It’s the final countdown for long-struggling Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights.
Lakeside’s owner plans to announce Wednesday that it will permanently close the shopping mall on July 1.
Plans then call for demolishing the 1.5 million-square-foot enclosed mall that was built in the 1970s. And by late 2025, a groundbreaking is expected for a $1 billion-plus redevelopment plan for the 110-acre site: Lakeside Town Center, a town-square-type project with apartments, new retail, restaurants, offices, a hotel and public recreation space.
The existing Macy’s and J.C. Penney department stores at the mall are to stay open and help anchor the future development. The former Sears and Lord & Taylor stores also will remain standing — at least for now.
“While the current mall itself is in a state of decline and there’s more and more vacancies, the area around Lakeside Mall is thriving,” Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool told the Free Press on Tuesday. “That area right there at M-59 and Schoenherr is one of the most vibrant areas in the region, and everyone is greatly anticipating this project coming forward.”