Midland Commons

Midland Commons is a retail property in Warwick, Rhode Island, whose history spans two distinct formats: an enclosed regional shopping mall and a later open-air power center. The property opened on October 2, 1967, as Midland Mall after Homart Development Company, Sears' mall-development subsidiary, acquired the site in 1963. Preparing the land required leveling a hill and altering the course of the Pawtuxet River. At opening, the center contained approximately 60 shops and was anchored by Sears and Shepard's, a Providence-based department store. The property was part of Warwick's expanding retail landscape and operated alongside the nearby Warwick Mall, which opened in 1970. In 1981, Homart sold the mall to MetLife for $20 million. The center adopted the Rhode Island Mall name in March 1985. Its department-store mix changed over time: Shepard's became G. Fox and later Filene's, while the Filene's business was ultimately closed in 1997 after May Department Stores consolidated the location with its Warwick Mall store. The former department-store space and part of the food court were then replaced by a two-level building occupied by Kohl's and Walmart. Neither store had an interior mall entrance, which reduced traffic through the enclosed portion. The mall deteriorated during the 1990s and 2000s as retailers and shoppers shifted toward the nearby Warwick Mall. Vacancy increased, and the property came to be regarded as a dead mall. A Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles express office provided one of the remaining sources of regular interior traffic, but it closed in August 2010. Sears, which had been the last anchor with access to the interior mall, progressively restricted access in early 2011 and closed the connection entirely behind a partition wall in March. Management permanently closed the interior in April 2011. Only a small number of interior tenants remained at the time, including First Place Sports, LensCrafters, and GNC. The property was sold in November 2012 to Winstanley Enterprises and Surrey Equities for $38 million. A redevelopment proposal initially contemplated an outlet-center format, but plans shifted toward a power center with large-format tenants. Construction was under way by 2016, converting portions of the former enclosed mall into space for Burlington, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Planet Fitness, while preserving Kohl's and Walmart. Additional redevelopment used the former Sears space for Raymour & Flanigan and At Home. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, later joined by Hook & Reel, occupied portions of the former Sears automotive area, while Wendy's, On the Border, and Chuck E. Cheese operated in detached outparcels. The property is now known as Midland Commons and functions as an open-air, big-box-oriented retail development rather than a traditional enclosed mall. Its tenant history reflects the broader transformation of American shopping centers: department stores and interior specialty retail gave way to discount, home-furnishings, sporting-goods, fitness, restaurant, and warehouse-style concepts. Some former outparcel occupants also departed, including Toys 'R' Us in 2018 and Sears Automotive in 2015. The former Toys 'R' Us building was taken over by BJ's Market in May 2022.

The property now called Midland Commons began as pasture land. Homart Development Company, the mall-building subsidiary of Sears, purchased the site in 1963. Construction required substantial site work, including the removal of a hill and a change to the Pawtuxet River's course. The enclosed Midland Mall opened on October 2, 1967, with about 60 stores and anchor tenants Sears and Shepard's. The center operated during the expansion of Warwick's retail market and coexisted with Warwick Mall after that competing property opened in 1970. Homart sold Midland Mall to MetLife in 1981 for a reported $20 million. In March 1985, the property was renamed Rhode Island Mall. Its anchor lineup evolved as Shepard's became G. Fox and then Filene's. After May Department Stores acquired Boston-based Filene's in 1988, it merged its G. Fox division into Filene's in 1993. The Rhode Island Mall Filene's store closed in 1997, with the retailer favoring its Warwick Mall location. The former Filene's space and a substantial part of the food court were demolished and replaced by a two-level building containing Kohl's and Walmart. The new anchor stores were externally accessed rather than connected to the interior mall. This change, combined with tenant departures to Warwick Mall and growing vacancies, weakened the enclosed center. Royal Ahold, the owner of Stop & Shop, leased vacant areas in part to prevent Walmart from developing a superstore with a full grocery department, according to the cited account. By the 2000s the enclosed mall was widely characterized as a dead mall. The Rhode Island DMV's express location was one of the few remaining traffic generators, but it closed on August 7, 2010. Sears began leaving its gates down permanently in early 2011 and blocked its interior connection in March. Management closed the mall interior in April 2011. First Place Sports, LensCrafters, and GNC were identified as the final interior stores still open at closure. Detached buildings around the parking area housed businesses including Toys 'R' Us, Wendy's, Chuck E. Cheese, On the Border, and Sears Automotive. Winstanley Enterprises of Concord, Massachusetts, and Surrey Equities of New York announced the acquisition of the property on November 14, 2012, for $38 million. The new owners initially proposed an outlet-center redevelopment, retaining Kohl's, Walmart, and Sears. The strategy later shifted toward a power center with large-format tenants. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property into Seritage Growth Properties as part of a broader portfolio transaction. By February 2016, construction was converting the former mall into space for big-box tenants, with Burlington identified as an early leaseholder. The redevelopment brought Dick's Sporting Goods and Planet Fitness from other locations, and BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse announced a Rhode Island and New England debut at the property. Sears closed in September 2017. The former Sears building was subsequently adapted for Raymour & Flanigan on its first floor and At Home on its second floor. Parts of the former Sears Auto Center were reused by BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse and Hook & Reel. The site retained additional outparcels occupied by Wendy's, On the Border, and Chuck E. Cheese. Toys 'R' Us closed in 2018 after its bankruptcy proceedings, and BJ's Market took over that building in May 2022. The resulting Midland Commons is an open-air retail power center shaped by adaptive reuse and large-format tenancy.

• 2022

  BJ's Market occupies former Toys 'R' Us site

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  BJ's Market took over the former Toys 'R' Us building in May.

• 2017

  Sears closes

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears store closed in September.

• 2016

  Power-center conversion proceeds

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Construction converted the former enclosed mall into large-format retail space.

• 2012

  Redevelopment ownership begins

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Winstanley Enterprises and Surrey Equities acquired the property for $38 million.

• 2011

  Enclosed mall closes

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The interior shopping mall was permanently closed in April after years of declining occupancy.

• 1997

  Filene's departs

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Filene's closed its store and directed business to its Warwick Mall location.

• 1985

  Property renamed Rhode Island Mall

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The mall adopted the Rhode Island Mall name in March.

• 1981

  MetLife acquires the mall

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Homart sold the property to MetLife for a reported $20 million.

• 1970

  Warwick Mall opens nearby

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The nearby Warwick Mall opened, creating a significant competing retail destination.

• 1967

  Midland Mall opens

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opened on October 2 with approximately 60 stores and Sears and Shepard's as anchors.

• 1963

  Homart acquires the development site

  [1]Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Homart Development Company purchased the pasture land and began preparing it for a regional enclosed mall.

A redeveloped Warwick retail center positioned around large-format stores, value-oriented shopping, home furnishings, sporting goods, fitness, dining, and other destination uses rather than enclosed-mall specialty retail.

• Shopping mall · 1967

  Enclosed Midland Mall

  The original two-story enclosed shopping mall opened in 1967 with roughly 60 stores. Its major anchors included Sears and Shepard's, later followed by G. Fox and Filene's. The interior format declined after anchor relocations and the construction of externally accessed Kohl's and Walmart spaces.

• Shopping mall · 1985

  Rhode Island Mall

  The property used the Rhode Island Mall name from March 1985 through 2011. During this period it retained an enclosed-mall identity while its tenant base contracted and its anchor configuration changed.

• Power center · 2016

  Midland Commons

  The current open-air power-center configuration emerged from redevelopment beginning in the mid-2010s. It combines retained big-box stores with adapted former mall and department-store space for home goods, furniture, sporting goods, fitness, restaurants, and market-oriented retail.

• 2016

  Convert the property into a power centerStrategy

  Background

  The outlet-center concept was revised as the owners pursued tenants suited to a post-enclosed-mall retail format.

  Action taken

  Construction created space for multiple big-box tenants, including Burlington, while other stores were relocated or added.

  Aftermath

  The property emerged as Midland Commons, an open-air retail center with large-format and service-oriented tenants.

  Source

• 2014

  Plan an outlet-center redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  After the 2012 acquisition, the new ownership sought to reposition the obsolete enclosed mall while retaining major existing anchors.

  Action taken

  A plan was announced to redevelop the property as an outlet center while retaining Kohl's, Walmart, and Sears.

  Aftermath

  The concept was later superseded by a large-format power-center plan.

  Source

• 2011

  Close the enclosed mall interiorStrategy

  Background

  The property had become a low-occupancy dead mall, and Sears had already restricted access to its interior connection.

  Action taken

  Management permanently closed access to the interior mall in April 2011.

  Aftermath

  The property transitioned away from enclosed-mall operations and became a candidate for large-scale redevelopment.

  Source

• 1997

  Replace former Filene's and food-court space with external big-box anchorsStrategy

  Background

  Filene's closed its location, while the enclosed mall was experiencing weakening traffic and increasing vacancy.

  Action taken

  Nearly one-third of the mall, including the former Filene's and food court, was demolished for a two-level building occupied by Kohl's and Walmart.

  Aftermath

  The stores added large-format retail capacity but lacked interior mall entrances, contributing to the decline of the enclosed shopping corridor.

  Source

• 1985

  Rename the property Rhode Island MallStrategy

  Background

  The former Midland Mall was operating in a competitive Warwick retail environment and was repositioned under a broader geographic name.

  Action taken

  Management officially changed the name to Rhode Island Mall in March 1985.

  Aftermath

  The property continued as an enclosed mall, but later faced tenant departures and declining interior traffic.

  Source

1. 1Midland Commonsen.wikipedia.org