Dead Malls Season 5 Episode 11 - Midland Mall
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Fashion Square Mall may have offered a modern an inviting Dead Mall atmosphere, Bay City had the chlorinated fever dream feel to it, but a few miles to the west lies a whole different ballgame. While sunlight fills the atmosphere and tropical trees cool off the tender glossy tiles that cover the floor, shoppers are left to a mall with a flailing feel. But maybe just maybe, while I walk through here, you can find an ounce of what life was once like for the residents of Midland, Michigan. So join me today as we tell the story and take a walk through Midland Mall, tell its story, and see where it’s going for this once great 90s mall.
Music used
Delta - Ben Elson
music by Dan Mason
End Credits - Chillwave Palazzo
One Night Stand - Waterfront Dining
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Links
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It’s honestly sad every time I walk in there. Born and raised in Midland, and this was one of my childhood hangouts. Used to be filled with businesses and thriving. At least Spencer’s is still there.
Thank you so much for posting this, buddy. Been waiting for months in anticipation. This was my local mall from week one that it opened. I wish I could show it to you then. I know we’ve spoken about it before, but (in my opinion) it was a palace. An oasis of a warmer place and the big city in (almost) northern Michigan where there wasn’t much. I miss the way it used to be so much, and could still point out what about 75% of the store slots where. To your question, in the area to the left of what was JCPenney, at least one of the slots there was a Sam Goody music/movies.
Thanks for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed, and thanks for pointing out where that Sam Goody was, that’s too cool!
Once agian local here with some comments and fact about this mall. First of all it is a neon and palm tree paradise. Second, this mall saw it demise through the late 2010s when losing three anchors in three years. Some locals questioned it would even survive but we now know that it is likely to thrive. Hobby Lobby is taking over the old Younkers and a new, local owner are all good signs. This mall has always seemed to be busy an I believe the community of Midland is the reason why this place has survived and thrive. Heck, it even lasted Kohan ownership which is something most malls can't say.
It’s incredible that despite all the loss, how long this mall has lasted, really shows how amazing it’s community is
this mall I've been there takes45 minutes to get there from Saginaw. I noticed a co worker in the video walking. This mall is holding up more than Bay City and Saginaw malls.
This video reminds me of some malls in Iowa - Coral Ridge has the ceilings like that. I think it's great that at least one vacant anchor is being used. Younkers buildings have been vacant for a while. I wish they could attract a furniture store or something.
Furniture store would be a good reuse, for one of those old Bon-Ton/Younkers/Carson's/etc stores. Lincolnwood Town Center did that(attracted The Roomplace to open), where Carson's used to be.
On a side note, I wish more malls would consider attracting antique stores into some of their vacant anchor spaces. There is one mall somewhere in central or eastern Pennsylvania, that attracted Black Rose Antiques to open. They also operated btw at Phillipsburg Mall in NJ, till that mall closed for good.
Probably the nicest mall of all your videos,,, it did not disappoint for sure. I do hope that this mall hangs on despite the negatives of today. Thanks again for all your efforts in shooting and editing these videos... keep up the good work.
I’m glad people are covering more MI malls when i was younger the MI malls were elusive to me, like a mystery but now they are more well known because of you (And Doomie Grunt). I’d also like to know if you visited MI’s UP to see malls like Copper Country?
Copper Country sadly was the one mall I missed! Unfortunately I was on a time crunch and it was just too far out of the way, I hope that one day however I can see it.
This is my mall. It's since been purchased. New owner is doing alot of updating and remodeling. He's doing alot of work to bring in new shops and restaurants.
The Younkers is now Hobby Lobby.
JCPenney is now Planet Fitness.
It was good to see a mall with some life. October 1991 was a month before I went to boot camp 😀. Thanks for another great video. I always look forward to your videos.
Thanks Seabee! I’m glad you enjoyed!
It's funny I'm watching this video while I'm in jordan creek mall
That’s awesome😂
I like the skylights. Beautiful blue skies shining through on that day.
I have such fond memories going to this place back in the late 2000s. Hardly any of the stores I remember are still there, but at 0:34 I distinctly remember there being a McDonalds in the corner, as well as a S’barro adjacent to it, and I swear there was a Dippin Dots elsewhere. I can’t help but feel sad about the state of this place. I remember when Midland Mall was constantly packed every day of the week.
This mall gives me hope, not just because I personally believe it still has a fighting chance to survive; but because it preserves those 90s aesthetics so well. The pillars, palm trees and neon all remind me of Jamestown mall and its food court. I'm glad to see this mall can preserve some of those same aesthetics with a fighting chance for survival. Keep up the awesome videos!
Thanks Jostalgic! Your very right it does look exactly like Jamestown!
The Railside Restaurant is there now, and is a nice place to eat. It was reopened in Midland after the flooding in Sanford in 2020.
Owned by kohan now
Would've loved to see some night footage of this place. Great video regardless! Keep up the great work!
Thanks Almond! Hopefully next time I got back there I can’t see it at night!
Movies?……nope
I ran movies CLOSE…. (NCG Theaters) but NOT IN THE MALL!!
I like the skylights and palm trees in this mall. I started doing art and I am going to draw this its like an itch in my brain
Seems like the food court is the first to empty out
Tri City's residents here. In the space right before JCPenney on the right was a Eyeglass store and the next one down is unknown as it had been closed for years,(even as far back as 2003.)
ooooh it's ballin' time
Flynn's computer repair, huh? There's no way that's not a reference to a certain something...
that means a bird made me silver this week.
Very nice vid mateeeee
UA-cam sending these in my recs as soon as you post now!
Hell yeah man! Hope you enjoy!
We visited this mall in Jan of this year, 2023. It was nice to see a lot of people shopping. There is a new owner & it sounds like Midland Mall is here to stay!
That is great to hear!
Most likely it’s gonna die. They have upped rent 4 times in 10 years and midland is already a wealthy town
@@yyeezyy630 Not as wealthy as it once was, Dow which was (still kind of is) the major employer here in Midland have downsized a lot in the last decade and Dow Chemical combined their complex with Dow Corning over 10 years ago now. There is still a lot of money here yes, but not as much as there once was.
Love this mall, used to go there as a kid, always got a few of the watermelon candies from the candy dispensers. I bet the candy is still unchanged since early 2000s lol.
Oh the palm trees, I miss the natural Oasis extravaganza inside malls. Now is all concrete everywhere.
Yours is the only dead malls channel I watch. Is like a relaxing, nostalgic documentary of malls.
A local wealthy businessman recently acquired this mall and seemingly has good intentions with it, so hopefully it thrives.
Another great video! Nice editing!
Thanks man!
HOORAY
Thank you for covering my local mall. This place fueled my childhood, often I would come here to buy shoes since Spencer's was the only store that carried the DC brand. The Barnes & Noble within the mall sparked my love for vinyl records as well, and had started my collection off strong with Daft Punk's "Discovery".
It means a lot to me to see it immortalized in some way or another.
You should have went to the Birchwood Mall! It’s in Fort Gratiot which is in the Lower Peninsula
Yogurt Loft! That’s the place!😂
I'm not sure what the next mall is, but yet another great video :)
Thanks M&RL!
9:38 - Shoutout to Orion Sports (on the left). Great place for a fun game of laser tag or axe throwing, if you're into that kind of thing.
Midland is in a bit of a different situation compared to the other Tri-city areas. For starters, it wasn't hit by the auto industry crash in 2008 (and ongoing industry decline since) that has hurt other local cities like Saginaw and Bay City. Dow/Dupont still have a strong foothold in Midland and help keep a lot of local business alive. Midland mall also benefits from being located in what is still a very popular shopping/dining area that is easily accessible to both residents and visitors alike. As long as Midland itself continues to do well, I expect they will make efforts to keep the mall alive too, in one form or another.
On an unrelated note, are you driving through Tawas at the end (17:25)? That beach looks familiar.
