Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Michigan

Northland Center

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedRegreenedUnder constructionSouthfield, MI

Opened 1954. Closed 2015. Redevelopment · Regreening, under construction in 2021.

Status nowUnder constructionextracted, unreviewed
What it becamehousing, retailextracted, unreviewed
Site size159 acresextracted, unreviewed
Last sale$11.0M · 2017public reporting
Retrofit year2021extracted, unreviewed
Walkability14.3 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

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.

Northland Center
Northland Center. Photo: Nikolai Nolan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile21 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
J. C. PenneyThis site: J. C. Penney wikipedia · all sites with this
Macy'sThis site: Macy's wikipedia · all sites with this
Montgomery WardThis site: Montgomery Ward wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
Retrofit in the pipelineThis site: …under construction extraction · all sites with this
Ownership
Public bodyThis site: City of Southfield county-parcels · all sites with this
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 65,310 on S M 10 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Bike network nearbyThis site: 34 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this
High tornado riskThis site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with this
Interstate or freeway within 600 mThis site: S M 10 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Lower-income tract (< $50k)This site: $49,063 census-acs · all sites with this
Opportunity ZoneThis site: 26125162200 hud-oz · all sites with this
Renter-majority tractThis site: 85% census-acs · all sites with this
Tract income flat or down since 2013This site: +1% census-acs · all sites with this
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)This site: …index 14.3 epa-walkability · all sites with this
Scale
1M+ sq ft GLAThis site: 1,800,000 sq ft esri-closed-us-malls-2014 · all sites with this
60+ acre siteThis site: 159 acres extraction · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: Northland City Center extraction · all sites with this
RegreenedThis site: Northland City Center extraction · all sites with this
New use
HousingThis site: …the redevelopment was slated to feature '1,546 new for-rent housing units, the majority of them in 14 planned five- and six-sto extraction · all sites with this
Retail (continued)This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusUnder constructionextracted, unreviewed
StrategyRedevelopment · Regreening, under constructionextracted, unreviewed
New useshousing, retailextracted, unreviewed
What is there nowNorthland City Centerextracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year2021extracted, unreviewed
RedeveloperContour Companiesextracted, unreviewed

Planning

Zoning changemixed-useextracted, unreviewed
Entitlement year2021extracted, unreviewed
Planning notesThe first phase of the redevelopment was slated to feature '1,546 new for-rent housing units, the majority of them in 14 planned five- and six-story buildings.'extracted, unreviewed

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
2017Sold$11.0M closedContour Companies ← City of SouthfieldWikipedia
2015Sold$2.5M pendingCity of Southfield ← Spinoso Real Estate GroupWikipedia
2008Sold$31.0M closedAshkenazy Acquisition Corporation ← Spinoso Real Estate GroupWikipedia

Securitised debt and public filers

Filings (2001 to date) that name “Northland Center” and “Southfield” (7 hits, first 7 sampled, 3 other filers such as tenants left out). Only weak matches to commercial-mortgage trusts: the mall may have backed a securitised loan, or may just be mentioned in the filing; several trusts usually means one loan split into pari-passu notes. Earliest trust filing in the sample 2005-11-22 (a sample date, not the issuance date); candidate loan vintage 2005 from the trust name (weak match). Whether the loan is still in the pool, in special servicing or repaid is in the trust's monthly distribution reports, which are not searchable here. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.

KindFilerFilingsDatesForms
CMBS trust (weak)CSFB COMMERCIAL MORT PASS THR CERT SERIES 2005-C522005-11-22 to 2005-11-228-K 2
Public owner (weak)NEW PLAN EXCEL REALTY TRUST INC12001-03-08 to 2001-03-088-K 1

Site context

FEMA flood zoneno NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m10: COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION; FEDERAL EXPRESS - ZOKP; FIRESTONE STORES; MACYS NORTH; MONTGOMERY WARD AND CO INCEPA FRS
Census tract 261251622001,202 people, 2,103 per sq mi; median household income $49,063; median gross rent $1,352; 85% renters; 25.7% vacant units; 5.4% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 14.3 of 20; 181 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 153 m; land-use mix 0.21; 207,302 jobs within 45 min by car, 66,341 by transit; 16% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)5 of 6 daily needs: 0 grocers, 4 schools, 4 parks or playgrounds, 5 health, 2 civic, 3 food and drink; 34 cycleway segments, 221 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zoneyes, tract 26125162200 (rural)HUD
Housing permits, Oakland County (MI), 2024961 units in 5+ unit buildings, 55 in 2–4, 1,870 single-family; 2023: 530 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.68; socioeconomic 0.62; housing and transport 0.62; 17% below 150% of poverty; 13% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby2 within 10 km, 22 within 25 km: Rogell Park (6.0 km); Tel-Twelve Mall (8.3 km)computed
Overture Mapsno place match; building footprint 49,440 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Attention: Wikipedia page views195,566 since 2015; 11,911 in the last 12 months (-13% vs the prior 12); peak 2016-03 with 3,414Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +6% (1,136 → 1,202); median income +1% ($48,750 → $49,063); renters 90% → 85%; median home value +168% ($64,400 → $172,700)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively low overall (score 30.5); expected annual loss $644,936; high: tornado; community resilience very highFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20234,461 establishments (-9%); 70,092 jobs (-0%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $365,826 (+2% 1 yr, +22% 5 yr); typical rent $1,726/mo (+4% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)65,310 vehicles a day on S M 10 (freeway or expressway, 6 lanes); 1,241 trucks; 31 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS
Site metrics11,321 sq ft GLA per acre; FAR 0.26computed

Summary, model-written

Northland Center opened in 1954 as a regional mall and was enclosed in 1975. After decades of operation, it closed in 2015 and demolition began in 2021. The site is currently under construction for a mixed-use redevelopment that includes housing and retail.

Why. The record does not explicitly state the causes of decline (e.g., anchor losses, competition, debt).

Where it stands. The property is under construction and controlled by Contour Companies, which acquired it from the City of Southfield in 2017.

For a planner

  • Mixed‑use zoning change approved in 2021
  • Entitlement secured in 2021 for the first phase
  • Prior public ownership (City of Southfield) facilitated the sale to a developer
  • Opportunity to leverage large acreage for housing‑focused redevelopment

For a developer

  • Site size: 159 acres with 1.8 million sf GLA
  • Controlled by Contour Companies; entitlement year 2021
  • Current FAR 0.26 and GLA per acre 11,321 sf indicating low intensity
  • No explicit flood, transit, or environmental constraints listed in the record

What we do not know yet

  • Specific anchor tenant losses or competition details are not provided
  • Debt or financial encumbrances on the property are unknown
  • Environmental factors (floodplain, wetlands, contamination) are not described
  • Transit access and infrastructure upgrades are not detailed
  • Market demand for the planned housing and retail components is not quantified

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

  • Lakeside Mall, Sterling Heights, MI · Malls · similar GLA (1,550,000 sq ft); same strategy: redevelop; also in MI
  • American Viscose Plant Historic District, Roanoke, VA · Industrial sites · similar size (212 acres); similar GLA (1,600,000 sq ft); same strategy: redevelop
  • Villa Italia Mall, Lakewood, CO · Malls · similar GLA (1,400,000 sq ft); same strategy: redevelop, regreen
  • Eastland Center, Harper Woods, MI · Malls · opened 1957; same strategy: redevelop; also in MI

Elsewhere on the web

Retail history: Northland Center Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and state only, check the city; nothing copied here

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • 159 acres
  • housing in the record
  • public owner

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

Opened1954Esri 2014 layer
Closed2015extracted, unreviewed
Acres159extracted, unreviewed
Gross leasable area1,800,000 sq ftEsri 2014 layer
Stores at peak140Esri 2014 layer
Original developerJ. L. Hudson Companyextracted, unreviewed
ArchitectVictor Gruen
AnchorsMacy's, Target, National Warehouse, Montgomery Ward, J. C. Penney, TJ Maxx, Hudson's, MainStreet (Kohl's)
AddressGreenfield, Northwestern Hwy. & Northland Dr.
CountyOakland
Census division3 · East North Central
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Background

Northland Center was an enclosed shopping mall on an approximately 159-acre (64 ha) site located near the intersection of M-10 and Greenfield Road in Southfield, Michigan, an inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Construction began in 1952 and the mall opened on March 22, 1954. Northland was a milestone for regional shopping centers in the United States. Designed by Victor Gruen, the mall initially included a four-level Hudson's with a ring of stores surrounding it. As originally built, it was an open-air pedestrian mall with arrayed structures. The mall was enclosed in 1975 and expanded several times in its history. Additions included five other department store anchors: J. C. Penney in 1975, MainStreet in 1985, and TJ Maxx, Target, and Montgomery Ward in the 1990s. Managed by Spinoso Real Estate Group, Northland Center featured approximately 100 stores. Macy's, the last anchor, closed on March 22, 2015, exactly 61 years to the date of the mall's opening. The mall was partially demolished in September 2021, and is currently being redeveloped as Northland City Center.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1952 Construction began
  2. 1954 Opened
  3. 1975 Enclosed
  4. 2015 Closed
  5. 2021 Demolition started

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Northland Center · supports: acres, after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed, zoning change
    11 quoted sentences
    Macy's also announced that it was closing operations at Northland Center as well, with the store closing on March 22, 2015...
    Northland Center was an enclosed shopping mall on an approximately 159-acre (64 ha) site...
    The J. L. Hudson Company, a Detroit-based department store chain, built Northland Center.
    In September 2021, demolition started to pave the way for a new $403 million redevelopment project that includes large-scale housing and some retail.
  • Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) · 2014-10-02

More in Michigan

Bella Vista MallGrand Blanc, MIReinhabited · Reinhabitation, mixed useFairlane 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