Courtland Center
Encyclopedia
Courtland Center is an enclosed shopping mall
in Burton, Michigan
, a suburb of Flint, Michigan
, USA. It opened in 1968, two years before the larger Genesee Valley Center
on the other side of the Flint metropolitan area. Courtland Center comprises more than sixty inline tenants, including four anchor store
s: JCPenney, Dunham's Sports
, Staples
, and Jo-Ann Etc. The mall is owned by Tucker Development.
-based Federals in the center, and discount chain Woolco
on the eastern end. Federals closed in the late 1970s, and briefly became a Robert Hall Village
store before JCPenney took over the space.
By 1982, the theater was acquired by National Amusements
, who split the auditorium into two smaller screens. Later that same year, Woolco closed as the parent company, F.W. Woolworth Company, closed the last of the American Woolco stores. The former Woolco space was soon subdivided between a Crowley's
department store and additional mall space. Later in the 1980s, the mall's theater complex was closed. Also, The Fair closed and was replaced with Mervyns
. By 1987, the mall was renovated and renamed Courtland Center.
In the 1990s, JCPenney expanded its presence at the mall by moving its home goods into a space that had been vacated by Perry Drug Stores
, and some of the women's apparel into an adjacent storefront formerly occupied by a Marianne clothing store. Crowley's closed in 1997, and the theaters re-opened in 1999 under the management of National Amusements.
in the late 1990s and began renovations on it. The far end of the former Crowley's was converted to Old Navy
in July 2000, while the rest remained vacant. Also the early 2000s, the theater was renovated to become a second-run complex with six screens, after the addition of stadium seating
. Old Navy relocated inside the mall in 2005, displacing a former f.y.e.
which had closed, and a Payless ShoeSource
which was relocated. Later that same year, Staples
moved from a nearby strip mall into Old Navy's former location, while the remainder of the former Crowley's was split between a new Jo-Ann Etc. store (resulting in the closure of the existing Jo-Ann Fabrics store) and Dunham's Sports
, which had also moved from a nearby strip mall. Dunham's was the only one of these three new stores to feature a mall entrance.
Mervyns closed in early 2006 when the chain exited Michigan. In late 2007, JCPenney announced that it would relocate its existing stores in the mall to a newer, larger location in the former Mervyns space. While the former Mervyns space was being redeveloped and expanded, the roof of the store caught on fire, causing the mall to close for a day in September 2007. Old Navy closed its store at the mall in January 2008, and JCPenney's new store opened on March 1, 2008, resulting in the closure of the three former JCPenney stores. The new location included several departments which were not present in the former locations, such as an inline Sephora
store. JCPenney's former main store in the middle of the mall was replaced by Steve & Barry's
, which opened on May 15, 2008, while the two sub-stores were vacated. Steve & Barry's closed December 2008, and the theaters re-closed in 2009 along with a B. Dalton
bookstore. Planet Fitness
replaced the Old Navy space in February 2011.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Burton, Michigan
Burton, Michigan
Burton is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 30,308 at the 2000 census, making Burton the second largest city in Genesee County.- Neighorhoods :...
, a suburb of Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, USA. It opened in 1968, two years before the larger Genesee Valley Center
Genesee Valley Center
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 of leasable area. The mall has four anchor stores: Burlington Coat Factory, JCPenney, Macy's and Sears...
on the other side of the Flint metropolitan area. Courtland Center comprises more than sixty inline tenants, including four anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s: JCPenney, Dunham's Sports
Dunham's Sports
Dunham's Sports is a regional sporting goods superstore chain owned by Dunham's Athleisure Corporation, with stores located in the Midwestern United States. The chain specializes in athletic equipment, clothing, and other sports-related items...
, Staples
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is a large office supply chain store, with over 2,000 stores worldwide in 26 countries. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, the company has retail stores, serving customers under its original name in Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Norway,...
, and Jo-Ann Etc. The mall is owned by Tucker Development.
History
Courtland Center opened in 1968 as Eastland Mall in what was then Burton Township, at the southestern corner of East Court Street and Center Road. At the time, it featured three anchor stores: The Fair on the western end, Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
-based Federals in the center, and discount chain Woolco
Woolco
Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in the city of Columbus, Ohio, by the F.W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its peak, Woolco had hundreds of stores in...
on the eastern end. Federals closed in the late 1970s, and briefly became a Robert Hall Village
Robert Hall Clothes
Robert Hall Clothes, Inc., popularly known simply as Robert Hall, was an American retailer that flourished circa 1938-1966. Although based in Connecticut, its warehouse-like stores were mostly concentrated in the New York and Los Angeles basins...
store before JCPenney took over the space.
