The Orchards Mall

The Orchards Mall
Location Benton Township, Michigan
Coordinates 42°05′07″N 86°25′26″W / 42.0853°N 86.424°W / 42.0853; -86.424Coordinates: 42°05′07″N 86°25′26″W / 42.0853°N 86.424°W / 42.0853; -86.424
Address 1800 Pipestone Road
Opening date 1979
Developer Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
Owner Kohan Retail Investment Group[1]
No. of stores and services 50
No. of anchor tenants 3
Total retail floor area 624,972 square feet[2]
No. of floors 1
Website www.theorchardsmall.com

The Orchards Mall is an enclosed shopping mall near Benton Harbor, Michigan. Opened in 1979, it is anchored by J. C. Penney, Carson's, and Jo-Ann Fabrics.

History

Meyer C. Weiner Company first proposed a mall called Pipestone Mall in Benton Harbor in 1974. By March 1976, Hudson's had been rumored as a potential anchor store.[3] Westcor acquired the land in August of the same year.[4] The mall was part of a development along Pipestone Road near Interstate 94 which also comprised a strip mall anchored by a Kmart. By 1977, Sears and J. C. Penney had been confirmed as anchors, with negotiations underway for Carson's as the third anchor.[5]

Orchards Mall was built in 1979 by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation[6] with Westcor as leasing agent. It had Sears and J. C. Penney, both of which relocated from downtown Benton Harbor,[7] as its anchor stores. It also featured a Walgreens drugstore, a York Steak House (later Ponderosa Steakhouse), and a food court. Elder-Beerman was added in 1992. Walgreens moved out of the mall in the late 1990s, and remained vacant until Jo-Ann Fabrics replaced it in the late 2000s.[8][9]

General Growth Properties became the mall's management in 1999. A year later, several new stores were added including Bath & Body Works, while the Casual Corner and Finish Line, Inc. stores were remodeled, and Benton Township approved a $111,000 tax cut to help attract more new businesses.[10] General Growth sold the mall to Sequoia Investments in 2002, at which point four more businesses opened, including a Subway and a Chinese eatery in the food court.[11] In 2003, Sears expanded its sales floor by 4,600 square feet.[12] KB Toys, an original tenant, closed in 2004.[13] The Ponderosa, which closed in 1997, became an Italian eatery in 2007.[14] The same year, the Subway became a local restaurant.[15]

Sears closed its store at the mall in 2009, with some of the workers being offered jobs at the location in Portage's The Crossroads.[16] Overflow Church purchased the building in 2012 and intended to move into it.[17] Elder-Beerman was converted to Carson's in 2011.[18] Sears returned to the mall in 2012 with its Sears Hometown format, a smaller-scale Sears store which sells major appliances and household hardware, in a spot vacated by an f.y.e. music store. At the same time, the former Sears Auto Center on a mall outparcel was reopened as a local auto repair shop.[19]

In 2014 the mall was put up for sale;[20] Kohan Retail Investment Group purchased it on December 9.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Matuszak, John (December 12, 2014). "Orchards Mall's new owner: rescuer or bad apple?". The Herald-Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. "Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets® Michigan City, IN" (PDF). Simon.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  3. Wyndarden, Mike (March 17, 1976). "Hudson store reported for Pipestone Mall". The Herald-Palladium.
  4. "Pipestone Mall start scheduled. Opening of big shopping center planned in '79". The Herald-Palladium. August 31, 1976.
  5. "Pipestone development termed 'new city': Shopping mall just part of commercial-residential project". The Herald-Palladium. July 2, 1977.
  6. "Commercial Real Estate Reporter - Southeast". Bizwiz.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  7. Hunts' Guide to West Michigan. Books.google.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  8. "Orchards Mall; Benton Charter Township, Michigan - Labelscar". Labelscar: The Retail History Blog. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  9. "New in business". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  10. "Exceeding expectations: Orchards Mall stages comeback". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  11. "Retail building boom stalls, but property owners count on a turnaround soon". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  12. "Business news in brief: Changes made at Orchards Mall Sears". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  13. "KB Toys at Orchards Mall one of 377 going under". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  14. "BENTON TOWNSHIP Ñ By Christmas,…". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  15. "New in business". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  16. "Sears store to close in Benton Harbor; some workers may land jobs at Portage store". MLive.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  17. "Michigan Church selling former Sears building to Orchards Mall". Wndu.com. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  18. "Elder-Beerman changing names". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  19. "Sears returning to Orchards Mall". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  20. Dalgleish, Jim (June 21, 2014). "Orchards Mall up for sale". The Herald-Palladium. Retrieved 21 June 2014.

External links

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