Yessir, I do believe you are correct that was Tawas
Rex Kwon Do! Bow to your sensei!😂
😂😂😂best comment
“You think anybody wants a roundhouse kick to the face while I'm wearing these bad boys? Forget about it.”😂
@@NorthCdogg22 That’s what I’m talking about!
Definitely a beautiful mall but in my opinion I like Bay City a bit more because of that classic spencer's. It makes me smile that this old girl still has life and I definitely see a mixed use center of sorts in the future. Maybe an indoor go kart track or bowling ally in the old younkers?
I think if the owners were to bring in some more entertainment, that would be a great attraction for the mall
This mall is great. Hopefully they fix up the neon in the food court.
The undeveloped wall near JC Penney used to have a Sam Goody, Victoria’s Secret, Kaybee Toys, Waldenbooks (no B.Dalten in Midland), and a BachRach. Spencer Gifts was on the bend across from Bath and Body Works. The corner near the entrance by the restaurant had an arcade, I think Time Out. Many of those stores closed when Barnes and Noble moved in.
I feel like I remember Payless or some similar shoe store in that wing at some point too in the early 2010s before moving to the other end where you see it abandoned at the beginning of this video? Correct me if I am wrong.
@@zacharywoodman6445 I think Payless was always where it’s located in the video, but we had a Foot Locker on that side of the mall where Dunham’s Sports in now which I think got converted into a Finish Line at some point. 3-4 of those suites on that side got converted into a store called Steve & Barry’s and then eventually the entire wing became Barnes and Noble on one side and Dunham’s on the other.
Even though all of the traditional anchors have left the mall (except Target which owns it’s own real estate and parking lot and likely doesn’t pay rent to the mall) I believe the reason Midland Mall is holding on is because they’ve managed to fill anchor locations with pseudo-anchors. When a flood occurred in 2020, the local hospital moved their office jobs into the former Sears. JCPenney became a Planet Fitness. The last anchor, Elder Beerman/Younkers, is becoming a Hobby Lobby sometime this year. It’s a tenacious little mall.
Great video. Great music. Thanks.
I was here when Covid started. Me and my boyfriend got subway and as we were eating, the employees all rushed out and started stacking up all the chairs!!! For the whole food court! I think we had to move!!! So crazy.
Its weird seeing the mall youve going to for 30 years in a video on youtube randomly lol. I remember even in the late 2000s that was one of the go to spots as a teen, the food there in the court is really good! Our mall is the center point of our "uptown" area it would almost be impossible for it to fail, it just needs to shift to a new era.
The mall went in first in 1990 in an area that was basically a big empty field. Then Wal-Mart, Meijer, Lowes, Home Depot, a big movie theater, and a bunch of restaurants.
The last time I was in the mall a couple of years ago, it felt like the beginning of a return to the days when all that was there was a gas station, a Holiday Inn, and a bar. Thomas Trading Post was about a half mile to the north if you wanted to shop. Fortunately, most of the other retail businesses in that area seem to be doing well despite the mall falling on hard times.
I miss getting my hair cut at MasterCuts.
Thank you ❤ what you do😊
Thx
Probably-but-somehow-also-not-really-a-regular to Midland here, it's not really "dead-dead", more like "it's only active when there's specific events (like generic winter holiday, generic spring holiday, or even our own comic con) happening" sort of "dead" if you ask me
here's a little fact of my own I guess: a cousin of mine was once the owner (probably founder?) of Orion Sports (B&N's next store neighbor, seen at 9:22), but passed the ownership to some other dude, he still (kinda? I don't remember) works there to this day (my favorite part of it is a tie between the laser tag and the VR arcade-ish thing), the ad sign seen at 12:13 also claims that Orion Sports also has a smash room/rage room, but that's no longer a thing there, but the axe throwing and laser tag are still here to this day though
Born and raised in Midland, This place was the shit years ago, I miss its glory days
10:12 I’m not a local but i damn sure know that storefront was a Babbage’s
Right?? That’s what I thought
We moved to Midland in 1996. The mall was a great place to shop! Really sad to see when online shopping grew and knocked these malls out of the ring. Great memories of shopping for kids clothes and Christmas gifts at Elder-Beerman and Penney. Was never much of a Target shopper, unfortunately they are the place that survived.
Court land center up next?
I was already there, check out season 5 episode 7!
Interesting to watch this. The Mall soon will have all 4 anchor spots filled.....
Coming from the food court entrance, there was a DQ / Orange Julius on the right. Adjacent from there was a Champs. Next to them on the left on the corner for a while was a Hat World. Between then and Target was a Master Cuts. Veering left from the food court, across from Claire’s was a Victorias Secret. Adjacent from there was Radio Shack. Further down the path on the right , before the next opening was an American Eagle and Buckle. The next opening the corner stores were Jenkins Jewelers, Kay Jewelers and Zales. Following out into the parking lot from here, the current restaurant was a Ruby Tuesday’s. Directly across from there was a nice little arcade called Time Out. Back into the mall and taking a left , the corner store (only non jeweler of the 4 corners) was a GameStop. Keeping left there was a Spencer , further down a KB Toys.
I just had a GREAT movie idea - kinda like finding Nemo but from a palm trees perspective, and they never get home. They just grow up in a mall. And watch the mall come to life, and then die, and they are just… there… chilling… with all the clothes and stuff 😊
I worked in Midland for 4 years and lived there for 1. The mall was surprisingly busy. I grew up in Flint, so I was used to the very vacant malls like Courtland or the less vacant but still downscaled genesee valley. I will say, the lack of big name stores made it less preferable to the Saginaw mall, but the stores they did have were nice to have in one location. And the restaurants in the food court were quite good. I don't know if you've gone yet, but the malls in Flint would be an interesting next stop. Genesee Valley in particular has been through some rough times recently. New, out of town ownership combined with pipe bursts right as covid restrictions lifted have left the mall floundering. I haven't been in a couple years, but it used to be the go to place when I was growing up.
Next mall is the Delta Plaza Mall in Escanaba Mi. I visited this mall not that long ago and thought the owners had completely butchered it into a strip mall. Only a fraction of the mall remains.
Very true, and quite sad as it’s such a beautiful mall
Will you do the Mills Mall in STL?
I was already there actually! Check out my episode in Season 3
Genesee valley up next?
Nope! But good guess!
"go! calendars and games" is a seasonal store that opens up every holiday season and closes the rest of the year. Sam with spirit Haloween that usually fills one of the vacant department store sections
And now Hobby Lobby is building a store where Younkers was.
I have never been to a hobby lobby so i’m excited for it, because i go to the mall like every month
Had you ever visited Oak View Mall in Omaha? From pics I've seen from others, despite either Namdar or Kohan buying it, one comment I once saw said something like 70% of the neon tubes still work inside that mall.
Btw, Midland Mall is pretty nice. Hope it hangs on, as a mall.
I have! I absolutely love that mall and have even seen it with all those neons on, a video about it will come pretty soon actually ;)
Me and my girlfriend come to this mall all the time !!! It’s super close to me and her we go all the time and just walk around
The neon Sabarro's sign is in that room, along with A LOT of the Christmas set up and some older kiosks. I did security there for two years. That very last room on the left was D.O.C. I believe? One of the eye places for sure.
Side note: Back when ERMC Security was there, we would have kindly asked you not to video; as someone could use that footage to learn entrances and exits.
Love the video and the information!
Wilson mall in Wilson North Carolina
If you ever go to the orchards mall again I’d love to go with. Living only a few min away I think it’s interesting it was closed before I moved out here 7 years ago
I’ll let you know if I’m ever in the area!
Is that mattress store still open at The Orchards Mall, surprised it's still open only thing at that mall is the damn Seagulls and I'm surprised they haven't gone inside of the mall the seagulls are the owners of the mall LMAO.
Midland Mall is not dead. It’s now having a resurgence under new local owners!
A Taco Bell and McDonalds were in the food court until a few years ago. Four jewelry stores once bracketed the center court. Antique market in the former Younker's until about two years ago.
Sleeping Tiger, the place near the massage shop that had candles and 3d printed items, and Crystal and Collectables have all closed now. The owner of Crystal and Collectables died. Also Zitoon Mediterranean Cuisine that was briefly shown in panning around the food court closed. They left because the owner at the mall at that time (it has since been brought by someone new) wouldn't fix the exhaust fan that the restaurant needed to operate.
That's a shame. Best restaurant there in my opinion
@@stupid9533 It was. I haven't been back to eat since then.
The store called Orion was originally a trampoline park named aftershock and started in 2017 and went bankrupt in 2020 due to covid
In that vacant area betweeb B&N and Planet Fitness there used to be a Debs, which was a clothing store for young girls. It was a huge hit back around 2005 when I was in Jr. High. The mall recently got new landscaping outside and where the Younkers was is now a Hobby Lobby. The new mall owner is doing a lot of improvements. I can only hope they fully fix the neon in the food court because I'd love to see that.
Great video, great series!
That store to the left of jc penny was a sam goody when i was little 😂. I also remember there being an arcade which was taken up for the build of barnes and noble. I can't really remember what duhnams use to be, i think it was just a wall like it is now with cut out 90s people 😂
You have to down by Lansing and go see the Jackson Crossing Mall in Jackson Mi !!!
I got jumpscared by my local mall on youtube... who knew xD
the fact that i can fucking walk there
It was PACKED during comic-con 2023
Revisit this mall new owner is busy making it thrive again
oh well, already "1 view" heard a noise outside and got distracted. Just a bird hitting the window.
This song is depressing. Makes me think of my brother getting married and moving across the country from me to Florida 😢
Che Ko Taekwondo!!! Biggest dojang in the mid-Michigan area!!!
I grew up in Houghton lake - we used to drive here when I was a kid and it was like the most exciting thing. Didn’t there used to be a horse merry go round thing? Carasoul! Caresoul? Caresol.
Fast forward 30 years later and I live here 😂
Not at the mall
Just in midland
It's kind of weird seeing well produced videos about places I've been to. I feel like Mid Michigan has become something of a time capsule over the years.
It’s more likely to survive past bay city or fashion square.
Next episode: Delta Plaza?
Yessir, you got it!
At one point the walled off store sold prom dresses
Uh this is my local mall. Kinda weird stumbling on this lol.
Hobby Lobby is opening in the old Younkers
Radio shack used to be there
Is it a shopping mall near the island or on the island where Somewhere In Time was filmed, North?
Distance is relative, but it's a long way (174 mi) from Mackinac Island (where "Somewhere in Time" was filmed). Midland is in the middle of the 'mitten' of the lower peninsula. Mackinac is at the top of the 'mitten". Mackinac is a tiny island between the two peninsulas. There is no modern development (like a 'mall') there.
Another one
Ik 3rd comment but next weeks mall should be Delta Plaza Mall
It is! You’ll love that one
The shop down by JCPenneys was it the Buckl
Much of Midland Mall was vacant when I went 2 yrs ago
Hobby Lobby is now here in the old Younkers. Not open yet.
is now
It does need a revamping; maybe the new owners can help with that
it feels weird knowing you were within miles of me
me and a few friends made up a few stories of this place when I was younger for why so many companies left in truth I have no idea lol
I feel the need to say I feel like it would likely close in like 4 or 5 years but if it does I will be sad as that place was a nice place to go to and relax always
SAD!!🤔
(TOO MANY ‘MALLS’ in the Tri-Cities)
Imagine one morning waking up to find my brother deleted his ceiling fan. There is no way to talk to him or reach him as life would be done for me. On my brothers page it will say SORRY THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!!!!!!
?
Lots of bright open spaces and the palm trees are cool but it is a pretty bland looking mall.
Not dead anymore 2025
Midland Mall got bought by a 37 year old entrepreneur. It is now going through a revive and doing quite well for itself.