Meridian Mall (Okemos, Michigan)
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| Meridian Mall | |
| Mall facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Okemos, Michigan, United States |
| Opening date | 1969 |
| Owner | CBL Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 130 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 6 |
| Total retail floor area | 977,085 sq. ft. |
| No. of floors | 1 |
Contents |
[edit] Summary
Meridian Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Okemos, Michigan, a suburb of Lansing. It is the larger of two enclosed malls in the Lansing area, featuring a food court and over 130 stores. It is managed by CBL Properties.
Meridian Mall has seen a wide number of expansions and renovations since opening, including the changeover of many anchor stores. These changes are outlined in the timeline below.
[edit] Timeline
- 1969: Meridian Mall opens to the public. Anchor stores include Woolco and J. W. Knapp, a local store which also had a location in downtown Lansing as well as at Lansing Mall. Meridian Mall also featured a four-screen movie theater (one of the first multiplexes in the nation) and a supermarket. Their motto or advertising jingle was "Meridian Mall is the One, with a Million Square Feet of Fun!"
- 1977: A second set of theatres, known as the Meridian 4 East, opens in the former supermarket space. The older theater complex in the mall is re-named Meridian 4 West.
- 1980: J. W. Knapp closes all stores. The Meridian Mall and Lansing Mall stores are converted to J. C. Penney.
- 1982: A new wing is added to the middle of the mall, nearly doubling the size of the mall and adding Hudson's as an anchor. Also, Woolco closes all US stores.
- 1983: The former Woolco at Meridian Mall is gutted. Most of the space becomes Service Merchandise, and the remainder is converted to a food court (Meridian Cafes) and various stores.
- mid-1990s?: Meridian 4 East Theaters close.
- 1999: Service Merchandise declares bankruptcy, closing all stores.
- 2000: The former Service Merchandise is demolished and replaced with a two-story Jacobson's department store. Jacobson's had previously operated in downtown East Lansing; the older store converted into a Barnes & Noble. Also, longtime tenant MC Sports closes in the center court.
- early 2001: Bed Bath And Beyond is added to the Jacobson's wing.
- 2001: Another new wing is added to the mall, angling off the center court and displacing the former MC Sports store. The new wing features Galyan's and a new food court. As a result, the mall's previous food court is replaced with additional stores, including Schuler Books And Music. Also, the Hudson's chain is renamed Marshall Field's.
- 2002: Jacobson's declares bankruptcy and closes all stores, after only two years in operation at Meridian Mall. Steve & Barry's opens a small store near the food court.
- 2003: Younkers opens in the former Jacobson's store. Due to space limitations in the old Jacobson's space, Younkers operates its men's and children's departments in a separate storefront adjacent to the former Jacobson's. Steve & Barry's moves to the J. C. Penney wing. The mall's offices, which were displaced by the Younkers men's and children's store, move into a portion of the former Steve & Barry's.
- late 2003: The mall's original theater complex, Meridian 4 West, closes and is divided into retail space.
- 2004: Dick's Sporting Goods acquires and re-names the Galyan's stores.
- Spring 2006: Mervyn's closes all Michigan operations. As of October 2006, the store at Meridian Mall is still vacant.
- September 9, 2006: All Marshall Field's stores are converted to Macy's.
[edit] Anchors
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- JCPenney
- Macy's
- Old Navy
- Schuler Books & Music
- Steve & Barry's
- Younkers
[edit] Former anchors
- Galyan's - converted to Dick's Sporting Goods in 2004
- Hudson's - converted to Marshall Field's in 2001
- Jacobson's - closed 2002, now Younkers
- J. W. Knapp - converted to JCPenney in 1980
- Jo-Ann Fabrics
- Marshall Field's - converted to Macy's in 2006
- MC Sports - closed 2003, torn down for current food court
- Mervyn's - closed 2006, vacant
- Rite Aid
- Service Merchandise - torn down in 2000 for Jacobson's
- Woolco - closed 1982, later food court and Service Merchandise
