Genesee Valley Center Explained

Genesee Valley Center
Location:Flint Township, Michigan, United States
Opening Date:1970
Developer:Shopping Centers, Inc.
Manager:Namdar Realty Group
Owner:Namdar Realty Group
Number Of Stores:approx. 50+[1]
Number Of Anchors:4 (2 open, 2 vacant)
Floor Area:1272397square feet[2]
Floors:1 plus mezzanine (2 in anchors)
Publictransit: MTA

Genesee Valley Center is an enclosed shopping mall located in Flint Township, Michigan, outside the city of Flint, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1970, the mall is 1272397square feet of leasable area. The mall has two anchor tenants: JCPenney and Macy's. It comprises more than 120 tenants, including a food court, and an external concourse called the Outdoor Village which also features a Barnes & Noble bookstore. The mall is located on Miller Road and Linden Road, near the junction of Interstate 69 (I-69) and I-75.

History

Genesee Valley Center was developed in 1970 by Shopping Centers, Inc. of Southfield, Michigan,[3] a retail division of Detroit, Michigan-based Hudson's department stores.[4] It was built as a one-level, enclosed shopping mall, consisting of a straight-line concourse with an anchor store at either end. Sears, the northern anchor, was the first store to open, doing so in May 1970. Hudson's followed two months later, with this location being the chain's largest store outside of Detroit.[5] These two stores served as the northern and southern anchor stores to the mall, respectively. On August 8, 1970, Genesee Valley Center opened to the public.[5] At the time, it comprised fifty-six tenants, including a Hamady Brothers supermarket and Cunningham Drug.[5] By September, a Woolworth dime store had opened next to Sears.[5]

In 1979, an eastern wing anchored by JCPenney was added to the mall. A mezzanine level with a food court was added in 1987. The Cunningham Drug Store was demolished for a wing featuring a Mervyns in 1993, Montgomery Ward was also added. These additions brought the mall to 1300000square feet of gross leasable area, making it the largest mall in Michigan to be located north of Detroit.[6] Woolworth was briefly downsized to a cosmetics-oriented prototype called Woolworth Express before closing entirely.[7] In 2001, Montgomery Ward had closed the last of its store nationwide. The same year, Hudson's was renamed Marshall Field's, which itself became Macy's when the parent company of Marshall Field's was acquired.

Mid-2000s onward

The former Montgomery Ward location was demolished in 2005 for a new section called the Outdoor Village.[8] Opened in early 2006, this addition features additional mall tenants in an outdoor setting.[9] Anchoring the Outdoor Village is a Barnes & Noble bookstore, the opening of which resulted in the closure of a B. Dalton bookstore within the mall itself.[10]

Mervyns also closed its Michigan operations in early 2006. A year later, their space at the mall was replaced with Burlington Coat Factory (now known as Burlington), which relocated from an existing store nearby.[11] Steve & Barry's was added in the former Woolworth space. It closed in early 2009 when the chain declared bankruptcy, and became a clothing store called Wear District in October.[12] Wear District later closed and became Shoe Dept. Encore. In 2012, the mall was sold to by Jones Lang LaSalle to Spinoso Group.[13]

Since 2002, the mall has had a branch of Genesee District Library in it. The branch was first opened as an experiment. It was first slated for closure in October 2013, but the library board instead decided to keep it open until at least 2014.[14] Also in 2013, several storefronts were remodeled throughout the mall, including Bath & Body Works, Kay Jewelers, Justice, and Victoria's Secret.[15] Lane Bryant, an original tenant, moved to a new space in the mall in 2014 which had been vacated by a Ruby Tuesday.[16] A Planet Fitness opened in the Burlington Coat Factory wing in early 2015. An H&M opened in the JCPenney wing in November 2017.

Burlington relocated to a nearby strip mall on May 11, 2018.[17] Sears closed on September 2, 2018, which leaves JCPenney and Macy's as the only anchors left.[18] On December 15, 2018, Play Big, an indoor playground consisting of mostly inflatable bounce houses and arcade games, opened in the former Burlington store.[19]

In 2019, Forever 21 moved from its existing location near JCPenney to a larger location near Macy's, but it closed later that year.[20]

In December 2019, the mall was sold to Namdar Realty Group, which in turn made drastic cuts to the malls operational staff. Allied Universal’s mall security contract was terminated effective December 31, 2019, and Namdar Group opted to use In House Security personnel as well as in house housekeeping.

On July 14, 2023, Play Big closed, leaving just two anchors at the mall.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Directory . https://web.archive.org/web/20190802202600/https://www.geneseemall.com/directory/ . dead . 2 August 2019 . Genesee Valley Center . 2 August 2019.
  2. Web site: Genesee Valley Center fact sheet . 2008-06-10 . Genesee Valley Center . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184407/http://jll.propertycapsule.com/property/output/document/view/id%3A780/ . 2013-10-29 .
  3. 1968. Flint. CSA Super Markets. Lebhar-Friedman.. 44. 68.
  4. Web site: Shopping Centers Inc.. 1971. Chain Store Age. E3. 7 December 2017.
  5. Web site: Journal of the 20th Century: Trip through just-opened Genesee Valley reveals a brand-new world of shopping . 2007-12-17 . Sanders . Rhonda . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120321190539/http://www.flintjournal.com/20thcentury/1970/1970valley.html . 2012-03-21 .
  6. News: MOODY'S ASSIGNS INITIAL A2 RATING TO G.O.L.T. BONDS OF CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF FLINT BUILDING AUTHORITY. 2002-08-05. Moody's. 2009-10-16.
  7. Web site: Woolworth to expand formats: Express and Rx Place. . https://web.archive.org/web/20121105223049/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-7822669.html . dead . 2012-11-05 . 2008-10-22 . 1989-07-17 . Chain Drug Review.
  8. News: Lawlor . Joe . Barnes & Noble expected to anchor Genesee Valley addition . The Flint Journal . 2005-02-23 .
  9. Web site: Bigger, Better Shopping: Genesee Valley Center remains dominant in the marketplace with a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion. . 2007-12-17 . Fishman . Susan H. . October 2006 . Shopping Center Business . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081204100541/http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/articles/OCT06/story9.shtml . 2008-12-04 .
  10. Web site: Barnes & Noble Signs Lease for Flint, Michigan, Store; Store Will Open in March 2006 . 2007-12-17 . 2005-03-09 . Business Wire.
  11. Web site: Burlington Coat Factory opens new location . https://archive.today/20110521143334/http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=5558515 . dead . 2011-05-21 . 2007-12-17 . Jones . Dawn . 2007-08-13 . ABC 12 News .
  12. Web site: New Genesee Valley shopping center retailer Wear District hosting hiring sessions. Burden. Melissa. 2009-10-02. The Flint Journal. 2009-10-16.
  13. Web site: Genesee Valley Center gets new owners, property management firm. Byron. Shaun. 8 November 2012. Mlive.com. 26 October 2013.
  14. Web site: Genesee District Library to keep Genesee Valley Center branch open for another year. DeFever. Dana. 21 October 2013. Mlive.com. 26 October 2013.
  15. Web site: Five Genesee Valley storefronts get new looks after remodeling. Fonger. Ron. 1 September 2013. Mlive.com. 26 October 2013.
  16. Web site: Genesee Valley Center celebrates opening of new Lane Bryant location . 25 April 2014 . ABC 12 . 24 August 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140826114051/http://www.abc12.com/story/25342492/genesee-valley-center-celebrates-opening-of-new-lane-bryant-location . 26 August 2014 .
  17. Web site: Grand opening set for new Burlington store in Flint Township . 27 April 2018 .
  18. Web site: Four Sears in Michigan included in company's latest round of closures . June 2018 .
  19. Web site: Grand Opening at Play Big in the Genesee Valley Mall. www.facebook.com. en. 2019-02-01.
  20. Web site: Dressbarn, Forever 21 stores closing in Mid-Michigan. Team. ABC12 News. www.abc12.com. en. 2020-02-11.