The Mall That Grew Up With the Region
Grand Traverse Mall has been on South Airport Road since 1992.
Its story actually started several months earlier, when Target and JCPenney opened in October 1991. At the time, it was the largest indoor mall north of Saginaw.
The mall once included more than a hundred stores and a nine-screen movie theater.
Some of the anchor stores were well-known in the Midwest.
By the middle of 2025, the parking lots still bring in cars, but inside, things look different. Macy’s closed in March.
TJ Maxx had left the previous year. Some new plans, like the proposed Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, have begun to fall through.
Still, there are signs the property is being used in new ways. A children’s museum has opened, and some areas are changing to fit new types of retail.
Legal Challenges and Land Deals That Shaped the Ground
Before construction began, Grand Traverse Mall was already involved in legal disputes.
Cherryland Mall, which later became Cherryland Center, filed a lawsuit to stop the project, saying it would increase retail competition and harm a nearby creek.
The case ended with a settlement outside of court.
There was also a separate legal dispute over the sale of township land to the mall’s developer, General Growth Properties.
Some argued that Garfield Township officials had a conflict of interest, but that claim did not hold up.
By fall 1991, even with these issues in the background, the two main stores were ready.
JCPenney and Target opened in October, months before the mall’s official opening the next March.
Hudson’s was added in July 1992, making it the third original anchor.
The mall opened with an enclosed layout that was unusual for the region: 110 stores, a Kerasotes nine-screen theater, and space for five anchor stores.
This made it larger and more varied than other shopping centers north of Saginaw at the time.
Although the lawsuits are part of the mall’s history, they did not leave any visible mark on the building.
The property lines that were debated during those cases are still in use.
Ownership Transfers and Brand Realignments
Retail chains shifted quickly in the early 2000s, and Grand Traverse Mall adjusted along the way.
Hudson’s switched to Marshall Field’s in 2001, then to Macy’s in 2006.
All three belonged to the same corporate group. The changes were mostly new signs and branding.
The structure stayed the same.
For most shoppers, Marshall Field’s was just a new name. Macy’s later made some updates inside the store, but the outside stayed as it was.
In 2012, General Growth Properties transferred the mall to Rouse Properties.
The transfer did not bring new development, but the management approach changed.
Reinvestment slowed, and leasing became more reactive.
Target, JCPenney, and Macy’s remained the main tenants, but replacing mid-sized stores became more difficult.
Much of what changed during this time was behind the scenes. The companies managing the mall changed, while the storefronts changed more gradually.
By the time Brookfield Properties took over from Rouse, the mall had stopped growing.
Maintenance and minor updates became the focus.
Anchor Turnover and Retail Reversals
The mall’s theater once opened its lobby with the smell of butter and a row of black vinyl seats near the box office.
That ended in 2015, when Carmike Cinemas pulled the plug and moved its screens to a newer build nearby.
A replacement was quickly floated – Dick’s Sporting Goods was expected to move into the space by fall 2016.
But that plan collapsed late in the year. By 2017, the site reopened as Dunham’s Sports.
It didn’t need major structural changes, just new flooring, racks, and signage.
Shoe Dept. Encore arrived in 2019. H&M had joined earlier in 2017, but by 2021, it was gone.
Grand Traverse Bay Gymnastics moved into the former H&M space that same year.
Gap, which had relocated from Buffalo Ridge into the mall years earlier, closed its doors in 2021 as well.
Macy’s Shutdown and Leaseback Fallout
On January 8, 2025, Macy’s announced it would close its Grand Traverse Mall store by the end of the first quarter. The store closed on March 23.
That space opened as Hudson’s in July 1992, became Marshall Field’s in 2001, and took the Macy’s name in 2006.
For over thirty years, it served as an anchor on the mall’s left side, known for its large display windows and department-store layout.
In December 2024, Lormax Stern bought the property through a sale-leaseback arrangement.
Macy’s was still operating at the time.
After the closure, efforts began to lease the space to a new tenant. As of summer 2025, no replacement had been named, though talks were ongoing.
TJ Maxx also left in mid-2024.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet was expected to take over that location, but the deal fell through when the chain wanted exclusive use of an exterior entrance.
Mall management, preferring to keep traffic flowing through the interior, withdrew the offer.
The entrance to the former TJ Maxx is now closed off, with only a rectangle of darker tile marking where it was.
Children’s Museum Lease and the Experiential Pivot
In October 2024, the Great Lakes Children’s Museum closed its building on the west side of town.
It planned to reopen inside Grand Traverse Mall.
By early 2025, construction had started on a new space called Curiosity Place, located in a former retail unit near the food court.
The new location covers about 8,000 square feet. The lease runs for three to six years.
Museum staff said the mall site was chosen for its steady foot traffic, central location, and indoor access during the winter.
They did not describe it as a short-term move.
The layout reuses the existing structure with only small changes.
The new exhibits include a playhouse, a seasonal maze, train tables, a Coast Guard lookout with a slide, and a water table based on Great Lakes geography.
This is not the first time the mall has rented space to a non-retail tenant. But the length of the lease suggests the museum plans to stay.
Staff said the goal was to have a stable, year-round location. For the mall, it adds a tenant that doesn’t depend on apparel or holiday sales.
Events and Tenants Filling the Gaps
In November 2024, the Zonta Festival of Trees moved its annual event to Grand Traverse Mall.
It was held in the former Gap unit, which was used as a temporary event space.
For that weekend, the storefront was decorated with holiday garlands, and the sales floor was filled with artificial trees and raffle tables. The lighting stayed as it was.
While many permanent tenants have left, three anchors remain: JCPenney, Target, and Dunham’s Sports.
Other stores have shifted locations or moved in from nearby shopping centers.
Old Navy relocated from Buffalo Ridge and took over the space formerly used by f.y.e.
Gap had earlier replaced both Toys R Us Express and Abercrombie & Fitch before closing in 2021.
There were no major announcements tied to these changes.
Storefront signs were updated, security gates replaced, and new tenants moved into the same square footage.
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