Memorial Mall

Memorial Mall
Location Sheboygan, Wisconsin
United States
Coordinates 43°45′15″N 87°45′13″W / 43.754249°N 87.753673°W
Address 3347 Kohler Memorial Drive
Opening date 1969
Developer Melvin Simon & Associates
Owner Meijer
No. of stores and services 15
No. of anchor tenants 1
No. of floors 2
Public transit access Shoreline Metro
Website www.memorialmall.com

Memorial Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Opened in 1969, it features Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, and Bed Bath & Beyond.

History

Originally a development of Melvin Simon & Associates (now Simon Property Group), the groundwork for Sheboygan County's first and only enclosed mall was laid in August 1968 with the construction of its first store, large 160,000 sq ft, two-floor J.C. Penney with an auto center as an out-parcel. Another anchor was a G. C. Murphy variety store.[1]

Although Memorial Mall would hold its official grand opening in April 1970 with over 35 shops, eateries and services, the third and final anchor abutting the north end, an 80,000 sq ft Sears with attached Auto Center would not open until November 1970, completing the 350,000 sq ft complex.[2] Until the opening of Fond Du Lac's Forest Mall in 1973, it was the largest enclosed shopping center in East-Central Wisconsin.

In 2001, JC Penney left the mall and Hobby Lobby has since occupied the first floor of the former anchor pad. In 2003, Simon Property Group sold Memorial Mall and the new owners renovated the mall building.[3]

In 2012, Memorial Mall was sold at a foreclosure auction.[4] Bank of America, the lender to the mall, bought the property at a sheriff's auction for about $2.1 million.[5] Prior to the auction, the mall was owned by a group of 17 New York-based limited liability companies and had been in foreclosure since 2009, after falling rental rates and a lack of new tenants left owners owing far more on the property than what it's worth.

In January 2014, RadioShack closed its store after more than 20 years of being located inside the mall.[6] Sears Holdings announced the closure of its Memorial Mall store and confirmed the closure of Sears Auto earlier that year.[7] 30 employees will lose their jobs and the store will close February, 2015.[8] In January 2015, the mall’s general manager confirmed that three stores announced their intention to leave the mall; Amy’s Hallmark, Revolution Board Shop, and Deb Shops.[9]

On March 17, 2015, Siegel Gallagher, Inc. represented NRFC Memorial Holdings, LLC on the sale of Memorial Mall to Michigan-based grocer Meijer for $10.75 million.[10] The sale included the acquisition of the adjoining Sears store. Meijer has been busy with expansions of its store locations in Wisconsin, with four stores scheduled to open in southeast Wisconsin in 2015.[11]

Currently, the mall is less than 50% occupied.

References

  1. ↑ Directory of major malls. MJJTM Publications Corp. 1981. p. 24, 319.
  2. ↑ Abhold, Matt. "Memorial Mall - Sheboygan, WI". DeadMalls.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Keppert, Jenny (September 19, 2003). "Mall renovation gets in gear". The Sheboygan Press.
  4. ↑ Lintereur, Josh (November 8, 2012). "Memorial Mall in Sheboygan sold at foreclosure auction". The Sheboygan Press.
  5. ↑ "Memorial Mall in Sheboygan sold at foreclosure auction". Milwaukee Business Journal. November 9, 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "RadioShack closes store at Sheboygan mall". Gannett Wisconsin Media. March 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ Thiel, Kali. "Sheboygan Sears, Plymouth Kmart to close". The Sheboygan Press.
  8. ↑ Thiel, Kali. "30 Sears employees to lose jobs". The Sheboygan Press. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Weyandt, Janet. "Memorial mall losing three more stores". The Sheboygan Press. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Meijer purchases Sheboygan Memorial Mall space for new grocery store". WITI-TV. March 20, 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Meijer buys Memorial Mall in Sheboygan". WISN-TV. March 20, 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

External links