Westland Shopping Center takes shape
In July 1963, the J.L. Hudson Corporation began construction on a new enclosed shopping center at the corner of Warren and Wayne roads in Nankin Township, Michigan.
The company had already built a network of regional malls across the Detroit suburbs and chose this 66-acre site to serve the growing residential area nearby.
Design work was handled by Victor Gruen Associates with Louis G. Redstone Associates, architects known for their modern enclosed layouts that encouraged year-round shopping.
The mall opened in July 1965, under the name Westland Shopping Center.
It debuted with 44 stores, anchored by a four-level Hudson's department store and supported by tenants such as Kroger and S.S. Kresge.
The enclosed concourses featured terrazzo flooring and a mezzanine that overlooked the main level, while wide corridors connected the anchor and specialty stores.
Parking lots surrounded the structure, accommodating the heavy traffic the center drew from surrounding communities.
Less than a year later, the success of the project helped shape local identity.
On May 16, 1966, Nankin Township residents voted to incorporate as the City of Westland, naming the new municipality after the mall.
By then, Hudson's towered above the complex as both a retail hub and the landmark that gave the city its name.
JCPenney lands, the mix deepens
On October 6, 1976, Westland Shopping Center welcomed JCPenney's new two-level department store, positioned beside the existing Hudson's to form a pair of anchors for the growing mall.
The addition arrived as a built extension of the enclosed concourse, with new storefronts lining the walk between anchors.
With the new store open, foot traffic took a different course, as visitors followed a longer interior path linking the two large sales areas into one connected route.
Late in the 1970s and through the early 1980s, the added anchor stood with an expanding line of inline tenants.
Lease-up advanced along the hallway from JCPenney to the main mall, occupying bays as they were built.
By the end of this period, the configuration stood with Hudson's and JCPenney in active operation, and the enclosed mall was trading around them.
The stage was set for another change in the lineup as a separate department store concept prepared to enter the market in 1987, adding a third anchor and pushing the property into its next phase.
MainStreet arrives, becomes Kohl's
A new anchor joined the lineup in 1987 when MainStreet opened its doors.
The Illinois company, operating as a branch of Federated Department Stores, offered a midrange department store pitched to families and working buyers.
Its launch finalized the three-anchor vision, boosting leasable area and regional strength.
MainStreet's time there was fleeting.
Within two years, Federated sold the chain to Kohl's, which converted the location in 1989.
When the change happened, Kohl's showed up for the first time around here.
Overnight, the name on the front changed, the floor plan moved, and the goods on the racks were new.
Nothing much changed for shoppers.
The aisles stayed where they were, but behind the scenes, Westland Shopping Center had joined the reach of a national brand on the move.
During this short but active phase, leasing and merchandising adapted around the new anchor.
Mall traffic patterns adjusted to include Kohl's in the regular circuit between Hudson's and JCPenney.
Food service and soft-goods tenants benefited from the broader appeal, keeping occupancy strong through the close of the 1980s.
That balance of tenants set Westland Shopping Center up for its next leap, a larger construction effort already taking shape for the coming decade, meant to finally land the long-promised fourth anchor.
Sears proposed, then opens after a long gap
Plans for a fourth department store surfaced in 1991, when Sears expressed interest in building at the mall.
Progress on the project was slow, bogged down in design and review stages, and then it went quiet for several years before work resumed later in the decade.
On October 25, 1997, Sears opened a full-line store, its first new Michigan location in over twenty years, offering clothing, appliances, tools, and an adjoining auto center.
Its addition created a complete four-anchor configuration for the first time in Westland Shopping Center's history.
Construction work extended to the parking areas and entrances, giving the site new approaches from all sides.
The opening strengthened the property's regional position and marked the final phase of its original buildout plan.
By the close of the 1990s, not a space was empty.
JCPenney held one end, Kohl's the other, with Hudson's and Sears between.
Seasonal events and promotions reflected the larger anchor mix, and the center continued to draw strong retail traffic.
The next shift would come not from construction, but from corporate changes within the department store industry that would bring a series of rebrandings and a major interior update.
Brand swaps and a 2014 refresh
Hudson's ended its long run at Westland Shopping Center in 2001 when the store converted to Marshall Field's as part of a corporate rebranding.
The change brought new interior layouts and signage but left the structure and footprint intact.
In 2006, the same space transitioned again when Macy's took over, keeping the department store active while shifting the mall's identity toward a broader national profile.
Ownership changes followed.
Gregory Greenfield & Associates acquired the property in 2003, and Trademark Property Company later purchased it in 2010.
The new owner began planning a renovation that addressed aging interiors and upgraded major storefronts.
Work started in 2014, introducing updated lighting, refinished surfaces, and a refreshed color scheme.
During the remodel, several tenants moved or rebuilt their stores.
Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret expanded, and new retailers such as Ulta Beauty, Shoe Carnival, and Charming Charlie opened.
The improvements culminated with the mall's 50th anniversary in 2015, marked by special events and local promotions.
At that milestone, the center stood fully open with four operating anchors and a stable mix of national chains.
The next major shift came soon after, when the broader department store retrenchment began to reach Westland Shopping Center.
Two anchors exit, footprint tightens
In January 2017, Macy's announced plans to close its Westland store as part of a nationwide downsizing.
The location held clearance sales through winter and shut its doors on March 19, 2017.
The closure removed the original Hudson's space from use for the first time since 1965, leaving JCPenney, Sears, and Kohl's as the remaining anchors.
Four years after the last change, another one came.
Sears announced in June 2021 that its Westland Shopping Center store would close by summer's end.
The shutdown opened a vast empty anchor spot and shifted much of the mall's energy toward its two remaining anchors.
During these years, the property stayed under the ownership of Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management, which had purchased the mall in late 2016.
The operators maintained common areas and leasing while exploring new tenants to fill available spaces.
By the end of 2021, Westland Shopping Center remained open with JCPenney and Kohl's in operation and a smaller group of specialty retailers along the interior concourses.
The next chapter would involve efforts outside the mall itself, as public investment moved toward revitalizing the area around it.
Nearby park breaks ground; present day
Olga's Kitchen, one of Westland's longest-running food tenants, closed inside the mall after its final day of service on January 28, 2024.
The departure ended more than four decades of continuous operation.
Around the same time, city leaders advanced a public project designed to draw new activity to the mall district.
In August 2024, construction began on Nankin Square, a $12 million public park along Nankin Boulevard near Warren Road between City Hall and the shopping center.
Crews cleared the 3.9-acre site and began grading work for new gathering areas, a stage, and walking paths.
City officials stated the park would open in September 2025.
The project was financed through tax increment funding, with development tied to the city's ongoing downtown improvements.
As of 2025, the mall remains open, anchored by JCPenney and Kohl's with about 35 inline tenants.
The combined projects frame the current moment, when both private retail operations and city-led investment continue shaping Westland's core.
