pulled out of Michigan, and many of their locations - including Alpena Mall's - were replaced with Glik's. (A portion of the former Kmart is also used as storage for J.C. Penney; however, a 19,000 square foot portion still remains vacant.)
While the mall itself is often quiet, and some spaces have been vacant for years, Alpena Mall is not a dead mall. Many national chains operate in the mall, such as Payless ShoeSource, GNC, Waldenbooks, and f.y.e.. The mall does face some competition now, with several mall-type stores like Bath & Body Works, EB Games, and Kohl's cropping up in nearby Gaylord, Michigan.
