Birchwood Mall
Birchwood Mall is an enclosed shopping center in Fort Gratiot Township near Port Huron, Michigan.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Birchwood Mall is an enclosed shopping center located in Fort Gratiot Township, north of Port Huron, Michigan. The mall occupies a retail position along 24th Avenue, also designated M-25, near the junction of Interstate 69 and Interstate 94. Its location close to the Blue Water Bridge historically enabled it to attract shoppers from Sarnia, Ontario, making cross-border traffic an important part of its early commercial context. The mall opened in April 1991 with Target, Sears, JCPenney, and Prange's serving as its principal anchors. Prange's was acquired by Younkers in 1992, after which the store adopted the Younkers name. Hudson's later announced a new department store for the property, and that location opened in 1997. Hudson's was subsequently converted to Marshall Field's in 2001 and then to Macy's in 2006 as those retail nameplates were consolidated under the Macy's brand. Birchwood Mall has also experienced the typical tenant turnover associated with the American enclosed-mall sector. Old Navy operated in the Younkers wing during the late 1990s and closed in 2007. Its space was later used by Rainbow Shops and then Planet Fitness. Chuck E. Cheese's opened in 2004 and closed in 2014, with Five Below taking over the former space in 2016. A Lowe's Home Improvement store opened beside the mall in February 1999, adding a large-format retail component to the surrounding commercial area. The property lost several traditional department-store anchors during the late 2010s. Sears, an original anchor, closed in March 2016. Macy's announced its closure in January 2018 and shut the store in March of that year. Carson's, which had replaced Younkers in 2013, closed in August 2018 after its parent company, Bon-Ton, entered liquidation. Dunham's Sports later moved into the former Carson's location in September 2020. A CubeSmart self-storage facility subsequently opened in the former Macy's space, illustrating the mall's shift toward adaptive reuse of large vacant anchor premises. In February 2021, Birchwood Mall was sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group. The mall continues to function as a local shopping and services destination, with more than 100 stores and a food court. Its listed major occupants include Target, JCPenney, Dunham's Sports, CubeSmart, Planet Fitness, and AMC Birchwood 10. The former Sears anchor remains vacant according to the referenced description. The property therefore combines conventional retail, fitness, entertainment, food-service, and self-storage uses rather than relying exclusively on department-store anchors.
History
Birchwood Mall opened in April 1991 in Fort Gratiot Township, Michigan, outside Port Huron. Its original anchor lineup consisted of Target, Sears, JCPenney, and Prange's. Because the property is situated near the Blue Water Bridge, the mall attracted shoppers from Sarnia, Ontario, as well as customers from the Port Huron area and surrounding communities. Prange's was acquired by Younkers in 1992, leading to the conversion of the mall's Prange's store to the Younkers name. In the second half of the 1990s, the property expanded its tenant mix with an Old Navy store and Dunham's Sports. Hudson's also announced a new department-store location, which opened in 1997. A Lowe's Home Improvement store opened beside the mall on February 2, 1999, strengthening the broader retail cluster. The Hudson's location changed identities as department-store ownership and branding evolved. In 2001 it became Marshall Field's, and on September 9, 2006, it was converted to Macy's. Old Navy closed in late 2007; its former premises were subsequently occupied by Rainbow Shops and later Planet Fitness. The mall added Chuck E. Cheese's in 2004, but that entertainment tenant closed in 2014. Five Below later occupied the former Chuck E. Cheese's space, opening there in July 2016. The 2010s brought substantial anchor turnover. Sears announced in January 2016 that it would close its Birchwood Mall store, which had operated since the mall's opening. The location closed in March 2016 and remained without a replacement in the referenced account. The mall's cinema, then operated by Carmike Cinemas, temporarily closed in March 2016 for a remodeling project. Macy's announced in January 2018 that its Birchwood Mall store would close as part of a broader national reduction, and the store shut in March 2018. Younkers' successor at the property, Carson's, changed its nameplate in January 2013. Its parent company, Bon-Ton, later announced in April 2018 that it could not find a buyer and would liquidate. The Carson's store closed on August 29, 2018. After that closure, JCPenney and Target were the principal occupied traditional anchors identified in the contemporary account. Dunham's Sports subsequently moved into the former Carson's space in September 2020. Birchwood Mall was sold in February 2021 to Kohan Retail Investment Group. During the same year, CubeSmart opened a self-storage facility in the former Macy's space. This reuse reflects the property's adaptation to changing retail conditions, with large former department-store premises being redirected toward service and storage uses. The mall remains an enclosed local and regional shopping destination with more than 100 stores, a food court, retail anchors, fitness, entertainment, and other services. The former Sears premises are identified as vacant in the referenced description.
- 2021
Kohan acquires the mall
[1]Kohan Retail Investment Group purchases Birchwood Mall in February, and CubeSmart opens in the former Macy's space later that year.
- 2020
Dunham's Sports occupies former Carson's space
[1]Dunham's Sports moves into the former Carson's anchor location in September.
- 2018
Macy's and Carson's close
[1]Macy's closes in March, followed by Carson's on August 29 after Bon-Ton's liquidation.
- 2016
Sears closes
[1]The original Sears anchor closes in March.
- 2013
Younkers becomes Carson's
[1]The Younkers anchor changes to the Carson's nameplate.
- 2006
Marshall Field's converts to Macy's
[1]The former Marshall Field's store becomes Macy's on September 9.
- 2004
Chuck E. Cheese's is added
[1]Chuck E. Cheese's opens as an entertainment tenant.
- 2001
Hudson's converts to Marshall Field's
[1]The Hudson's store adopts the Marshall Field's nameplate.
- 1999
Lowe's opens next to the mall
[1]Lowe's Home Improvement opens beside Birchwood Mall on February 2.
- 1997
Hudson's opens
[1]A Hudson's department store opens at the mall.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Port Huron, Fort Gratiot Township, and surrounding communities, with additional historical appeal to shoppers crossing from Sarnia, Ontario.
Shopping mall · 1991
Enclosed shopping center
Birchwood Mall provides an enclosed retail environment with more than 100 stores, interior common areas, a food court, and a mix of national retailers and local services. Its customer base is primarily drawn from the Port Huron and eastern Michigan region, with historical cross-border visitation from Sarnia, Ontario.
Retail · 1991
Retail anchor and department-store spaces
The property has historically been anchored by Target, Sears, JCPenney, Prange's, Younkers, Hudson's, Marshall Field's, Macy's, and Carson's. Current or later anchor uses include Target, JCPenney, and Dunham's Sports, while former department-store spaces have also been adapted for self-storage and other uses.
Entertainment
AMC Birchwood 10
The mall's multiplex cinema provides a movie-entertainment offering within the property. The theater underwent a remodeling closure in 2016 after being operated by Carmike Cinemas.
Self-storage · 2021
CubeSmart
CubeSmart occupies the former Macy's anchor space, representing an adaptive-reuse conversion of a large department-store location into self-storage facilities.
Fitness services
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness operates in space that previously housed Old Navy and later Rainbow Shops, adding a membership-based fitness service to the mall's tenant mix.
Brand decisions
2021
Sale to Kohan Retail Investment GroupM&ABackground
Birchwood Mall had experienced the loss of several traditional department-store anchors, including Sears, Macy's, and Carson's, while the enclosed-mall sector was adapting to changing retail patterns.
Action taken
The property was sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group in February 2021.
Aftermath
Later in 2021, CubeSmart opened in the former Macy's space, indicating continued repositioning and adaptive reuse of the mall's large vacant premises.
Reported purchase price. $5.6 million (February 2021)
Recent events
- 2021
Birchwood Mall sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group[1]
M&A
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Birchwood Mall in February 2021 for a reported $5.6 million.
- 2021
CubeSmart opens in former Macy's space[1]
Product launch
CubeSmart opened a self-storage facility in the former Macy's anchor location during 2021.
- 2020
Dunham's Sports moves into former Carson's space[1]
Product launch
Dunham's Sports relocated into the former Carson's anchor space in September 2020.
- 2018
Macy's announces Birchwood Mall closure[1]
Other
Macy's included its Birchwood Mall store in a nationwide closure plan, and the location closed in March 2018.
- 2018
Carson's closes after Bon-Ton liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy
Carson's parent company, Bon-Ton, failed to find a buyer and entered an orderly liquidation. The Birchwood Mall store closed on August 29, 2018.
- 2016
Sears announces Birchwood Mall closure[1]
Other
Sears announced that its original Birchwood Mall anchor would close; the store shut in March 2016.
- 2016
AMC theater remodeling announced[1]
Other
Carmike Cinemas announced a two-week closure of the mall's movie theater for remodeling.
- 2016
Five Below opens in former Chuck E. Cheese's space[1]
Product launch
Five Below opened in July 2016 in the space previously occupied by Chuck E. Cheese's.
- 1999
Lowe's opens beside Birchwood Mall[1]
Other
A Lowe's Home Improvement store opened next to Birchwood Mall, expanding the area's large-format retail offering.
Sources1 sources
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