By 1982, the theater was acquired by National Amusements
National Amusements
National Amusements, Inc. is a privately owned theatre company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone....
, who split the auditorium into two smaller screens. Later that same year, Woolco closed as the parent company, F.W. Woolworth Company, closed the last of the American Woolco stores. The former Woolco space was soon subdivided between a Crowley's
Crowley's
Crowley Milner and Company, generally referred to as Crowley's, was a department store chain founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1909. After several years of financial difficulties, the company ceased operation in 1999 and its assets were sold....
department store and additional mall space. Later in the 1980s, the mall's theater complex was closed. Also, The Fair closed and was replaced with Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
. By 1987, the mall was renovated and renamed Courtland Center.
In the 1990s, JCPenney expanded its presence at the mall by moving its home goods into a space that had been vacated by Perry Drug Stores
Perry Drug Stores
Perry Drug Stores was an American retail pharmacy chain founded in 1957 in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, United States. At its peak in the 1980s, Perry operated more than 200 drug stores, primarily in the state of Michigan, as well as 200 Auto Works auto parts stores and fourteen A. L...
, and some of the women's apparel into an adjacent storefront formerly occupied by a Marianne clothing store. Crowley's closed in 1997, and the theaters re-opened in 1999 under the management of National Amusements.
2000s redevelopment
Tucker Development acquired the mall from Forest City EnterprisesForest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises is a $9-billion diversified real estate management and development company based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Its portfolio includes interests in retail centers, apartment communities, office buildings and mixed-use projects in the U.S...
in the late 1990s and began renovations on it. The far end of the former Crowley's was converted to Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
in July 2000, while the rest remained vacant. Also the early 2000s, the theater was renovated to become a second-run complex with six screens, after the addition of stadium seating
Stadium seating
Stadium seating or theater seating is a characteristic seating arrangement that is most commonly associated with performing-arts venues, and derives its name from stadiums, which typically use this arrangement...
. Old Navy relocated inside the mall in 2005, displacing a former f.y.e.
F.y.e.
F.Y.E., standing for "For Your Entertainment," is a chain of entertainment media stores in the United States. As one of many Trans World Entertainment brands, it began in 1993 and was expanded in 2001 after buying out and rebranding mall-based Camelot, Strawberries, Record Town and Coconuts stores...
which had closed, and a Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...
which was relocated. Later that same year, Staples
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is a large office supply chain store, with over 2,000 stores worldwide in 26 countries. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, the company has retail stores, serving customers under its original name in Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Norway,...
moved from a nearby strip mall into Old Navy's former location, while the remainder of the former Crowley's was split between a new Jo-Ann Etc. store (resulting in the closure of the existing Jo-Ann Fabrics store) and Dunham's Sports
Dunham's Sports
Dunham's Sports is a regional sporting goods superstore chain owned by Dunham's Athleisure Corporation, with stores located in the Midwestern United States. The chain specializes in athletic equipment, clothing, and other sports-related items...
, which had also moved from a nearby strip mall. Dunham's was the only one of these three new stores to feature a mall entrance.
Mervyns closed in early 2006 when the chain exited Michigan. In late 2007, JCPenney announced that it would relocate its existing stores in the mall to a newer, larger location in the former Mervyns space. While the former Mervyns space was being redeveloped and expanded, the roof of the store caught on fire, causing the mall to close for a day in September 2007. Old Navy closed its store at the mall in January 2008, and JCPenney's new store opened on March 1, 2008, resulting in the closure of the three former JCPenney stores. The new location included several departments which were not present in the former locations, such as an inline Sephora
Sephora
Sephora is a chain of cosmetics stores founded in France in 1970 and acquired by Paris-based conglomerate LVMH in 1997. The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 17 countries...
store. JCPenney's former main store in the middle of the mall was replaced by Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
, which opened on May 15, 2008, while the two sub-stores were vacated. Steve & Barry's closed December 2008, and the theaters re-closed in 2009 along with a B. Dalton
B. Dalton
B. Dalton Bookseller was an American retail bookstore chain founded in 1966 by the Dayton's department store chain. Located primarily in shopping malls, B. Dalton competed primarily with Waldenbooks, and operated 798 stores at its peak...
bookstore. Planet Fitness
Planet fitness
Planet Fitness is an American franchise of fitness centers based in Dover, New Hampshire. Each gym features exercise equipment and personal trainers to assist its members. It markets itself as a "Judgement Free Zone", though somewhat controversially it has rules in place to discourage deadlifters...
replaced the Old Navy space in February 2011.