Southgate Shopping Center
A historic open-air shopping center at Eureka and Trenton Roads in Southgate, Michigan.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Southgate Shopping Center is an open-air retail center in Southgate, Michigan, at the southeast corner of Eureka Road and Trenton Road. Developed during the postwar expansion of Detroit’s southern suburbs, it was among the first substantial shopping centers in the area and helped give the later city of Southgate its name. The project was announced in the early 1950s by the Realty Mortgage and Investment Corporation of Detroit, alongside the company’s proposed Eastgate Center in Roseville. The original plan called for a group of Michigan and national chain retailers, including Federal’s, S. S. Kresge, Kinsel Drugs and Wrigley Stores. The center was built on approximately 40 acres in what was then the remaining unincorporated portion of Ecorse Township. Architect Charles N. Agree designed the development in an L-shaped configuration, with one row of stores oriented toward Trenton Road and the other toward Eureka Road. Its earliest major tenant was Wrigley’s supermarket, which opened in September 1957. Federal’s department store followed in a separate approximately 80,000-square-foot building, and the center held its formal grand opening on October 16, 1957. Woolworth’s, Kresge’s, Winkleman’s and other retailers joined the initial tenant mix. Montgomery Ward completed the center’s principal retail composition when its much larger store opened in February 1959. A 135-foot water tower near the Federal’s building became the property’s most recognizable architectural feature. It initially displayed a large Southgate-related emblem, was later repainted with Service Merchandise branding after that retailer took over the former Federal’s space, and was eventually removed in 2005 after changes to the center’s fire-suppression infrastructure made it unnecessary. The tower’s brief restoration in 2001 followed a local preservation effort, illustrating the center’s place in community memory even as its physical layout changed. Southgate Shopping Center’s tenant base evolved as retail habits, nearby neighborhoods and the wider Detroit-area economy changed. Smaller independent stores began leaving in the early 1980s, while former discount and department-store spaces were repeatedly subdivided or repurposed. Farmer Jack, Applebee’s, Taco Bell, a cinema complex, pharmacies, restaurants and other outlot businesses expanded the center beyond its original strip configuration. The MJR Southgate Digital Cinema 20 opened in 1998, adding a major entertainment use to the property. The center experienced significant anchor losses around the turn of the century. Montgomery Ward liquidated its operations during the 2000 holiday season and closed in early 2001; its building was later demolished. Service Merchandise reduced its footprint and ultimately closed its catalog showroom operation, with the building demolished in 2004. Sears Hardware closed in 2006, and Farmer Jack shut its Southgate store in 2007 when the chain ceased operating. These closures left the original center without a traditional department-store or grocery anchor, but redevelopment continued through restaurants, services, fitness operators, specialty retail and entertainment businesses. The former Montgomery Ward site became Market Center Park, a multifunctional public-space project that opened in 2016. Other later additions included Chili’s, Old Chicago, Buffalo Wild Wings and a Downriver Community Federal Credit Union branch. The tenant roster has continued to change: Old Chicago closed in March 2024 and was reported as intended for replacement by HopCat in summer 2025, while CVS Pharmacy closed in July 2022 during its parent company’s nationwide store-reduction program. The center remains an active neighborhood-oriented commercial property whose identity is based less on a single anchor retailer than on a varied collection of shops, restaurants, service businesses, fitness facilities and community uses.
