Grand Traverse Mall

Grand Traverse Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Garfield Township, near Traverse City, Michigan. It serves the Traverse City area and has historically positioned itself as a regional retail destination for northern Michigan. The property was developed by General Growth Properties and opened in stages between October 1991 and March 1992, with the main mall opening in March 1992. Hudson's, one of the original department-store anchors, opened in July of that year. At opening, the center contained approximately 110 stores and a nine-screen Kerasotes Theatres complex. Its scale made it the largest shopping mall north of Saginaw, Michigan, according to the mall's historical descriptions. The development expanded the area's retail capacity and competed directly with the existing Cherryland Mall, now known as Cherryland Center. The project became the subject of litigation before opening, including a dispute concerning possible pollution of a nearby creek and the amount of additional retail space entering the local market. That matter was settled out of court. A separate conflict-of-interest case involving township officials and the sale of land to the developers was decided in favor of the developers. The mall's original anchor lineup included JCPenney, Target, and Hudson's, alongside additional retailers and the cinema complex. Hudson's was converted to Marshall Field's in 2001 and then to Macy's in 2006, reflecting broader changes in the department-store sector. Over time, the center's tenant mix changed as national retailers entered, relocated, or closed. Gap and Old Navy moved from the nearby Horizon Outlets, now Buffalo Ridge Shopping Center, into Grand Traverse Mall. Gap later closed in 2021. Shoe Dept. Encore joined the mall in 2019, while H&M opened in 2017 and closed in 2021; its former space was subsequently used by Grand Traverse Bay Gymnastics. The property also adapted its entertainment and large-format retail space. The Kerasotes theater complex closed in 2015 after a newer cinema was built by Carmike Cinemas. A redevelopment plan announced in 2016 proposed replacing the former theater space with Dick's Sporting Goods, but Dick's canceled the project later that year. Dunham's Sports ultimately occupied the space and opened on October 27, 2017. Ownership and management have changed during the mall's history. General Growth Properties transferred ownership to Rouse Properties in 2012. Brookfield Properties later owned and managed the property. The mall is now owned and managed by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management. More recent changes have focused on backfilling department-store and specialty-retail vacancies. TJ Maxx relocated out of the mall in mid-2024. Macy's announced in January 2025 that its store would close during the first quarter, and the location closed on March 23, 2025. The former Macy's space began redevelopment in 2025 as a multi-tenant retail area, with five planned tenants described as of 2026. A Chipotle restaurant was also being developed in the former Macy's parking area. Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened in the former TJ Maxx space on March 18, 2026. Grand Traverse Mall remains an active retail property whose identity is shaped by department stores, discount and sporting-goods retailers, restaurants, services, and changing large-format tenants. Its continuing redevelopment illustrates the transition of many enclosed malls from a traditional department-store-centered model toward a more mixed and flexible tenant strategy.

Grand Traverse Mall was developed by General Growth Properties in Garfield Township, near Traverse City, Michigan. Before construction was completed, the project faced opposition from the existing Cherryland Mall, now called Cherryland Center. The dispute raised concerns that construction could pollute a nearby creek and that the new development would bring excessive retail space to the local market. The case was settled out of court. A separate lawsuit alleged a conflict of interest involving township officials who sold land to the mall's developers. The court ruled in favor of the developers. The center opened in phases. JCPenney and Target began operating in October 1991, ahead of the enclosed mall's formal opening in March 1992. Hudson's followed in July 1992. At launch, the property included about 110 stores and a nine-screen Kerasotes Theatres complex. It was described as the largest shopping mall north of Saginaw, Michigan, and became a major regional retail destination for Traverse City and surrounding communities. The mall's department-store history reflects the consolidation and rebranding of major American retailers. The Hudson's store was converted to Marshall Field's in 2001. After the May Department Stores acquisition by Federated Department Stores, the location became Macy's in 2006. Other changes occurred among specialty tenants. Gap and Old Navy relocated from the nearby Horizon Outlets, later known as Buffalo Ridge Shopping Center, into Grand Traverse Mall. The Old Navy location had previously been occupied by f.y.e., while the Gap space had previously included Abercrombie & Fitch and Toys R Us Express. Gap ultimately closed in 2021. In October 2014, a body was found inside the mall, prompting a one-day closure while the circumstances were investigated. The deceased was identified as Ricky Alan Billings, a 64-year-old night-shift custodian. He was determined to have suffered a heart attack after the mall had closed. The event was treated as an incident requiring investigation and temporary closure rather than a documented corporate scandal. Ownership changed in 2012, when General Growth Properties transferred the property to Rouse Properties. Brookfield Properties later owned and managed the mall. The property is now owned and managed by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management. The entertainment component changed substantially after the original cinema complex closed in 2015, following the construction of a newer theater by Carmike Cinemas. In 2016, mall officials announced that the former theater area would be demolished for a Dick's Sporting Goods store intended to open later that year. Dick's canceled its plans in December 2016. Dunham's Sports ultimately took the space and opened on October 27, 2017. Further tenant changes followed. H&M joined the mall in 2017 but closed in 2021, after which Grand Traverse Bay Gymnastics occupied the space. Shoe Dept. Encore opened in 2019. TJ Maxx relocated away from the property in mid-2024. Macy's announced in January 2025 that its store would close, and the store ceased operations on March 23, 2025. The former Macy's building began a conversion into a multi-tenant retail property in 2025. Information available for 2026 described the space as under construction for five prospective tenants, with a Chipotle restaurant being built in the former Macy's parking lot. Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened in the former TJ Maxx space on March 18, 2026. These changes show the mall's evolution from a conventional department-store and cinema-anchored center into a more flexible property combining national retailers, discount merchandise, sporting goods, food service, recreation, and other service-oriented uses. Despite anchor closures and tenant turnover, Grand Traverse Mall remains an operating regional shopping center for the Traverse City area.

• 2026

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet opens

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened on March 18, 2026, in the former TJ Maxx space.

• 2025

  Macy's closes

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Macy's closed its Grand Traverse Mall store on March 23, 2025, after announcing the closure in January.

• 2024

  TJ Maxx relocates away from the mall

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  TJ Maxx relocated out of Grand Traverse Mall in mid-2024.

• 2021

  H&M and Gap close

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  H&M and Gap both closed their Grand Traverse Mall locations; the former H&M space was later used by Grand Traverse Bay Gymnastics.

• 2019

  Shoe Dept. Encore joins the tenant mix

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Shoe Dept. Encore became a tenant at the mall.

• 2017

  Dunham's Sports opens

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dunham's Sports opened on October 27 in the former theater space.

• 2015

  Original theater complex closes

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The nine-screen Kerasotes Theatres complex closed after a newer theater was built by Carmike Cinemas.

• 2012

  Ownership transfers to Rouse Properties

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  General Growth Properties transferred ownership of the mall to Rouse Properties.

• 2006

  Marshall Field's becomes Macy's

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Hudson's and Marshall Field's location was converted to Macy's.

• 2001

  Hudson's becomes Marshall Field's

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall's Hudson's department store was converted to Marshall Field's.

• 1992

  Main mall opens

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed Grand Traverse Mall opened in March 1992, with Hudson's following as an anchor in July.

• 1991

  Initial anchor openings

  [1]Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney and Target opened at the developing mall in October 1991, before the main enclosed center was completed.

A regional enclosed shopping center serving Traverse City and northern Michigan, combining department-store, discount, sporting-goods, general-merchandise, service, and restaurant tenants.

• Department store · 1991

  JCPenney

  JCPenney was one of the mall's initial anchors, opening in October 1991 before the main enclosed center. Its presence helped establish Grand Traverse Mall as a regional department-store destination from the beginning.

• General merchandise · 1991

  Target

  Target was another original anchor, opening in October 1991. The store contributed a broad general-merchandise offer that complemented the mall's department stores and specialty retailers.

• Sporting goods · 2017

  Dunham's Sports

  Dunham's Sports occupies the former theater area. It became the eventual replacement for a proposed Dick's Sporting Goods redevelopment and opened on October 27, 2017.

• Discount retail · 2026

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened in the former TJ Maxx space on March 18, 2026, adding a discount and closeout-oriented anchor to the mall's post-department-store tenant mix.

• Department store · 1992

  Hudson's

  Hudson's opened as an original department-store anchor in July 1992. The location was converted to Marshall Field's in 2001 and Macy's in 2006.

• Department store · 2006

  Macy's

  Macy's occupied the former Hudson's and Marshall Field's anchor location from 2006 until March 23, 2025. The building subsequently entered a multi-tenant redevelopment program.

• Cinema · 1992

  Kerasotes Theatres

  The original mall included a nine-screen Kerasotes Theatres complex. The cinema closed in 2015 after a newer theater was built by Carmike Cinemas.

• 2026

  Open Ollie's Bargain Outlet in the former TJ Maxx spaceProduct launch

  Background

  TJ Maxx relocated out of the mall in mid-2024, leaving space that could be reused by another value-oriented retailer.

  Action taken

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened in the former TJ Maxx space on March 18, 2026.

  Aftermath

  The opening added a discount-retail anchor while the property continued repositioning portions of its tenant mix.

  Source

• 2025

  Redevelop the former Macy's anchorStrategy

  Background

  Macy's announced the closure of its Grand Traverse Mall store in January 2025, and the location closed on March 23, 2025.

  Action taken

  The former department-store building began conversion into a multi-tenant retail space. A Chipotle restaurant was also planned for construction in the former Macy's parking lot.

  Aftermath

  As of 2026, the former Macy's area was described as being in an active build-out phase for five prospective tenants, with openings expected in the future.

  Source

• 2016

  Replace the former theater area with a large-format retailerStrategy

  Background

  After the mall's theater complex closed in 2015, officials sought a new use for the substantial vacant space and announced a plan centered on Dick's Sporting Goods.

  Action taken

  The proposed Dick's Sporting Goods store was canceled in December 2016. The space was subsequently assigned to Dunham's Sports, which opened in 2017.

  Aftermath

  The change preserved a large sporting-goods use in the former entertainment area while replacing the canceled project with another national sporting-goods retailer.

  Source

1. 1Grand Traverse Mallen.wikipedia.org