Michigan's First (and Largest) Mall, the Northland: 1954-2015

Some refer to this former shopping center as the first shopping mall in America...but it was definitely the first in Michigan.

Call it the Northland Mall or the Northland Center, but it was the first regional shopping center, which opened in Southfield, Michigan on March 22, 1954.

Northland was not only the first mall in Michigan and America, but also called “The World’s Largest Shopping Center.”

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You’re familiar with Detroit’s famous Hudson’s Department Store? Well, it was Hudson’s that was responsible for this mall. Hudson's architect Victor Gruen was developer of the Northland Center. In fact, the mall was built around a Hudson’s store, which sat in the center surrounded by 80 smaller shops.

The entire Northland Center was a feast for the eyes: artwork, auditoriums, bank, fountains, landscaping, post office, and sculptures.

Unknown at the time, this was the beginning of the end for Detroit’s downtown shopping district. Thanks to Northland Center's overwhelming success, more malls began being built and opening in Detroit’s suburbs. As the decades wore on, downtown shops began closing.

The last mall store to close was Macy's (which had replaced Hudson's), closing on March 22, 2015, bringing the mall to an end after 61 years. The mall was partially demolished in September 2021, and is currently being redeveloped as Northland City Center.

The former Northland Mall still sits, empty, partially demolished, and hidden from the road by new apartment buildings. The property is being renovated, refurbished, and redeveloped as Northland City Center.

As historic as Northland is, the first enclosed mall in Michigan was actually the Rogers Plaza in Wyoming that began operating in August 1961.

Scroll down and see some old photos of how the Northland Mall looked just after opening during the 1950s....you’ll see why customers loved it...