History
Southgate Shopping Center originated in the commercial expansion that followed World War II, when Detroit’s suburban population growth encouraged developers to build automobile-oriented retail centers outside the traditional downtown districts. In 1952, the Realty Mortgage and Investment Corporation of Detroit announced plans for a multimillion-dollar center at Eureka and Trenton Roads. The same developer announced Eastgate Center in Roseville, and both projects were expected to feature Federal’s and Kresge’s as anchor tenants. Construction eventually took place on approximately 40 acres in the last undeveloped section of Ecorse Township. Charles N. Agree designed the center as an L-shaped strip development, arranging one group of storefronts along each of the two principal roads. Large Southgate signs marked the entrances, while a 135-foot water tower near the Federal’s building served the stores and became a visual landmark. The development’s name had an unexpected civic consequence: when the remaining part of Ecorse Township was annexed in 1958, the new municipality was named Southgate in recognition of the shopping center then being developed. Wrigley’s supermarket was the first tenant, opening in September 1957. Federal’s opened the next month in a separate 80,000-square-foot building. The center’s grand opening on October 16, 1957 included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music and radio broadcasts from the parking lot. Woolworth’s and S. S. Kresge’s followed, along with Winkleman’s and other local and regional stores. The two retail wings were joined by construction of Montgomery Ward, which opened in February 1959. At approximately 133,000 square feet, Ward’s was the largest business at the property; an associated automotive facility was also constructed along Eureka Road. The center’s tenant pattern changed as department stores, discount chains and independent shops responded to new competition. Kresge’s dime store closed in 1982, in part because a nearby Kmart had become the relevant discount destination. Its space was later occupied by Tri-State Furniture and then subdivided for buffet and apparel uses. In 1992, seven storefronts were removed to create a Farmer Jack grocery store, while new freestanding restaurants and service businesses appeared along Eureka Road. During the 1990s, Woolworth’s closed, its space passed through entertainment and hardware uses, and the MJR Southgate Digital Cinema 20 was developed. An Arbor Drugs store was planned in another demolished portion; after CVS announced its acquisition of Arbor Drugs, the location opened as CVS in 1999. The property’s most severe contraction came around 2000–2007. Montgomery Ward liquidated its assets during the 2000 holiday period and closed early the following year. Service Merchandise reduced its operations and later ended its catalog-showroom business, demolishing its building in 2004. The water tower was removed in 2005, despite having been restored four years earlier after a local campaign led by a schoolchild’s letters. Sears Hardware closed in 2006, and Farmer Jack closed in July 2007 when the chain shut down its stores. These events eliminated the traditional anchors that had defined the center’s original retail model. Redevelopment efforts focused on flexible reuse and additional freestanding businesses. In 2006, owner Michael Sisskind publicly considered either adapting or removing the vacant Ward’s building. A proposed Walmart Supercenter was discussed in 2007, but Walmart ultimately built elsewhere in Southgate and opened that store in 2011. The Ward’s building was subsequently targeted for demolition and replacement by a multifunctional public space. Market Center Park opened on the site in 2016. Later additions and replacements broadened the property’s role. Chili’s, Old Chicago, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee’s, Taco Bell, a credit union branch and other outlot businesses joined the center, while the original strip continued to accommodate specialty retail, fitness, education, health care, dining and entertainment. The former Service Merchandise area became a Downriver Community Federal Credit Union branch in 2020. Several tenants have since changed or departed, including CVS in 2022 and Old Chicago in 2024. The center remains active, but its contemporary identity is that of a flexible neighborhood commercial district rather than a conventional department-store-anchored mall.
- 2020
Credit union branch opens
[1]Downriver Community Federal Credit Union opened a new branch in June.
- 2016
Market Center Park opens
[1]The former Montgomery Ward property reopened as a multifunctional public-space development.
- 2005
Water tower removed
[1]The former landmark water tower was demolished to facilitate future development on the Service Merchandise parcel.
- 1998
MJR cinema opens
[1]MJR Southgate Digital Cinema 20 began screenings on November 6.
- 1992
First major physical alteration
[1]Seven storefronts were demolished to create space for a Farmer Jack grocery store, marking the first major physical change to the original strip.
- 1982
Kresge’s dime store closes
[1]The Kresge’s location closed as the chain’s Kmart subsidiary operated a nearby store.
- 1959
Montgomery Ward opens
[1]The 133,000-square-foot Montgomery Ward store opened, completing the original center’s principal anchor arrangement.
- 1958
Southgate becomes a city
[1]The remaining portion of Ecorse Township was annexed and incorporated as the city of Southgate, a name associated with the shopping center.
- 1957
Initial stores open and formal grand opening is held
[1]Wrigley’s opened in September, Federal’s followed in October, and the center held its official opening on October 16.
- 1952
Development announced
[1]Realty Mortgage and Investment Corporation of Detroit announced plans for Southgate Center at Eureka and Trenton Roads, together with the proposed Eastgate Center in Roseville.
Products and positioning
A long-established neighborhood shopping center serving Southgate and the Downriver area, combining convenience retail, restaurants, services, fitness, entertainment and community uses rather than relying on a single department-store anchor.
Shopping center · 1957
Open-air retail center
The center’s core offering is a collection of storefronts and freestanding buildings providing neighborhood retail, food, services and entertainment. Its current format is a flexible commercial property rather than a fully enclosed mall, with the original L-shaped strip supplemented by later outlot development.
