THE NORTHLAND SHOPPING CENTER

In 1953 we moved to a new neighborhood at the far corner of Northwest Detroit. We lived very close to the intersection of Eight Mile and Greenfield. The new suburb of Oak Park Michigan began at the Northeast corner of that intersection. Located at the Northwest corner of that same intersection was another new area called Southfield Michigan. On a very large piece of vacant land on the Southfield side of the street a major project was being developed. This very large development would be called the Northland Shopping Center.

This new mall which was located practically in our backyard was the first of its kind in the world. Construction of this new shopping concept began in 1952, It would take two years to build at a cost of thirty million dollars. {About three hundred million in today's dollars.} The mall opened on March 22,1954. I visited the new shopping area twice that first day. I walked there with my friend's just after it opened for the first time. Drove back with my family in the evening. Cars were lined up in all directions. People could not wait to see this shopping development. Northland had a modern four -story Hudson's Department Store in the center. The department store was surrounded by about one hundred stores and restaurants. It also had new art sculptures and gardens along with park benches placed at various locations. The parking lot could hold almost nine thousand cars.

The mall became known as one of the new wonders of the world. People visited from all over the planet. National media wrote about this place.

A movie theatre, a playhouse and two hotels were added to the property. over the next few years. In the 1970's the center was enlarged and enclosed to compete with new malls which were being built further North in Oakland County.

Northland played a big part of our life in the 1950's and 60's. We would shop and eat attend movies and even have part-time jobs there at different times. Time moves on and things change even for a great center like Northland.

Somewhere in the 1980' Northland began to decline. The population began moving further North in Oakland County. The older Northland customer lost their loyalty to the center. The next generation did not feel attached to the aging mall. The dynamics and demographics in the area changed. The customer was less affluent. Crime and shoplifting became a problem.

By the early 2000's Northland had been struggling for twenty years. In 2015 new owners had defaulted on a very large loan. A judge ordered the mall closed. The property was purchased by the City of Southfield. They began the process of attracting new developers with new money and fresh ideas. They started to demolish the mall. This dragged on because of asbestos issues but now seems to have been completed.

Northland Mall about seventy years ago considered one of the great wonders of the world has disappeared and will probably have very little meaning to new generations but to a guy from the fifty's it was a part of his life and will always be remembered.

WRITTEN BY

RON TURETT