Dort Mall

Dort Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Flint, Michigan. Developed locally by William Oleksyn, it opened in two stages in 1964 and 1965 on the site of a former drive-in theater. Its opening made it the first enclosed shopping mall in the Flint area and, according to the cited reference material, the oldest mall in Genesee County. The property predates Courtland Center by approximately three years and Genesee Valley Center by approximately five years. The mall originally operated with Yankee Stadium and A&P as its anchor stores. Its tenant mix changed substantially over time. A General Cinema theater was added in 1968, divided into two screens in 1975, and closed in 1983. During the 1970s, the mall also contained a basement discotheque. These entertainment additions did not eliminate persistent vacancies, particularly after the Yankee Stadium store was sold to Zody's and later closed. During the 1980s, the property used the names Small Mall and Mid-America Plaza. That period also saw the addition of a Sears Outlet and a comedy club. By 1993, the former A&P space had been converted for use by Big Lots. Big Lots later vacated the property in 2014, and its former space became a flea market. Dort Mall is notable not only as a retail property but also for its extensive antique collection, much of it focused on automobiles and the history of Mid-Michigan. Some of the collection is displayed in otherwise vacant store units. The cited material identifies many of the antiques as having been owned by Bob Perani. The mall is owned by the Perani family, whose businesses also include Perani's Hockey World. Perani's Hockey World, Bargain Hunterz, and City Market are identified among the mall's anchor tenants or principal occupants. The property contains approximately 239,000 square feet of interior space on about 30 acres. Its history reflects the evolution of an older regional shopping center: an early enclosed-mall format, repeated changes in naming and anchor occupancy, the incorporation of entertainment and outlet retail, and later adaptation toward flea-market, specialty, and collection-oriented uses. Publicly available reference material does not establish a founding corporation, a formal corporate parent, a current website, or a complete current tenant directory.

Dort Mall was developed by Flint-area developer William Oleksyn on land previously occupied by a drive-in theater. Construction and opening took place in two stages, in 1964 and 1965. The project introduced the first enclosed shopping mall to the Flint area and established a retail property that predates several better-known shopping centers in Genesee County. Its original anchor stores were Yankee Stadium and A&P. The property expanded beyond standard retail during the late 1960s and 1970s. General Cinema added a movie theater in 1968. The theater was later split into two screens in 1975 and closed in 1983. A discotheque also operated in the mall's basement during the 1970s. Despite these additions, the mall experienced vacancies, especially following the sale and eventual closure of the Yankee Stadium store. The resulting turnover illustrated the difficulty of sustaining the center's original anchor configuration. In the 1980s, the mall was known for a period as Small Mall and later as Mid-America Plaza. A Sears Outlet and a comedy club were added during this era, broadening the property’s mix of discount retail and entertainment uses. By 1993, the former A&P location had become a Big Lots store. Big Lots remained a significant occupant until it moved out in 2014, after which the space was repurposed as a flea market. The mall later became particularly associated with antiques, including objects connected with automobiles and Mid-Michigan history. Some items were displayed in vacant retail units rather than in a conventional museum setting. The cited material states that many of the antiques were owned by Bob Perani. Ownership is attributed to the Perani family, also associated with Perani's Hockey World. Perani's Hockey World, Bargain Hunterz, and City Market are identified as anchor tenants or major occupants. Dort Mall comprises roughly 239,000 square feet of interior space across approximately 30 acres. Its documented development illustrates the transition of an early suburban enclosed mall from a conventional anchor-store model toward a more mixed-use and specialty-oriented property. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of every tenant, ownership transaction, renovation, or present operating arrangement.

• 2014

  Former Big Lots space is converted to a flea market

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  After Big Lots left, the former anchor space was repurposed as a flea market.

• 1993

  Former A&P space becomes Big Lots

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former A&P anchor location had been converted into a Big Lots store by 1993.

• 1983

  Mall cinema closes

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The movie theater that had operated at the mall since 1968 closed.

• 1975

  Cinema is divided into two screens

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The General Cinema theater was divided into two screens.

• 1968

  General Cinema theater is added

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A General Cinema movie theater became part of the mall's entertainment offering.

• 1965

  Mall development is completed in a second stage

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall was built in two stages, with the second stage completed in 1965.

• 1964

  First stage of Dort Mall opens

  [1]Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org

  William Oleksyn opened the first stage of the enclosed shopping mall on the site of a former drive-in theater.

A legacy Flint-area enclosed shopping center combining conventional mall retail with discount, specialty, flea-market, and antique-oriented uses.

• Sporting goods and hockey equipment

  Perani's Hockey World

  A specialty hockey and sporting-goods retailer associated with the Perani family, which owns Dort Mall. It is identified as one of the mall's anchor tenants and gives the property a specialized sports-retail component.

• Discount retail

  Bargain Hunterz

  A discount-oriented retail occupant identified in the reference material among Dort Mall's anchor tenants or principal occupants. The available source does not provide a detailed product catalog or operating history.

• Market and grocery retail

  City Market

  A market-oriented occupant listed among the mall's anchor tenants or major occupants. Publicly available reference material does not specify its full merchandise range.

• Antiques and collectibles

  Antique collection

  Dort Mall is known for an extensive collection of antiques, especially items related to automobiles and Mid-Michigan. Some pieces are displayed in vacant store locations, making the collection an unusual part of the mall's identity and visitor experience.

• Flea-market retail · 2014

  Flea market

  A flea market occupies the former Big Lots space after that retailer left in 2014. The conversion represents the mall's shift toward flexible, multi-vendor retail in a large former anchor unit.

• 2014

  Former Big Lots anchor space is repurposedStrategy

  Background

  Big Lots moved out of the mall after occupying the former A&P space.

  Action taken

  The vacated anchor unit was converted into a flea market.

  Aftermath

  The change added a multi-vendor retail use to the property and supported the mall's broader mix of discount, specialty, and antique-oriented activities.

  Source

• 1980

  Mall adopts alternate names during a repositioning periodStrategy

  Background

  During the 1980s, the property was known as Small Mall and Mid-America Plaza while it faced vacancies and changes in its anchor and entertainment mix.

  Action taken

  The mall operated under alternate names and added a Sears Outlet and a comedy club.

  Aftermath

  The naming and tenant changes formed part of the mall's documented effort to adapt its retail and entertainment offer. The available source does not identify exact dates or measure the results.

  Source

1. 1Dort Mallen.wikipedia.org