Bay City Town Center
An enclosed shopping center in Bangor Township near Bay City, Michigan.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Bay City Town Center is an enclosed shopping center in Bangor Township, Bay County, Michigan, immediately outside the city of Bay City. The property originally opened in 1991 as Bay City Mall and was developed to serve Bay City and surrounding communities, including shoppers from Arenac, Ogemaw, and Iosco counties. Its development was led by Robert B. Aikens and Associates, with participation from Homart Development Company, the former shopping-center development arm of Sears. The project originated in 1989, when Aikens was considering a strip-shopping development on Wilder Road. Negotiations with Sears and other department-store operators changed the concept into an enclosed mall, reflecting retailers' preference at the time for climate-controlled regional shopping centers over open-air strips or downtown locations. Plans called for a mall of approximately 675,000 square feet, a food court, a movie theater, and room for as many as 90 tenants. Construction began in October 1989, and Sears and Target were operating at the site by the end of 1990. The mall held a soft opening in April 1991 and reached full operation later that year, initially featuring Target, Sears, and Prange's as major anchors. Prange's became Younkers in 1992, and a later expansion brought in JCPenney, which relocated from Hampton Square Mall in nearby Hampton Township. During the 2000s, the property experienced tenant turnover that reflected broader changes in the regional shopping-center sector. A B. Dalton bookstore and a Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District classroom closed, while Old Navy opened in 2007 and later departed in 2012. A Ruby Tuesday restaurant near the mall also closed in 2009. These departures prompted concern about the center's long-term performance. In 2010, General Growth Properties identified Bay City Mall among its less-profitable properties. Ownership was transferred to a trust representing unidentified lenders, with Cushman & Wakefield appointed to oversee the property and plans announced for a modest renovation. Cushman & Wakefield sold the mall to Lormax Stern in April 2013. The new ownership period brought additional tenant changes and a repositioning toward larger-format discount, sporting-goods, fitness, pet-supply, and specialty retailers. Marshalls and rue21 joined in 2013, while the cinema complex expanded in 2014 to ten screens. Sears and Target subsequently closed: Sears began its closing process in October 2014, and Target announced a closure that was completed in 2015. The former Sears space was divided among replacement users, including Ollie's Bargain Outlet and a Younkers home-and-furniture operation. PetSmart was planned for the former food-court area, and Planet Fitness became another major occupant. The property adopted the name Bay City Town Center in 2017–2018 as its tenant mix and physical configuration changed. A proposed Stock + Field, originally announced under the name Big R, was intended to replace Target but was never realized. Younkers later closed after the Bon-Ton Stores bankruptcy, and Dunham's Sports moved into part of the former Younkers furniture space in 2019. JCPenney closed in October 2020 as part of the retailer's nationwide downsizing program. Despite these anchor departures, the center continued operating with major tenants including Dunham's Sports, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, PetSmart, and Planet Fitness, together with a ten-screen movie theater operated by Goodrich Quality Theaters. Hobby Lobby opened at the property in 2025. The center's history illustrates the transition of a traditional department-store mall toward a more flexible mix of off-price, value, specialty, entertainment, fitness, and big-box tenants.
History
Bay City Town Center began as a development proposal by Robert B. Aikens and Associates in July 1989. The initial concept was an open-air strip center on Wilder Road in Bangor Township, north of Bay City. Aikens was negotiating with Sears, Target, and Prange's, while Sears was seeking a larger or relocated presence in the Bay City market. Earlier ideas involving downtown Bay City and Hampton Square Mall had not moved forward, in part because of environmental concerns. Because the prospective anchor retailers preferred an enclosed regional mall, Aikens changed the plan. Sears participated through Homart Development Company, its former real-estate development subsidiary. The proposed center was designed at roughly 675,000 square feet, with a food court, movie theater, and capacity for up to 90 tenants. Construction began in October 1989. The relocation of Sears generated concern among Bay City officials and downtown merchants, particularly because JCPenney had previously left downtown for Hampton Square Mall. The development was expected to draw customers from several counties north of Bay City as well as from the immediate area. Sears and Target opened at the site by the end of 1990. The center held a soft opening in April 1991 with approximately 26 operating stores, increased to 39 stores by the end of that year, and completed its opening program during 1991. The original anchor lineup consisted of Target, Sears, and Prange's. Prange's converted to Younkers one year later. JCPenney was added in a later expansion after relocating from Hampton Square Mall in Hampton Township. The property saw a series of tenant changes during the first decade of the 2000s. B. Dalton and a Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District classroom left the center, while Old Navy opened in 2007. A Ruby Tuesday restaurant across from the mall closed in 2009, and Old Navy eventually closed in 2012. In 2005, the center received unusual local attention when a person dressed as the Easter Bunny was attacked by a 12-year-old during a mall event. The departures of several tenants led to speculation about the mall's future. In 2010, General Growth Properties listed Bay City Mall among its least-profitable properties and announced that it would be managed through a new arrangement. Ownership was transferred in February 2010 to a trust of unidentified lenders, and Cushman & Wakefield was engaged to operate the property. The new owners proposed a renovation budget of $200,000, including a replacement Wilder Road sign. Cushman & Wakefield sold the property to Lormax Stern in April 2013. Under the new ownership, Marshalls and rue21 opened in late 2013. The theater complex expanded in 2014 with two additional auditoriums and stadium seating, reaching ten screens. The period also marked the loss of the traditional department-store anchors. Sears began closing its store on October 31, 2014, and Target announced a closure that was completed in 2015. Sears's former space was divided for new uses: Ollie's Bargain Outlet took one part, while Younkers opened a home-and-furniture store in another section. The food court was later removed as part of plans to create space for PetSmart. The property was renamed Bay City Town Center in 2017–2018. A proposed agricultural-supply tenant for the former Target space, announced first as Big R and later associated with Stock + Field, was canceled. Younkers closed both its conventional and furniture operations in 2018 after Bon-Ton Stores entered bankruptcy. Dunham's Sports, which had been operating elsewhere in the mall, moved into the former Younkers furniture location in September 2019. JCPenney announced in June 2020 that it would close the store as part of a nationwide reduction, and the location shut in October 2020. The center continued operating after these changes with a more diversified, value-oriented tenant mix. Major occupants identified for the property include Dunham's Sports, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, PetSmart, and Planet Fitness. Goodrich Quality Theaters operates the ten-screen cinema. Hobby Lobby opened in 2025, further reinforcing the center's shift from a traditional department-store mall toward specialty, discount, recreation, and service-oriented uses.
- 2025
Hobby Lobby opens
[1]Hobby Lobby opened a store at the shopping center.
- 2020
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney closed its store in October as part of the retailer's nationwide closure program.
- 2019
Dunham's Sports relocates
[1]Dunham's Sports moved into the former Younkers furniture space.
- 2018
Stock + Field replacement plan canceled
[1]A proposed agricultural-supply store for the former Target space did not proceed.
- 2018
Younkers closes
[1]Both Younkers operations closed following the bankruptcy of Bon-Ton Stores.
- 2017
Replacement-tenant redevelopment announced
[1]Plans were announced for PetSmart in the former food-court area and Ollie's Bargain Outlet in part of the former Sears space.
- 2017
Property renamed Bay City Town Center
[1]The mall adopted its current Bay City Town Center name during its repositioning.
- 2015
Target closes
[1]Target completed the closure of its store at the mall.
- 2014
Theater expands and Sears closes
[1]The cinema added two auditoriums, while Sears began closing its long-running Bay City location.
- 2013
Lormax Stern acquires the property
[1]Lormax Stern purchased the mall from Cushman & Wakefield in April; Marshalls and rue21 joined later in the year.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Bay City and surrounding mid-Michigan communities, with a tenant mix increasingly oriented toward value retail, specialty big-box stores, fitness, pet care, sporting goods, crafts, and entertainment.
Sporting goods · 2019
Dunham's Sports
A sporting-goods anchor offering equipment, apparel, footwear, and related outdoor and recreational merchandise. The store relocated within the property in 2019 into space formerly occupied by Younkers furniture.
Arts and crafts · 2025
Hobby Lobby
An arts-and-crafts retailer that opened at the center in 2025, adding craft supplies, home decor, seasonal merchandise, and related hobby products to the tenant mix.
Off-price retail · 2013
Marshalls
An off-price department store offering discounted apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, and other branded merchandise. Marshalls joined the center in late 2013.
Closeout retail · 2017
Ollie's Bargain Outlet
A value retailer specializing in closeout, overstock, salvage, and discounted merchandise across categories such as home goods, books, hardware, and seasonal products. It was planned for part of the former Sears space.
Pet retail
PetSmart
A pet-supply retailer offering food, accessories, animal-care products, and related services. The store was planned as a replacement for the former food-court area.
Fitness services · 2012
Planet Fitness
A fitness club serving as a service-oriented anchor within the center. Planet Fitness opened at the property in October 2012.
Cinema entertainment · 1991
Goodrich Quality Theaters
The mall's movie-theater operation, expanded in 2014 with two additional auditoriums and stadium seating to reach ten screens.
Brand decisions
2019
Relocate Dunham's SportsStrategyBackground
The closure of Younkers created an opportunity to consolidate or improve the placement of an existing sporting-goods tenant.
Action taken
Dunham's Sports moved from the Target wing into the former Younkers furniture location.
Aftermath
The relocation helped reuse a large former-anchor space while preserving Dunham's Sports as a major tenant.
2018
Cancel proposed agricultural-supply anchorStrategyBackground
A replacement was sought for the former Target space after Target's departure.
Action taken
Plans for a Big R agricultural-supply store, later referred to as Stock + Field, were canceled.
Aftermath
The former Target space did not receive the announced agricultural-supply tenant.
2017
Reconfigure vacant anchor and food-court spaceStrategyBackground
The closures of Sears and Target created substantial vacant space, while the traditional food court was no longer retained in its previous form.
Action taken
Plans assigned part of the former Sears space to Ollie's Bargain Outlet and proposed PetSmart for the former food-court area.
Aftermath
The property moved toward a value- and specialty-oriented tenant mix and adopted the Bay City Town Center name.
2014
Expand the movie theaterOtherBackground
The shopping center sought to strengthen its entertainment offering during a period of broader tenant turnover.
Action taken
The theater added two auditoriums with stadium seating.
Aftermath
The cinema reached a total of ten screens and remained a major entertainment component of the center.
2013
Sell property to Lormax SternM&ABackground
The mall had been under lender ownership and managed by Cushman & Wakefield after General Growth Properties identified it as a lower-performing property.
Action taken
Cushman & Wakefield sold the shopping center to Lormax Stern in April 2013.
Aftermath
Lormax Stern became the owner and manager and pursued tenant additions and repositioning.
1989
Convert proposed strip center into enclosed mallStrategyBackground
Prospective anchor retailers, including Sears, Target, and Prange's, showed greater interest in an enclosed shopping center than in an open-air strip development or downtown relocation.
Action taken
Robert B. Aikens and Associates revised the Wilder Road project into an approximately 675,000-square-foot enclosed mall with a food court and cinema.
Aftermath
The revised format opened in 1991 as Bay City Mall and became a regional retail destination.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/bay-city-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled