Malls · Michigan
Universal Mall
Opened 1965. Redeveloped.
Status nowOperatingextracted, unreviewed
documented
Universal Shopping Center, formerly Universal Mall and Universal City, is a redeveloped open-air power center located in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
What it becameretailextracted, unreviewed reported
Site size769,000 sq ft GLAEsri 2014 layer reported
Walkability10 of 20 · 15-minute 6 of 6EPA, 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/warren-universal-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 profile9 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 6/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this200+ tax-credit housing units within 1 km
This site: 418 units in 3 properties hud-lihtc · all sites with this30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road
This site: 32,167 on Dequindre Rd fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 4 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh tornado risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 50% census-acs · all sites with thisTract house prices doubled in 10 years
This site: +106% fhfa · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: …redeveloped open-air power center with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Retail (continued)
This site: …redeveloped open-air power center with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Operatingextracted, unreviewed documentedUniversal Shopping Center, formerly Universal Mall and Universal City, is a redeveloped open-air power center located in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed |
| New uses | retailextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | redeveloped open-air power center with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petcoextracted, unreviewed documentedThe first phase opened in mid-2009 with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco. |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | no NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 14: BELLE TIRE DISTRIBUTORS INC; DOLLAR GENERAL #12065; GOODYEAR AUTO SERVICE CENTER; KEY OLDSMOBILE; KROGER CO OF MICHIGANEPA FRS |
| Census tract 26099262300 | 3,763 people, 3,737 per sq mi; median household income $50,205; median gross rent $1,141; 50% renters; 1.8% vacant units; 0.6% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 10 of 20; 66 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.81; 198,846 jobs within 45 min by car; 7% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 6 of 6 daily needs: 4 grocers, 2 schools, 10 parks or playgrounds, 5 health, 3 civic, 21 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 140 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, Macomb County (MI), 2024 | 81 units in 5+ unit buildings, 156 in 2–4, 1,080 single-family; 2023: 203 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.73; socioeconomic 0.67; housing and transport 0.64; 27% below 150% of poverty; 6% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 2 within 10 km, 19 within 25 km: Oakland Mall (4.5 km); Troy Community Center (9.0 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 22,529 m², 6.4 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 10,168 since 2015; 1,751 in the last 12 months (-9% vs the prior 12); peak 2026-04 with 339Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -1% (3,798 → 3,763); median income +40% ($35,889 → $50,205); renters 45% → 50%; median home value +90% ($106,200 → $201,400)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 51.7); expected annual loss $1.1M; high: tornado, cold wave; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 3 LIHTC properties, 418 units: Solberg Tower (169 units); Madison Tower I (168 units); Madison Iii Manor (81 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 40,380 jobs in 2,557 establishments; average annual pay $43,547; employment location quotient 1.23; employment -0.2% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2021 | 6,161 jobs; 693 in retail trade, 247 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 26099262300)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2021 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 43th income percentile as adults; 2.3% incarcerated at the 2010 count (287 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; poverty rate 10.1%; median family income $71,535; 318 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Warren Consolidated Schools (KG-12); 8 public schools within 1 mile: Four Corners Montessori Academy; Michigan Mathematics and Science Academy Dequindre; Edmonson Elementary School; Simonds Elementary SchoolNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 628 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 148 county-logged events: 95 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 13 flood, 12 flash flood; $13,151,000 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 48092, 2026-09 | median list price $274,950 (+6.6% on the year); 71 active listings; median 24 days on market; 20% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 2,657 establishments (-5%); 41,560 jobs (+4%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $267,474 (+1% 1 yr, +22% 5 yr); typical rent $1,422/mo (+4% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 399 (2000 = 100); -8.7% 1 yr, +47% 5 yr, +106% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 32,167 vehicles a day on Dequindre Rd (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 869 trucks; 40 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Universal Mall opened in 1965 as a traditional enclosed mall. It was later redeveloped, with the first phase of an open‑air power center opening in mid‑2009 featuring Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco. The site continues to operate as a retail power center.
Why. The record does not specify the reasons for the redevelopment, such as anchor losses, competition, debt, or demolition.
Where it stands. The site is currently operating as a redeveloped open‑air power center, although the record does not identify the current owner or controlling entity.
For a planner
- Precedent: conversion of an enclosed mall to an open‑air power center.
- Policy tools: not detailed in the record; redevelopment likely required local approvals.
- Open questions: whether additional phases are planned, how the large 769,000 sq ft site will be fully utilized, and long‑term market viability.
For a developer
- Site size: 769,000 sq ft GLA (large footprint).
- Control: ownership not specified in the record.
- Entitlement stage: strategy listed as "redevelop" and new_use as "retail," with status "operating," suggesting entitlements are in place.
- Constraints: no flood, transit, or environmental constraints are noted in the record.
- Market signals: opportunity score is 0.0, citing that the retrofit is already built and the large site size may limit further opportunity.
What we do not know yet
- Owner/controlling entity not recorded.
- Detailed anchor tenant history and reasons for original mall decline are missing.
- Any existing debt, liens, or financial encumbrances are unspecified.
- Flood zone, transit access, and environmental constraints are not described.
- Current occupancy rates, lease terms, and tenant mix beyond the named anchors are unknown.
- The record is marked as "draft" and many fields are model‑extracted, indicating potential unreviewed data.
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
- Livonia Mall, Livonia, MI · Malls · similar GLA (850,655 sq ft); opened 1964; same strategy: redevelop
- Tel-Twelve Mall, Southfield, MI · Malls · opened 1968; same strategy: redevelop; also in MI
- Rhode Island Mall, Warwick, RI · Malls · similar GLA (579,499 sq ft); opened 1967; same strategy: redevelop
- Wonderland Mall, Livonia, MI · Malls · similar GLA (852,000 sq ft); opened 1959; also in MI
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Universal Mall / Universal City on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Universal Mall in Warren Michigan : r/RetroDetroit reddit.com
- Universal Mall Warren Mi Mural ARCHITECTURAL RECORD fity.club
- Universal Mall | Flickr flickr.com
- Universal Mall; Warren, Michigan - Labelscar: The Retail History Blog labelscar.com
- MJR reopening theater at Universal Mall in Warren freep.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- 769,000 sq ft GLA (large site)
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 | 1965Esri 2014 layer |
|---|---|
| Gross leasable area | 769,000 sq ftEsri 2014 layer reported |
| Stores at peak | 50Esri 2014 layer reported |
| Anchors | Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, Target, Value City, Kroger, A.J.Wright, Petco |
| Address | Dequindre & Twelve Mile Rds. |
| County | Macomb |
| Census division | 3 · East North Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Universal Shopping Center, formerly Universal Mall and Universal City, is a redeveloped open-air power center located in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The first phase opened in mid-2009 with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1965 Opened
- 2009 First phase opened
Sources
- Wikipedia: Universal Mall · supports: after notes, status, strategy
4 quoted sentences
The first phase opened in mid-2009 with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco.
Universal Shopping Center, formerly Universal Mall and Universal City, is a redeveloped open-air power center located in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
is a redeveloped open-air power center
The first phase opened in mid-2009 with Target, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, and Petco.
- Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) · 2014-10-02
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