Jackson Crossing

Jackson Crossing is an enclosed shopping mall serving Jackson, Michigan, and is one of the city’s two enclosed shopping centers. The property began as Paka Plaza, an outdoor retail center that opened in the early 1960s with approximately 34 stores. Its original tenant mix included grocery, discount-department-store, and variety-store operators such as Kroger, W. T. Grant, and Woolworth. The center’s later development reflected the broader evolution of American shopping centers from open-air plazas into enclosed, climate-controlled malls. The property was enclosed in 1973, following the opening of Westwood Mall in Jackson. The enclosure and subsequent expansions added more interior retail space and enabled the center to compete for larger department stores and national chains. Sears opened at the property in 1966 after relocating from downtown Jackson, becoming one of the mall’s long-standing department-store anchors. Later redevelopment brought Target and Kohl’s to the center, significantly changing its tenant profile. Phar-Mor also became an anchor after renovations, although it was not part of the original opening lineup. In 1990, Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust acquired the center from its original developer, Weatherwax Investments, and renamed it Jackson Crossing. Additional expansion and renovation work during the 1990s and 2000s further established the mall as a multi-anchor retail destination. Bed Bath & Beyond joined in 2002, followed by TJ Maxx in 2005. The mall’s tenant base has included department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, sporting-goods businesses, home-furnishings retailers, and discount merchants. Jackson Crossing has also experienced the pressures affecting many traditional enclosed malls, including vacancies, anchor closures, and changing consumer behavior. Fifteen storefronts were reported vacant in late 2010, although Citi Trends opened at the property that year. MC Sports moved to a larger location at the mall in 2016 but ceased operations when the chain went out of business in 2017. Toys "R" Us, another long-term tenant, closed in 2018 after the retailer’s bankruptcy and liquidation process. Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property to Seritage Growth Properties in 2015 as part of a broader separation of real-estate assets. Sears announced in August 2018 that the Jackson Crossing location would close, and the store shut in November of that year. Namdar Realty Group acquired Jackson Crossing in November 2018. The former Toys "R" Us space was subsequently leased to Dunham’s Sports, which opened in October 2019. Hobby Lobby later opened a roughly 57,000-square-foot store in part of the former Sears space in June 2021. The center’s major anchors have included Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy, TJ Maxx, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, and later Hobby Lobby and Dunham’s Sports. Jackson Crossing’s current identity is therefore based less on a single department-store anchor than on a diversified combination of national retailers and service-oriented shopping uses. Its history illustrates the redevelopment, tenant replacement, and adaptive reuse strategies common among mature regional malls in the United States.

Jackson Crossing originated as Paka Plaza, an open-air shopping center in Jackson, Michigan. The center opened in 1961 with about 34 stores. Its early tenants included Kroger, W. T. Grant, and Woolworth, giving the property a broad everyday-shopping orientation rather than the highly specialized tenant mix associated with later regional malls. Sears joined the center in 1966 after moving its department store from downtown Jackson, strengthening Paka Plaza’s position as a major retail destination. The center was enclosed in 1973, after the opening of Westwood Mall in Jackson. Enclosure allowed the property to operate as a conventional all-weather shopping mall and provided additional interior space for larger stores and specialty tenants. Renovations also brought Phar-Mor into the anchor lineup. Over time, the property expanded beyond its original open-air configuration, adding enclosed sections and attracting Target and Kohl’s as major anchors. Ownership changed in 1990 when Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust purchased the mall from Weatherwax Investments, identified as the original developer. The new owner renamed the property Jackson Crossing. Further renovation and expansion during the 1990s and 2000s supported the center’s transition into a multi-anchor enclosed mall. Bed Bath & Beyond opened in 2002, while TJ Maxx joined in 2005. These additions broadened the mall’s offer across home goods, apparel, and off-price retail. The property later faced the same structural challenges experienced by many mature American shopping malls. In late 2010, approximately 15 storefronts were reported vacant. New tenants still entered the center, including Citi Trends, but vacancy and anchor turnover became increasingly important parts of its operating history. MC Sports relocated to a larger on-site store in 2016, but the chain went out of business in 2017. Toys "R" Us, another established tenant, closed in 2018 as the retailer exited the market. A major real-estate change occurred in 2015, when Sears Holdings spun off 235 properties into Seritage Growth Properties; the Sears location at Jackson Crossing was included in that transaction. In August 2018, Sears announced that the Jackson Crossing store would close as part of a nationwide closure program involving 46 stores. The store closed in November 2018. After the closure, Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy, TJ Maxx, and Bed Bath & Beyond were identified as the remaining principal anchors at that point. Namdar Realty Group acquired Jackson Crossing in November 2018. The property then began replacing former tenants and reusing large-format retail space. Dunham’s Sports signed a lease for the former Toys "R" Us location in March 2019 and officially opened there in October of that year, with grand-opening promotions beginning later in October. In June 2021, Hobby Lobby opened a store of approximately 57,000 square feet in part of the former Sears space. Jackson Crossing’s development therefore spans several retail formats: an original open-air plaza, a 1970s enclosed mall, a larger multi-anchor shopping center, and a mature property adapting to anchor departures and changing retail demand. Its present role is as a locally significant shopping destination whose tenant base combines national chains with food and service businesses. The center’s evolution is marked by enclosure, ownership changes, expansions, major tenant additions, vacancy pressures, large-store closures, and the reuse of former anchor spaces.

