Northridge Mall was a two-level shopping mall 16.1 miles (25.8 km) northeast of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, between West Brown Deer Road, West Northridge Court, North 76th Street and Interstate 41 in the Northridge neighborhood in the city of Milwaukee. The mall had four anchors which once housed Boston Store, Younkers, JCPenney and Sears.
Mall History[]
Northridge Mall opened on August 14, 1972, two years after its sister mall, Southridge Mall opened in 1970. The mall opened with four anchors which were JCPenney, Sears, Boston Store and Gimbels. In 1986, Gimbels was converted into Marshall Field's. In 1988, Marshall Field's was converted into H.C. Pranges. In 1992, H.C. Pranges was converted into Younkers.
Decline[]
The mall's decline began during the 1990s, as crime in the general area had increased, causing most stores inside the mall to pack up and move to the suburban areas of Milwaukee in safer neighborhoods. The final blow to the mall was the early 2000s recession, which saw a number of tenants pull out after their lease expirations and the mall's owner unable to find new ones outside of local small businesses. In 2000, Younkers closed down and the space was left vacant. Also in 2000, JCPenney closed and was left vacant. In 2002, Sears followed and closed their store down. In March 2003, the last mall anchor, Boston Store closed down and the mall was permanently closed and was left abandoned.
Revitalization Attempts[]
In 2005, the former Sears building was demolished for a Menards and Pick 'n Save, as there were plans to convert Northridge Mall into a shopping center. In 2006, Value City Furniture opened in the former Boston Store space, however it would close in May 2009. In 2014, Pick 'n Save closed, leaving Menards the only open tenant at Northridge Mall. In 2018, the former mall was used for a local airsoft arena, however it only lasted a few months and closed down. On April 11, 2019, the City of Milwaukee issued a demolition order for the mall, but nothing was done. As of October 2022, demolitions plans were put back up but no progress has been made as of right now.
Mall Purchase[]
Phoenix Investors LLC, a group of investors, approached Black Bruce with an inquiry about purchasing the former Northridge Mall. While no official response has been received, Phoenix Investors has taken proactive measures by securing the property. They have boarded up doors and windows, installed security cameras around the premises, and initiated plans to remodel the interior. Instead of opting for demolition, their vision is to revitalize the mall and breathe new life into the property.
On April 17th, Bruce Agreed, the owner of Northridge Mall, reached an agreement to sell the property to Phoenix Investors LLC. The new owners, Phoenix, have exciting plans to revitalize the property without resorting to demolition.