STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — On July 1, Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights will be closed for good. It will eventually be torn down.
Many people have been coming to see the the mall while it’s still standing.
“What’s some of your fondest memories of Lakeside Mall?” I asked.
“Coming here as a kid, we use to go ice skating usually on a Sunday. Then we would come out with the family,” Michelle Suminski of St. Clair Shores said.
Suminski stopped by Lakeside Mall on Wednesday to take a last look inside before it closes.
“Just walking around and looking at all the empty stores. Just kind of reminiscing, seeing what it was like,” Suminksi said.
Suminksi wasn’t the only person who came to say goodbye to the 48-year-old mall.
“See what’s left and get one last glimpse of what use to be and move on from there,” Steve Payok of Warren said.
“What does Lakeside Mall mean to this area?” I asked.
“I think it’s something that’s kind of special, I mean, especially for the people who grew up around here. There’s a lot of good memories in here,” Payok said.
The Florida-based developer that owns the site of the mall plans to demolish the building except for the JCPenney and Macy’s stores.
VIDEO: Community reacts to Lakeside Mall closing
Plans for the site include a $1 billion project with retail, office and residential spaces along with a park and hotel.
Before the mall is demolished, there will be an opportunity to buy fixtures, furniture and equipment that are inside the mall.
“I would probably take a bench honestly… yeah somewhere to sit down. A lot of people have been there and it’s a piece of history from the store, so why not I’ll take a bench,” James Deler of Rochester Hills said.
As far as the art sculptures inside of the mall, those will be repurposed within the new development project.
Meanwhile, Suminski says she’s happy community members will have a chance to buy things at the estate sale.
“It’s fantastic. That’s great that somebody can have a little piece to remember it by," Suminski said.
All of the money raised by the fixture sale will go to a local charity. Details on when the sale will happen are excepted to be released later this year.
