Fairlane Town Center
A super-regional shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan, serving the Detroit metropolitan area.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Fairlane Town Center is a super-regional enclosed shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. It is positioned near a group of major institutional, cultural, hospitality, and corporate destinations, including the University of Michigan–Dearborn, Henry Ford College, The Henry Ford museum complex, The Henry Hotel, The Fairlane Club, and Ford Motor Company's headquarters. Its location, roughly a short drive from downtown Detroit and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, has historically allowed it to draw from both local residents and visitors to the metropolitan area. The mall opened on March 1, 1976, as a joint venture involving developer A. Alfred Taubman, Homart, and Ford Motor Land Development. It was one of four large Taubman-developed shopping centers built in the Detroit region during the 1970s, alongside Briarwood Mall, Lakeside Mall, and Twelve Oaks Mall. The original center combined department-store anchors with entertainment and transportation features intended to make the property a destination rather than simply a collection of shops. JCPenney and Sears opened as initial anchors, while Hudson's joined the center during its first year. Lord & Taylor was added in 1978 and Saks Fifth Avenue followed in 1980. Fairlane's early design was unusually elaborate. The interior pedestrian system generally extended across two floors, with portions of the central courts creating a third-level experience. Terrazzo floors, geometric skylights, sculptural anchor courts, ramps, escalators, and distinctive illuminated elevators contributed to the mall's architectural identity. An elevated Ford ACT monorail car once connected the shopping center with the nearby Hyatt Regency Hotel. The monorail ended service in 1987 and its tracks were removed in 1990. The mall also originally contained an ice-skating rink and a five-screen cinema. The rink was later converted into additional cinema space, and the earlier theater was eventually replaced by a 21-screen multiplex in 1999. The property changed with the broader department-store and enclosed-mall industry. Hudson's became Marshall Field's in 2001 and was converted to Macy's in 2006 after successive corporate acquisitions. Saks Fifth Avenue was converted to an Off 5th outlet format in 2002 and closed later in the decade. Lord & Taylor closed in 2006. A three-year renovation completed in 2007 modernized common areas and added or repositioned food, restaurant, and fashion offerings, including H&M. A new restaurant wing was developed after the Saks building was demolished, with tenants such as BRAVO!, Cucina Italiana, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro. The property also added a Lifestyle Cafe food court in 1999 and later developed a food-and-dining mix aimed at a more urbanized customer base. Fairlane's ownership has shifted several times. Taubman Centers announced in 2014 that it would sell Fairlane and six other properties to Starwood Capital Group in a transaction reported at $1.4 billion for the portfolio. After Starwood defaulted on a loan, Fairlane received new ownership in 2020. In March 2023, the mall was sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group. The center has experienced the pressures common to large regional malls, including anchor closures, repurposing of department-store space, and the closure of its AMC cinema in November 2022. Nevertheless, it remains an active retail and dining complex anchored by Macy's and JCPenney, with former anchor areas also used or associated with office, entertainment, restaurant, and other commercial functions.
History
Fairlane Town Center was developed in Dearborn during the major expansion of enclosed regional shopping centers across metropolitan Detroit. The project was a joint venture of A. Alfred Taubman, Homart, and Ford Motor Land Development, reflecting both Taubman's shopping-center strategy and the importance of Ford's Dearborn land holdings. It opened on March 1, 1976, as one of four large Taubman malls built in the Detroit area during the decade. The initial tenant plan combined department stores, specialty shops, entertainment, and unusual internal transportation. JCPenney occupied the north anchor position and Sears occupied the south anchor. Hudson's opened on July 20, 1976. Lord & Taylor joined in 1978, and Saks Fifth Avenue opened in 1980. The first Coffee Beanery location also opened at Fairlane in 1978. The original center included an ice-skating rink, a five-screen movie theater, and an elevated Ford ACT monorail that transported shoppers between the mall and the nearby Hyatt Regency Hotel. Monorail service ended in 1987, and the remaining tracks were removed in 1990. The mall's architecture was a central part of its identity. Most circulation occurred over two floors, while the central courts incorporated a third-level arrangement created by changes in floor height. The design included two principal interior courts, partly related to the former monorail configuration, as well as sculptural anchor courts, geometric skylights, terrazzo flooring, glass railings, ramps, escalators, and illuminated octagonal elevators. In the early 1980s, the ice rink was removed and the space was adapted for additional cinema capacity. The older theater closed in the late 1990s and was replaced in 1999 by a 21-screen Star Theatre multiplex. A food court known as Lifestyle Cafe was also introduced in 1999. Department-store identities changed during the following decade. Hudson's adopted the Marshall Field's name in 2001. Saks Fifth Avenue converted its store to a first-floor Off 5th outlet in 2002. After Lord & Taylor closed in 2006, Marshall Field's became Macy's in September of that year as part of the national conversion of Marshall Field's stores. Lord & Taylor's former area was subsequently used for other retail and commercial purposes. Fairlane underwent a substantial three-year renovation completed in 2007. The work refreshed the physical environment and added new retail and restaurant concepts, including H&M. Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th closed in 2007, and its building was demolished in 2008 to create a new restaurant wing. The new area included BRAVO!, Cucina Italiana, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro. The center also adopted an adult-supervision policy in 2004 in an effort to limit underage loitering. The property continued to be reshaped as department stores and cinemas faced structural challenges. DSW, which had occupied space in the former Lord & Taylor wing, relocated to a nearby shopping center in 2015. Ford Motor Company later used more than 200,000 square feet in the former Lord & Taylor area and part of the associated wing for offices; employees informally referred to the area as 'Ford & Taylor.' The wing was blocked off in early April 2016. In 2017, Macy's Backstage opened its first Michigan location at Fairlane, occupying most of the third floor of the Macy's store. Sears closed in 2018 after being included in a national store-closing program. Taubman Centers announced in 2014 that Fairlane and six other malls would be sold to Starwood Capital Group. After Starwood defaulted on a loan, Fairlane received new ownership in 2020, and Ford subsequently closed its Fairlane offices. Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the mall in March 2023. AMC closed the mall's theater in November 2022. These changes left Fairlane with a continuing retail and dining role centered on Macy's, JCPenney, specialty stores, food uses, and its location near Dearborn's universities, museums, hotels, and corporate facilities.
- 2023
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires the mall
[1]Fairlane Town Center changed ownership again when it was sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group.
- 2022
AMC theater closes
[1]The mall's AMC cinema ended operations on November 13.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closed on September 2 following a companywide store-reduction program.
- 2017
Macy's Backstage opens in Michigan
[1]The off-price Macy's format opened its first Michigan location in the Fairlane Macy's building.
- 2007
Major renovation is completed
[1]A three-year renovation concluded, adding or improving retail, dining, and common-area features and securing H&M as an anchor tenant.
- 2006
Marshall Field's becomes Macy's
[1]The former Hudson's/Marshall Field's department store was converted to Macy's.
- 1999
New multiplex and food court open
[1]A 21-screen Star Theatre multiplex replaced the earlier cinema, and the Lifestyle Cafe food court was added.
- 1987
Ford ACT monorail service ends
[1]The elevated monorail connecting the mall with the nearby Hyatt Regency Hotel ceased operation.
- 1980
Saks Fifth Avenue opens
[1]Saks Fifth Avenue became a department-store tenant at Fairlane.
- 1978
Lord & Taylor and the first Coffee Beanery arrive
[1]Lord & Taylor opened at the center, and the first Coffee Beanery location began operating there.
Products and positioning
A large enclosed regional shopping and dining destination serving Dearborn, Detroit, and Southeast Michigan, with a differentiated architectural design and proximity to universities, cultural attractions, hotels, and corporate offices.
Department store · 2006
Macy's
Macy's is one of Fairlane's principal active department-store anchors. Its merchandise scope includes apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and related general merchandise. The building also became notable for hosting Macy's Backstage, an off-price format that opened its first Michigan location at Fairlane in 2017.
Department store · 1976
JCPenney
JCPenney has been an anchor since the mall opened in 1976. The store provides broad department-store merchandise, including clothing, accessories, home-related goods, and seasonal products, and remains one of the center's principal retail anchors.
Food and beverage · 1999
Food court and dining collection
Fairlane's food offer includes the Lifestyle Cafe food court, full-service restaurants, and other eateries. The post-renovation restaurant wing included concepts such as BRAVO!, Cucina Italiana, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro, complementing the mall's retail and leisure functions.
Shopping-center services · 1976
Enclosed retail and entertainment environment
The mall's core offering is its multi-level enclosed environment, combining department stores, specialty retail, dining, circulation areas, and historically cinema and transportation amenities. Its distinctive architecture includes two-level circulation with selected three-level central courts, sculptural anchor areas, skylights, ramps, escalators, and illuminated elevators.
Brand decisions
2023
Sale to Kohan Retail Investment GroupM&ABackground
Fairlane changed ownership after a period of financial and operational pressure affecting the property.
Action taken
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Fairlane Town Center in March 2023.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed the mall under a new private owner; the available reference does not specify subsequent redevelopment or financial results.
2014
Portfolio sale to Starwood Capital Group announcedM&ABackground
Taubman Centers pursued a sale of Fairlane and six other shopping centers.
Action taken
Taubman announced the portfolio transaction with Starwood Capital Group; the reported portfolio value was $1.4 billion.
Aftermath
Starwood became associated with the property's ownership before later loan-default-related ownership changes.
Reported portfolio transaction value. $1.4 billion (2014 announcement)
2007
Three-year renovation and tenant repositioningStrategyBackground
The mall needed modernization and a refreshed tenant mix as the regional shopping-center market evolved.
Action taken
Fairlane completed a major renovation, added H&M, and subsequently replaced the former Saks space with a restaurant-oriented wing.
Aftermath
The property expanded its food, restaurant, and fashion offer and continued operating as a large regional destination.
2004
Adult-supervision policy introducedStrategyBackground
The mall adopted a policy intended to discourage underage loitering and manage youth activity on the property.
Action taken
Fairlane required or promoted adult supervision for younger visitors under the mall's revised operating policy.
Aftermath
The policy became part of the center's visitor-management approach; the available reference does not document its later effectiveness or precise operating terms.
Recent events
- 2023
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires Fairlane Town Center[1]
M&A
The mall was sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group in March 2023.
- 2022
AMC closes Fairlane movie theater[1]
Other
The AMC cinema at the mall ceased operations on November 13, 2022.
- 2020
Fairlane changes ownership after Starwood loan default[1]
M&A · Other
Fairlane Town Center received new ownership after Starwood defaulted on financing connected with the property.
- 2018
Sears announces closure of its Fairlane store[1]
Bankruptcy
The Fairlane Sears location was included in a national closure plan and shut on September 2, 2018.
- 2014
Taubman announces sale of Fairlane and other malls to Starwood[1]
M&A
Taubman Centers announced a portfolio sale that included Fairlane Town Center and six other shopping centers to Starwood Capital Group.
- 2007
Fairlane Town Center completes major renovation[1]
Other
A three-year renovation modernized the property and added new retail and dining tenants, including H&M and restaurant uses.
- 1976
Fairlane Town Center opens in Dearborn[1]
Other
The new super-regional mall opened on March 1 with JCPenney and Sears as initial department-store anchors. Hudson's opened later that year.
Sources1 sources
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