Dining
Restaurants and food service
Food and beverage uses have been a persistent part of the property’s evolution. The center and its surrounding outlots have included restaurants such as Applebee’s, Taco Bell, Chili’s, Old Chicago, Buffalo Wild Wings and other food operators, with tenants changing over time.
Retail and services
Retail and specialty services
The contemporary tenant mix includes specialty retail, apparel, cosmetics, used electronics, books and comics, thrift goods, salons, health care, fitness, martial arts and educational services. Examples identified in the reference material include Anime to Skateboards, Style U Boutique, PayMore, Bath & Body Works, Planet Fitness, Oak Street Health and related local operators.
Public and community space · 2016
Market Center Park
Market Center Park occupies the former Montgomery Ward site and represents the property’s shift toward mixed commercial and public use. It was developed as a multifunctional community-oriented space after the vacant department-store building was removed.
Brand decisions
2020
Former Service Merchandise space is repurposed for a credit union branchOtherBackground
The former Service Merchandise area had remained part of the property’s redevelopment history after the catalog showroom business disappeared.
Action taken
Downriver Community Federal Credit Union broke ground in 2019 and opened a larger Southgate-area branch in June 2020.
Aftermath
The project replaced the credit union’s smaller Wyandotte branch and added a financial-services use to the center.
2012
Former Ward’s parcel is designated for multifunctional public spaceStrategyBackground
With the department-store building vacant and redevelopment alternatives under discussion, the city considered a community-oriented use for the parcel.
Action taken
The city announced plans to demolish the building and prepare the land for a multifunctional public-space project informed by a public survey.
Aftermath
The site became Market Center Park, which opened in 2016.
2007
Walmart Supercenter proposal is considered but not pursued at the siteStrategyBackground
The center was reported as a possible location for a Walmart Supercenter during a period when the format was expanding in metropolitan Detroit.
Action taken
The owner expressed uncertainty about Walmart as the solution and continued seeking other tenants. Walmart later developed a new Southgate store at Eureka Road and Dix-Toledo Road instead.
Aftermath
Southgate Shopping Center did not become a Walmart Supercenter site, and redevelopment proceeded through smaller retail, restaurant, service and public-space uses.
2006
Owner considers flexible reuse or demolition of vacant Ward’s buildingStrategyBackground
The former Montgomery Ward building had been vacant since the chain’s liquidation and closure. Owner Michael Sisskind said the property needed either a flexible reuse plan or demolition to attract new retailers.
Action taken
Management explored adapting the building for a new tenant while also considering removal of the structure.
Aftermath
The building was ultimately demolished, and the site later became Market Center Park.
Recent events
- 2024
Old Chicago closes and planned HopCat replacement is reported[1]
Other · Product generation
Old Chicago closed in March 2024. The former restaurant site was reported as intended for replacement by HopCat in summer 2025.
- 2022
CVS Pharmacy closes its Southgate Shopping Center location[1]
Other
CVS closed the store in July 2022 as part of the company’s announced plan to reduce its nationwide store count over a three-year period.
- 2020
Downriver Community Federal Credit Union opens a new center location[1]
Product launch
The credit union opened a branch in June 2020 in the former Service Merchandise area, replacing a smaller branch in Wyandotte.
- 2016
Market Center Park opens on the former Ward’s site[1]
Other
The former department-store parcel was converted into Market Center Park, shifting part of the property from enclosed retail use toward public and multifunctional space.
- 2012
Former Montgomery Ward building is demolished[1]
Other
The vacant former Ward’s building was scheduled for demolition to support a multifunctional public-space concept associated with Market Center Park.
- 2001
Montgomery Ward closes its Southgate store[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Following Montgomery Ward’s liquidation during the 2000 holiday season, the Southgate store closed in early 2001. The building was later demolished.
- 1998
MJR Southgate Digital Cinema 20 opens[1]
Product launch
The multiplex began showing films on November 6, 1998, adding a major entertainment destination to the shopping center’s retail and restaurant offer.
- 1959
Montgomery Ward becomes the center’s largest anchor[1]
Product launch
Montgomery Ward opened a roughly 133,000-square-foot store, joining the two wings of the original center and becoming its largest business.
- 1957
Southgate Shopping Center formally opens after initial tenant openings[1]
Other
The center held its official grand opening on October 16, 1957, after Wrigley’s supermarket and Federal’s had begun operations. Woolworth’s, Kresge’s, Winkleman’s and other retailers formed part of the original tenant mix.
Sources1 sources
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