Hampton Towne Centre

Hampton Towne Centre, formerly Hampton Square Mall, was an enclosed shopping mall in Essexville, Michigan. Built in 1975, the property became a dead mall following the closure of its anchor stores, and ultimately closed in 2010. The building, vacant except for a thrift store, an intermediate school district, and a Michigan Department of Human Services office, is owned by Art Dore.

Hampton Towne Centre
Interior of Hampton Square, March 2003, showing Hot Sam Pretzels and Kinney Shoes
LocationEssexville, Michigan
Coordinates43.5927°N 83.8343°W / 43.5927; -83.8343
AddressCenter Avenue and Pine Street
Opening date1975
Closing dateSeptember 15, 2010
DeveloperRamco-Gershenson Properties Trust
OwnerArt Dore
No. of stores and services37
No. of anchor tenants4
Total retail floor area350,000 square feet (33,000 m2)[1]
No. of floors1

History

The mall was developed by Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust of Southfield, Michigan, with Charles N. Agree as the architect. Original anchors were Kmart[2] and William C. Wiechmann Company of Saginaw.[3] An A&P supermarket was also attached. The mall also included a Perry pharmacy and an MC Sports.[1] In 1981, a customer was charged for murdering his wife while she was working at the Lerner New York store in the mall.[4] By 1990, the mall had expanded with the addition of a J. C. Penney store.[1] The mall's main customer base was residents of The Thumb.

The mall became increasingly vacant in the 1990s and early 2000s, particularly after the opening of Bay City Mall in 1991 and the closure of all three anchor stores, including Kmart in 2002. At this point, the mall complex was largely used for non-retail purposes, including a Michigan Department of Human Services office, the Bay-Arenac intermediate school district, and yearly use for the Bay County library's book sales. The mall ultimately closed in September 2010.[5] One of the last remaining tenants, Mandarin House Chinese restaurant, moved to a new location.[6] The Department of Human Services offices have remained after the closure, along with a thrift store called The Cat's Meow located inside the former A&P space.

Local businessman Art Dore purchased the mall in August 2011 and announced plans to reopen it as a mixed-use property featuring offices and retail.[7][8]

References
  1. Directory of major malls. MJJTM Publications Corp. 1990. pp. 323–324.
  2. "Michigan". CSA Super Markets. Lebhar-Friedman. 1973.
  3. Gross, Stuart D. (1980). Saginaw, a history of the land and the city. Greater Saginaw Chamber of Commerce. p. 193.
  4. "Wife shot". Ludington Daily News. 15 May 1981. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  5. Wayland, Michael (28 August 2010). "After 35 years, Hampton Towne Centre in Hampton Township to close Sept. 15, according to tenant". mlive.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  6. White, Sue (23 December 2010). "Mandarin House stays true to its roots". mlive.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  7. Setter, Holly (9 August 2011). "Hampton Township hoping for a boost from mall purchase". mlive.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  8. Setter, Holly (3 August 2011). "Art Dore adds Hampton Towne Center to property portfolio, plans to restore it to former glory". mlive.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
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