Lincoln Park Shopping Center
A former Sears-anchored shopping center in Lincoln Park, Michigan, completed in 1957 and demolished largely between 2012 and 2018.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Lincoln Park Shopping Center was an early large-scale strip shopping center serving the Downriver suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. It stood at the intersection of Southfield Road and Dix Highway, primarily within Lincoln Park, although portions of the site extended into neighboring Allen Park. The center was completed in 1957 and was also commonly known as Sears Shopping Center because Sears was its principal anchor and, for much of the property’s history, its most important retail draw. Construction began in 1955, and the first Sears store opened in 1956. Kroger followed as an early supermarket tenant, and the shopping center formally opened in early 1957 with a promotional parade featuring elephants. Other early occupants included a Kresge variety store and Cunningham drug store. During the 1960s, the Sears location became one of the chain’s highest-grossing stores, leading to an expansion of its automobile center. The store remained unusually large by Sears standards and continued to operate after most of the center’s other retail space had emptied. The property went through a substantial redevelopment and tenant-refresh period under manager Harold Stulberg. Beginning in the 1980s and continuing into the 1990s, work informed by customer surveys added or accommodated retailers such as Dunham’s Sports, Pier 1 Imports, Winkelman’s, So-Fro Fabrics, and Harmony House. A major 1988 phase included the Jack Loeks Star Theatres Lincoln Park 8 cinema and F&M Distributors. These changes temporarily broadened the center beyond its traditional department-store and supermarket base. Earlier entertainment and community functions included a WXYZ radio remote-broadcast booth installed along Dix Highway in 1958. The shopping center’s long decline reflected both local and industry-wide pressures. Economic deterioration in nearby Detroit during the 1990s contributed to falling property values and weaker retail conditions in Lincoln Park. Several independent tenants closed, F&M Distributors ceased operations, Harmony House shut down with its chain in 2002, and the Star Lincoln Park 8 cinema closed in 2003 amid competition from newer multiplexes at Southgate Shopping Center and Fairlane Town Center. The opening of Fairlane Green, also called The Hill, and Independence Marketplace in northern Allen Park in 2005 accelerated the center’s loss of tenants. Dunham’s Sports, Old Navy, Dress Barn, and other retailers relocated to newer power-center developments. Remaining occupants, including Hallmark Gold Crown, President Tux, KB Toy Works, GameStop, GNC, Payless ShoeSource, and Famous Footwear, subsequently departed through relocation, weak retail conditions, or corporate bankruptcy. The Great Recession and the broader decline of traditional enclosed and strip retail further reduced the property’s viability. Two Walmart Supercenter proposals, announced in 2007 and 2012, became the subject of disputes involving Sears. In early 2012, plans were announced to demolish most of the complex while retaining the Sears building. Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property into Seritage Growth Properties in 2015 as part of a broader portfolio spin-off. By that year, Dollar Tree and Sears were the only remaining inline tenants, although separate outlot buildings housed a Big Boy restaurant, a Bank of America branch, and a former Wendy’s location in Allen Park. Dollar Tree moved to another nearby site in 2017, leaving Sears as the complex’s sole major tenant. All connected buildings except Sears were demolished by March 2018. Sears announced on October 15, 2018, that the Lincoln Park store would close during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. The store ended operations on January 6, 2019, effectively ending the shopping center’s retail history. A former Wendy’s building on Southfield Road later reopened as a Del Taco in June 2019, but this did not restore the original shopping-center complex. The property illustrates the transition from mid-century automobile-oriented retail centers to newer power centers and the effects of retailer bankruptcies, anchor-store contraction, and changing regional shopping patterns.
History
Lincoln Park Shopping Center emerged during the postwar expansion of Detroit’s Downriver suburbs. Lincoln Park already had Lincoln Park Plaza, which opened in 1955, but the newer center at Southfield Road and Dix Highway became the area’s more prominent large-scale retail destination. Construction began in 1955, Sears opened in 1956, and Kroger soon followed. The center held its formal grand opening in early 1957, promoted with a parade featuring elephants. Its tenant mix also included Kresge and Cunningham drug store, reflecting the combination of department-store, grocery, variety, and service retail typical of mid-century suburban strip development. Sears gave the property regional importance. During the 1960s, the Lincoln Park store was reported to be among Sears’ highest-grossing locations, and the retailer expanded its automobile center. The store remained one of the chain’s largest locations until its closure. In 1958, WXYZ radio added a remote broadcasting booth along Dix Highway, giving the center a limited civic and media presence in addition to its commercial role. The property was renovated and reconfigured over an extended period. Harold Stulberg became center manager in 1965, and between 1983 and 1995 the center pursued improvements based partly on customer surveys conducted in 1980. New or replacement tenants included Dunham’s Sports, Pier 1 Imports, Winkelman’s, So-Fro Fabrics, and Harmony House. A major 1988 expansion brought the Jack Loeks Star Theatres Lincoln Park 8 cinema, which opened in May, and F&M Distributors, which opened on August 1. Kroger had already moved to a newer location farther south on Dix Highway after closing its earlier Michigan stores following a 1984 labor dispute; Kroger returned to the vicinity in 1997 with a store across Southfield Road. Beginning in the 1990s, the center faced deteriorating economic conditions in nearby Detroit and declining property values around Lincoln Park. Independent shops closed, and F&M Distributors eventually went out of business. Harmony House closed when its chain ended operations in 2002. The Star Lincoln Park 8 cinema closed in 2003 after losing business to newer multiplexes at Southgate Shopping Center and Fairlane Town Center. The opening of Fairlane Green, known locally as The Hill, and Independence Marketplace in 2005 created strong nearby competition. Retailers including Dunham’s Sports, Old Navy, and Dress Barn moved to the newer developments. Other tenants later departed through relocation, market weakness, or corporate bankruptcy. By the period of the Great Recession and the broader retail-apocalypse trend, the center had lost most of its commercial base. Proposals for Walmart Supercenters in 2007 and 2012 generated disputes involving Sears. In 2012, a plan was announced to demolish the center except for the Sears building. Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property to Seritage Growth Properties in 2015 as part of a portfolio spin-off. Dollar Tree and Sears were then the only remaining inline tenants. Separate outlots contained a Big Boy restaurant, a Bank of America branch, and a former Wendy’s building in Allen Park. Dollar Tree moved away in 2017, leaving Sears alone in the large complex. All connected structures other than Sears were demolished by March 2018. Sears announced the closure of its Lincoln Park store on October 15, 2018, as part of a nationwide closure program following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The store closed on January 6, 2019. Although a former Wendy’s building reopened as Del Taco in June 2019, the original Lincoln Park Shopping Center had effectively ceased to exist as a functioning shopping center.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The final major tenant closed on January 6, ending the center’s retail operation.
- 2018
Most of the complex is demolished
[1]All connected buildings other than Sears had been removed by March.
- 2015
Sears property spun off to Seritage
[1]The Sears property became part of Seritage Growth Properties after a Sears Holdings real-estate spin-off.
- 2012
Redevelopment plan announced
[1]Plans called for demolishing most of the complex while retaining the Sears building.
- 2005
Nearby power centers open
[1]Fairlane Green and Independence Marketplace opened nearby and attracted several existing tenants.
- 2003
Star Lincoln Park 8 closes
[1]The cinema ended operations amid competition from newer regional multiplexes.
- 1988
Major expansion adds cinema and distributor
[1]The center’s expansion included the opening of Jack Loeks Star Theatres Lincoln Park 8 and F&M Distributors.
- 1958
WXYZ adds remote broadcast booth
[1]WXYZ radio established a remote broadcasting booth along Dix Highway.
- 1957
Official grand opening
[1]The strip center formally opened with a promotional parade featuring elephants.
- 1956
Sears opens
[1]The Sears anchor became the first store to open at the developing center.
Products and positioning
A convenience-oriented, automobile-accessible suburban shopping center serving Lincoln Park and the Downriver Detroit area, with Sears as its dominant anchor and a mix of supermarket, variety, apparel, specialty, entertainment, and restaurant tenants.
Department store anchor · 1956
Sears department store
Sears was the defining anchor of Lincoln Park Shopping Center. Its store opened in 1956, became one of the chain’s highest-grossing locations during the 1960s, and included an expanded automobile center. The store was unusually large and remained the final major occupant after the surrounding inline shops and connected buildings disappeared. It closed in January 2019 following Sears’ bankruptcy-related national store-closure program.
Supermarket
Kroger supermarket
Kroger was one of the center’s early tenants, following Sears during the initial development period. The original store later closed after Kroger withdrew from numerous Michigan locations following a 1984 labor dispute. Kroger eventually returned to the vicinity with a newer store across Southfield Road in 1997.
Cinema · 1988
Jack Loeks Star Theatres Lincoln Park 8
The eight-screen Star cinema was part of the center’s major 1988 expansion. It broadened the property’s role from a conventional strip retail center into an entertainment destination. The theater closed in 2003 after facing competition from newer multiplexes at Southgate Shopping Center and Fairlane Town Center.
Shopping-center space · 1957
Retail and service tenant space
The center accommodated a varied tenant mix over its lifetime, including Kresge, Cunningham drug store, Dunham’s Sports, Pier 1 Imports, Winkelman’s, So-Fro Fabrics, Harmony House, F&M Distributors, Hallmark Gold Crown, President Tux, KB Toy Works, GameStop, GNC, Payless ShoeSource, Famous Footwear, Dollar Tree, restaurants, and financial services. Most occupants either relocated, closed, or were affected by broader retail-sector contraction.
Brand decisions
2018
Sears closure decisionOtherBackground
Sears announced the closure after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and identifying 142 stores for closure nationwide.
Action taken
The Lincoln Park Sears store was scheduled for closure and ended operations on January 6, 2019.
Aftermath
The closure removed the last major tenant and marked the effective end of Lincoln Park Shopping Center as a functioning retail complex.
2015
Sears real-estate spin-offM&ABackground
Sears Holdings pursued a portfolio transaction involving 235 properties as the retailer sought to separate real-estate assets from its retail operations.
Action taken
The Sears property at Lincoln Park Shopping Center was transferred to Seritage Growth Properties.
Aftermath
Sears remained the center’s principal and eventually sole major tenant until its closure in January 2019.
2012
Partial demolition and redevelopment proposalStrategyBackground
By 2012, the center had lost many tenants and faced competition from newer power centers, while proposals for a Walmart Supercenter had generated disputes involving Sears.
Action taken
A plan was announced to demolish the shopping center’s connected buildings while retaining the Sears structure.
Aftermath
The broader complex was subsequently dismantled, with all connected buildings other than Sears gone by March 2018.
1988
Expansion with entertainment and new retail spaceStrategyBackground
Management sought to reinforce the center’s regional appeal through a substantial expansion.
Action taken
The expansion added the Jack Loeks Star Theatres Lincoln Park 8 cinema and an F&M Distributors store.
Aftermath
The cinema operated for roughly fifteen years before closing in 2003 as newer multiplexes gained market share.
1983
Customer-informed renovation programStrategyBackground
The center faced the need to refresh its tenant mix and facilities as suburban retail patterns changed. Management used customer surveys conducted in 1980 to guide a renovation and expansion effort that continued through 1995.
Action taken
The property added or accommodated specialty retailers including Dunham’s Sports, Pier 1 Imports, Winkelman’s, So-Fro Fabrics, and Harmony House, alongside broader physical improvements.
Aftermath
The work temporarily diversified the center, but it did not prevent later tenant losses caused by regional competition and structural retail decline.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/lincoln-park-shopping-center · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled