Courtland Center
Image by wachovia_138
Courtland Center, formerly Eastland Mall, in Burton, MI.
This mall opened in 1968 with three anchors: The Fair (a local store based in Flint) to the west, Federals (a Detroit-based chain) to the south and Woolco to the east. Federals closed in 1977 and briefly became a Robert Hall Village before JCPenney took over. Early key tenants included a Walgreens (later Perry) drugstore, a Winkleman’s clothing store, a movie theater and both A&P and Kroger.
When Woolco closed in 1983, the space was split between another Detroit-based chain (Crowley’s) and additional mall retailers. The Fair became Mervyns in 1987.
Courtland Center held its own against Genesee Valley until 2000, when Crowley’s closed. Old Navy then took the back half of the store, but left the front half vacant. In only a couple years, tenants began emptying out. Still, the situation wasn’t too dire yet; the pseudo-food court was still full, and some local stores were doing brisk business. Also, to fill in more space, JCPenney had a home store and, of all things, an intimates store.
By 2003, Tucker Development embarked on a major expansion plan. Old Navy moved within the mall, and both it and the majority of the old Woolco space were re-divided among three big box stores: Staples (in Old Navy’s former digs), Dunham’s Sports and Jo-Ann Etc. The former two relocated from nearby, while Jo-Ann moved from the former A&P space. JCPenney moved to the former Mervyns after that chain left Michigan in 2006. Steve & Barry’s took over the former JCPenney, but it only lasted 7 months. The theater closed, reopened, closed, reopened several times.
Moving from Penney’s to Dunham’s, these are all the tenants I recall:
*Max 10 is about 2/3 of the former Winkleman’s, which was later Manhattan 101. This space was vacant for maybe 6 years. JCPenney "bumped out" the old Mervyn’s building some, gobbling up the other 1/3 of Max 10 and what had been a Miracle Ear.
*Payless was Bailey’s Bridal.
*Next after Payless was a Claire’s, then a GameStop (which was still a Babbage’s as late as 2009).
*Next after Famous Footwear was an Afterthoughts, later an Icing.
*Next after Media Replay was an Avon store.
*Flair was a Sibley Shoes, then a clothing store called D Block.
*Kay Jewelers was Fred Meyer Jewelers.
*Above that, from bottom to top, were Fanny Farmer (later Cotton Plus), After Hours, Sbarro and Memories.
*El Cozumel was Aladdin’s Castle.
*Going down the right-hand side of the middle wing, from top to bottom, were Duke Communications, Arby’s (later a coney island), Dollar Tree and McDonald’s. Interestingly, the Arby’s was a walkup counter, while McDonald’s and Sbarro both had full seating.
*The current Miracle Ear was something else that I forget the name of.
*Below that used to be Merle Norman, which was once only half that size, and later Holographic Designs or something. Both Baskin-Robbins and Carousel Hot Dogs used to be here, but I’m not sure which was where.
*The corner spot was Osterman Jewelers.
* Shoes + More was Lady Foot Locker, which stayed open for at least a few months after the "regular" Foot Locker closed.
* Going from left to right, the next spaces after that were Cotton Plus, Enchanted Woman and the second location for York Country Designs. Cotton Plus was previously Northern Reflections, and York Country was the original location for Rainbow.
* Between Bath & Body and Pearle Vision was a RadioShack.
* Pearle Vision was NuVision, I think.
* To the right of Pearle Vision was Wilson’s Leather, later 810 Casuals. Both of these spaces were probably the diner when Walgreens was around.
* The big junior anchor was Walgreens, then Perry Drugs. It closed around 1995 and became JCPenney Home Store.
* From there, going left to right again, were Hard Wear clothing store, Foot Locker, Bo-Rics Hair Salon and DOC Eyeworld (later Lens Crafters).
* Dunham’s Sports gobbled up five spaces: Royal Touch, Sports Vault, the original location of Foxy Nails (which, before that, was the original location of B. Dalton), the original location of York Country and one spot that was vacant even in 2002.
* Foxy Nails was Jewel Restore.
* Best Beauty was Global Gifts.
* 810 Casual was Rave.
* The corner spot next to GNC was last used as a music store.
* Between Deb Shop and Valley Tent was Kay-Bee Toys.
* Valley Tent was B. Dalton’s second location.
* The big spot next to Finish Line was Marianne, then JCPenney’s Intimate department.
* The small spot next to Sears Portrait Studio was Zales.
* Connections was, I think, the first location for Bailey Bridal.
* The center anchor, as mentioned, was Federals->Robert Hall Village->JCPenney->Steve & Barry’s.
* The corner spot next to the anchor was Kay Jewelers’ old location. Next to it was a clothing store (Lerner?) that was later Campus Den.
* Planet Fitness was Old Navy. Before that, it was f.y.e. (by way of Record Town), Payless and Spencer Gifts (later Sports Vault).
* Rainbow/Kid Spot was Disney Store.
* The next spot after that was Southwest Plus, which was something else previously.
* The corner spot next to Penney’s was Hallmark, then a local gift shop. JCPenney’s expansion took out another corner store that had been Big Boy but was vacant for about 10 years. The tail end of Big Boy is now a storage area in the bottom left.
And finally, the outside suites:
* Dollar & Party was A&P, then Jo-Ann Fabrics.
* Old Country Buffet and the two spots next to it were all Kroger originally. Old Country Buffet itself was Duff’s Famous Smorgasbord until maybe the late 80s. The tiny spaces next to it were a police substation and an alterations shop.
