Lakeside Mall officially closing: What’s next for the space

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – The once-beloved Lakeside Mall in Macomb County is permanently closing this week, kicking off an extensive redevelopment project for the area that’s been in the works for years.

Since opening in the 1970s, Lakeside Mall was a popular Sterling Heights destination buzzing with stores, shoppers, restaurants, events and even attractions, like an ice skating rink and a water slide. (Or, my personal favorite while growing up, the breakfast food play area.)

That buzz has died down in recent years, though. Attractions came and went, the demand for department store shopping declined, several stores moved out of the mall, and the COVID pandemic certainly didn’t help business.

Plans to redevelop the mall into a mixed-use space have been in the works for years, and were refined and finalized amid the pandemic. Those behind the redevelopment project announced earlier this year that the mall will officially close on July 1.

The massive mall on the 110-acre property will be demolished sometime after that. Groundbreaking for the project is expected to begin in 2025, officials previously said.

—> An ode to Lakeside Mall, the forgotten crown jewel of Michigan malls

So, what will the space turn into?

If the redevelopment moves forward as outlined by Lionheart Capital and Out of the Box Ventures, who are behind the project, the property will become a modern-looking, open-air hub for shopping, living and more.

Shopping legacy will live on

Developers say the new space will feature retail outlets and shops lining streets within the redeveloped area.

Here’s a rendering of what a shop-lined street may look like on the property:

No specific retailers had been named as future tenants yet — construction is expected to take about 10 years once it begins, officials said in April. Still, shopping will continue in the area, though in a much different format than Lakeside Mall.

Not just for shopping, though

The site is expected to feature far more than just shopping in the future. Developers are calling the end result a mixed-use city center for Sterling Heights.

The 110-acre property is expected to host residences (which appear to be apartments), a hotel, office spaces, restaurants and coffee shops, and even parks.

Again, it’s too early to name specifics about what businesses, hotel, etc., will land there. From the renderings, it appears developers are interested in a modern, walkable, open-air environment where all of these structures mesh together.

Park will be focal point

Developers are planning to keep things green with trees planted throughout the site and a park in the center of the property, according to renderings. It’s a stark contrast from the quite gray mall and parking lot currently occupying the space.

The “central park,” as officials call it, will have restaurants with outdoor seating and a two-story community center that will “provide recreational amenities such as pools, fitness facilities, and lending libraries,” developers say. The park will reportedly serve as a gathering place for music, art and other events.

When is all of this happening?

The actual demolition date for the existing Lakeside Mall has not yet been announced. The mall will close on July 1, and any remaining tenants are already in the process of moving out.

Developers said the project is on track for a “late 2025″ groundbreaking — though no specific month was named. It’s expected that the demolition will take place sometime before then.

If construction does begin in 2025, it’s likely the project will wrap in or around 2035. The development should reportedly take about 10 years to complete.

Officials told Local 4 in April that the project was already about one year behind schedule. The delay was apparently caused by Lord & Taylor and Sears: two major department stores that were holding out on selling their storefronts.

The Sterling Heights City Council voted this year to use $3 million of grant money to purchase the department stores and speed up the process.

The other two department store spaces, Macy’s and JCPenny, had already agreed to a deal with Out of the Box Ventures.

The city of Sterling Heights in late 2022 approved Out of the Box Ventures’ plan to demolish the mall and redevelop it into the mixed-use city center.

—> Related: Poll: Do you like the golden ‘Halo’ in Sterling Heights?

Rendering video: What’s taking over Lakeside Mall

Here’s a rendering video of the reimagined space (much of which was already seen in photos above).