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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