• 2021

  Hobby Lobby opens

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Hobby Lobby opens a roughly 57,000-square-foot store in part of the former Sears space.

• 2019

  Dunham’s Sports opens

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Dunham’s Sports opens in the former Toys "R" Us space after signing a lease earlier in the year.

• 2018

  Sears closes and Namdar acquires the mall

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Sears closes its Jackson Crossing store in November, and Namdar Realty Group acquires the shopping center later that month.

• 2015

  Sears real estate is spun off to Seritage

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears property is included among the locations transferred from Sears Holdings to Seritage Growth Properties.

• 2005

  TJ Maxx opens

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  TJ Maxx becomes part of the mall’s national retail lineup.

• 2002

  Bed Bath & Beyond joins the tenant mix

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Bed Bath & Beyond opens at Jackson Crossing.

• 1990

  The property is renamed Jackson Crossing

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust acquires the mall from Weatherwax Investments and changes its name from Paka Plaza to Jackson Crossing.

• 1973

  Paka Plaza is enclosed

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  The open-air center is converted into an enclosed mall following the opening of Westwood Mall.

• 1966

  Sears opens at Paka Plaza

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Sears opens a department store at the center after relocating from downtown Jackson.

• 1961

  Paka Plaza opens

  [1]Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  The original outdoor shopping center opens in Jackson with approximately 34 stores.

A regional enclosed shopping center serving Jackson, Michigan, with a tenant mix centered on national department, discount, electronics, home-goods, sporting-goods, and specialty retailers.

• Department and general merchandise

  Target

  Target serves as one of Jackson Crossing’s principal large-format anchors, offering general merchandise across household goods, apparel, electronics, groceries, health and beauty, and seasonal categories. Its presence helps anchor routine shopping traffic as well as discretionary retail visits.

• Department store

  Kohl's

  Kohl’s is a major department-store anchor at Jackson Crossing. Its assortment typically spans clothing, footwear, accessories, home products, small appliances, and seasonal merchandise, complementing the mall’s discount, specialty, and electronics retailers.

• Consumer electronics

  Best Buy

  Best Buy provides the center’s principal consumer-electronics offer, with products and services related to computing, mobile devices, home entertainment, appliances, gaming, and technology support.

• Off-price retail · 2005

  TJ Maxx

  TJ Maxx contributes an off-price shopping format focused on discounted apparel, accessories, home décor, housewares, luggage, and seasonal goods. It joined Jackson Crossing in 2005.

• Sporting goods · 2019

  Dunham's Sports

  Dunham’s Sports occupies the former Toys "R" Us space and supplies sporting goods, athletic apparel, footwear, outdoor equipment, and related recreational merchandise. The store opened in October 2019.

• Arts, crafts, and home décor · 2021

  Hobby Lobby

  Hobby Lobby opened a large-format store in part of the former Sears space. Its merchandise focus includes arts and crafts materials, fabric, seasonal décor, home décor, framing, and related hobby products.

• 2019

  Dunham’s Sports opens in former Toys "R" Us spaceProduct launch

  Background

  Toys "R" Us had left the mall after the retailer went out of business, creating another large vacant retail space.

  Action taken

  Dunham’s Sports signed a lease and opened a replacement sporting-goods store in the former Toys "R" Us location.

  Aftermath

  The opening restored a large-format tenant to the space and broadened Jackson Crossing’s sporting-goods offer.

  Source

• 2018

  Replacement of major anchor space after Sears closureStrategy

  Background

  Sears announced the closure of its Jackson Crossing store as part of a nationwide store-reduction plan.

  Action taken

  The Sears store closed in November, leaving a large anchor box available for future reuse.

  Aftermath

  Hobby Lobby later occupied part of the former Sears space, opening in 2021.

  Source

• 1990

  Ramco-Gershenson acquires and renames the propertyM&A

  Background

  The original developer, Weatherwax Investments, sold the shopping center.

  Action taken

  Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust acquired the mall and renamed it Jackson Crossing.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition was followed by additional expansion and redevelopment that increased the property’s enclosed retail capacity.

  Source

• 1973

  Enclosure of the shopping centerStrategy

  Background

  Paka Plaza began as an outdoor retail center and faced a changing local competitive environment after Westwood Mall opened.

  Action taken

  The property was converted into an enclosed mall, with additional interior retail space developed over time.

  Aftermath

  The change enabled the center to operate as a conventional enclosed shopping mall and supported later expansion and anchor recruitment.

  Source

1. 1Jackson Crossingen.wikipedia.org