Malls · Michigan
Copper Country Mall
Opened 1981.
Status nowClosedEsri 2014 layer reported
Site size257,866 sq ft GLAEsri 2014 layer reported
Retrofit yearNot yet retrofittedstatus reported
Walkability7.7 of 20EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/mi/houghton-copper-country-mall/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile4 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Former anchors
JCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with thisFinance and pipeline
Closed per a 2014 list or a Wikipedia category, unchecked
This site: …closed import, no source · all sites with thisPlace
Tract house prices doubled in 10 years
This site: +127% fhfa · all sites with thisTract income up 60%+ since 2013
This site: +72% census-acs · all sites with thisNow
| Status | ClosedEsri 2014 layer reported |
|---|
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Copper Country Mall” and “Houghton” (44 hits, first 44 sampled, 1 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (weak) | DEVELOPERS DIVERSIFIED REALTY CORP (SITC, SITC-PA) | 42 | 2001-04-02 to 2012-02-28 | 8-K 29, 10-K 13 |
Site context
| Transit within 800 m | no rail stationOpenStreetMap |
|---|---|
| FEMA flood zone | no NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL |
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 2: AUTOZONE STORES INC; WALGREENS #16254EPA FRS |
| Census tract 26061000900 | 4,373 people, 176 per sq mi; median household income $75,778; median gross rent $1,125; 18% renters; 16.9% vacant units; 1.2% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 7.7 of 20; 7 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.84; 2,971 jobs within 45 min by car; 8% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, Houghton County (MI), 2024 | 0 units in 5+ unit buildings, 8 in 2–4, 103 single-family; 2023: 5 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.50; socioeconomic 0.38; housing and transport 0.73; 22% below 150% of poverty; 8% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -15% (5,148 → 4,373); median income +72% ($44,063 → $75,778); renters 27% → 18%; median home value +65% ($100,000 → $164,700)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 27.4); expected annual loss $1.3M; high: winter weather, cold wave; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 1 LIHTC properties, 27 units: Scott Building (27 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 1,628 jobs in 124 establishments; average annual pay $32,841; employment location quotient 1.32; employment +4.2% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2021 | 2,835 jobs; 906 in retail trade, 311 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 26061000900)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2021 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 48th income percentile as adults; 1.0% incarcerated at the 2010 count (465 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 48% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 21.2%; median family income $75,625; 206 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Houghton-Portage Township Schools (KG-12); 2 public schools within 1 mile: Houghton Elementary School; Career and Technical EducationNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 650 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 83 county-logged events: 42 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 11 flood, 8 flash flood; $125,584,000 property damage reported; 1 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 49931, 2026-09 | median list price $320,325 (-27.0% on the year); 34 active listings; median 54 days on market; 43% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 140 establishments (-7%); 1,665 jobs (+1%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $196,480 (+8% 1 yr, +20% 5 yr); typical rent $1,585/mo, 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 505 (2000 = 100); +14.5% 1 yr, +93% 5 yr, +127% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 17,755 vehicles a day on Memorial Rd (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 801 trucks; 37 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Opened in 1981 as a mall in Houghton, Michigan, Copper Country Mall operated for several decades before closing. The record shows no further events after opening, and its current status is listed as closed.
Why. The record does not specify any reasons for closure, such as anchor loss, competition, debt, or demolition.
Where it stands. The mall is listed as closed, but the record does not identify an owner or controlling entity.
For a planner
- Precedent: other Michigan malls have been repurposed after closure, offering potential reuse models.
- Policy tools: none indicated in the record; possible tools include zoning changes, tax increment financing, or brownfield incentives.
- Open questions: current ownership, zoning designation, environmental condition, and community reuse goals.
For a developer
- Site size: approximately 257,866 square feet of gross leasable area.
- Control: ownership and controlling party are not specified in the record.
- Entitlement stage: no information on existing approvals or pending applications.
- Constraints: flood risk, transit access, and environmental conditions are not documented in the record.
- Market signals: tract‑level data such as demographics, income, or retail demand are absent.
What we do not know yet
- Ownership and controlling entity are unknown.
- Reasons for closure (anchor loss, competition, debt, demolition) are not stated.
- Zoning, land‑use approvals, and any entitlements are unspecified.
- Environmental factors such as floodplain status, soil contamination, or wetlands are not provided.
- Transit proximity and access infrastructure are not described.
- Local market context (population, income, retail spending) is missing.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Osceola Square Mall, Kissimmee, FL · Malls · similar GLA (331,127 sq ft); opened 1986
- Auburn Mall, Auburn, ME · Malls · similar GLA (297,915 sq ft); opened 1979
- Hutchinson Mall, Hutchinson, MN · Malls · similar GLA (284,115 sq ft); opened 1981
- Westridge Mall, Fergus Falls, MN · Malls · similar GLA (213,000 sq ft); opened 1978
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Copper Country Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Reddit - Dive into anything reddit.com
- Copper Country Mall Houghton MI - WaterWinterWonderland… waterwinterwonderland.com
- Copper Country Mall - Dead Mall Tour (2023 Update) - Houghton, MI - YouTube youtube.com
- Deer Hunters’ Widows Craft Show fills Copper Country Mall with shoppers ... mininggazette.com
- COPPER COUNTRY MALL - Updated June 2026 - 12 Ph… yelp.com
- Copper Country Mall | Shopping in Houghton… shopuppermi.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- closed or demolished per category only, +0 until sourced
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1981Esri 2014 layer |
|---|---|
| Gross leasable area | 257,866 sq ftEsri 2014 layer reported |
| Stores at peak | 39Esri 2014 layer reported |
| Anchors | Steve & Barry's, JCPenney, OfficeMax, Carmike Cinemas |
| Address | Hwy. M-26 & Green Acres Rd. |
| County | Houghton |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Listed as a closed mall in Esri's 2014 Closed_US_Malls layer (Directory of Major Malls data). Current status to be checked. |
Not yet recorded: acres, original developer, what is there now, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Timeline
- 1981 Opened
Sources
- Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) · 2014-10-02
More in Michigan
Bella Vista MallGrand Blanc, MIReinhabited · Reinhabitation, mixed use
Fairlane Town CenterDearborn, MI · 2016Partial Reinhabited · Partial reinhabitation: officesFort Saginaw MallBuena Vista, MI · 2010Partial Redeveloped · Regreened · Partial regreening, park Partial redevelopment, civicGrand Village MallGrandville, MI · 2000Reinhabited · Reinhabitation, religious, community servicesMuskegon MallMuskegon, MI · 2001Redeveloped · Redevelopment: restored street grid, mixed-useWyoming Village MallWyoming, MI · 2019Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, road and retail
Fairlane Town CenterDearborn, MI · 2016Partial Reinhabited · Partial reinhabitation: officesFort Saginaw MallBuena Vista, MI · 2010Partial Redeveloped · Regreened · Partial regreening, park Partial redevelopment, civicGrand Village MallGrandville, MI · 2000Reinhabited · Reinhabitation, religious, community servicesMuskegon MallMuskegon, MI · 2001Redeveloped · Redevelopment: restored street grid, mixed-useWyoming Village MallWyoming, MI · 2019Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, road and retail