 The mall in December 2023 | |
 | |
| Location | Fruitport Township, Michigan, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°09′02″N86°12′08″W / 43.150464°N 86.202209°W /43.150464; -86.202209 |
| Opening date | August 15, 2001; 23 years ago (2001-08-15) |
| Developer | CBL & Associates Properties |
| Management | Namdar Realty Group |
| Owner | Namdar Realty Group[1] |
| No. of stores and services | 100+ |
| No. ofanchor tenants | 5 (2 open, 3 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 645,677 square feet (59,985.4 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Public transit access |  Muskegon Area Transit System |
| Website | thelakesmall |
The Lakes Mall is an enclosedshopping mall in serving the city ofMuskegon, Michigan,United States. It is located inFruitport Township, with a Muskegon mailing address. Opened in 2001, the mall features more than sixty retailers, plus afood court, in 645,677 square feet (59,985.4 m2) ofgross leasable area.[2][3]Anchor stores areDick's Sporting Goods andJCPenney, with three vacancies last occupied bySears,Bed Bath & Beyond, andYounkers.
The Lakes Mall was developed by CBL & Associates Properties ofChattanooga, Tennessee, on a site south of town, near the junction ofInterstate 96 andU.S. Highway 31, at the southeastern corner of Sternberg Road and Harvey Street. Construction began on the property in late 1999.[4] On August 15, 2001, the mall's grand opening was announced, although Sears had been operational since March of that year.[5] The mall, upon opening, featuredBed Bath & Beyond,JCPenney,Sears andYounkers among its anchor stores.[3] JCPenney had relocated from a standalone store, while Sears had relocated from the formerMuskegon Mall downtown.Dick's Sporting Goods was added in late 2004.[6] On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Younkers would be closing as parent companyThe Bon-Ton is going out of business. The store closed in August 2018.[7] On December 28, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 80 stores nationwide. The store closed on March 14, 2019.[8] Bed Bath & Beyond closed in 2023.
Prior to the development of the mall, the only major business that operated at the intersection of Sternberg Road and Harvey Street was a strip mall known as the Lakeshore Marketplace. This center, a formeroutlet mall, was eventually redeveloped intobig box space (includingToys "R" Us,Barnes & Noble,Old Navy,TJ Maxx, andElder-Beerman, which was converted to a Younkers furniture store in 2008), and several restaurants soon opened along The Lakes Mall's periphery.
Muskegon Mall, an older mall created by enclosing several blocks of Muskegon's downtown, had operated in downtown Muskegon since 1976. However, it was not considered a major retail draw for the Muskegon area, because it lacked the major chain stores present at the malls inGrand Rapids.[9] Since its opening in 2001, The Lakes Mall has been cited as the most popular retail destination in the Muskegon area.[9]
