The Lakes Mall
The Lakes Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall serving the Muskegon area of Michigan.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Lakes Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Fruitport Township, Michigan, serving the Muskegon metropolitan area while using a Muskegon mailing address. The property occupies a strategically accessible site near the junction of Interstate 96 and U.S. Highway 31, at the southeastern corner of Sternberg Road and Harvey Street. Its location south of central Muskegon placed it within a growing retail corridor and helped shift a substantial share of regional shopping activity away from the older downtown Muskegon Mall. The mall was developed by Chattanooga, Tennessee-based CBL & Associates Properties. Construction began in late 1999, and the center opened to the public in August 2001, although Sears began operating from the property several months earlier in March. At opening, the principal department-store anchors were Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenney, Sears, and Younkers. JCPenney moved from a freestanding Muskegon location, while Sears relocated from the former Muskegon Mall downtown. The initial tenant mix positioned The Lakes Mall as a broad regional retail destination rather than a specialized shopping center, combining department stores, specialty retailers, dining, and a food court. The property contains approximately 645,677 square feet of gross leasable area and has historically housed more than 60 retailers. Dick's Sporting Goods joined the center in late 2004, expanding its offering beyond traditional department-store and apparel shopping. The mall's commercial role is supported by surrounding development at the former Lakeshore Marketplace outlet-center site and by nearby restaurants and big-box retailers. This broader retail cluster includes businesses such as Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Target, and other large-format stores, although these surrounding properties are distinct from the enclosed mall itself. Like many traditional American malls, The Lakes Mall experienced anchor turnover during the late 2010s and 2020s. Younkers closed in August 2018 after its parent company, The Bon-Ton, entered liquidation proceedings. Sears closed in March 2019 as part of a nationwide store-reduction program. Bed Bath & Beyond subsequently closed in 2023. Vacant anchor space was later repositioned: Family Farm & Home occupied approximately one-third of the former Younkers space in March 2024, Lange's Comics opened in the former Bed Bath & Beyond space on March 1, 2025, and Soar N Bounce was reported to open in the remaining portion of the former Younkers location on December 6, 2025. These changes reflect a transition from a department-store-led model toward a more mixed tenant composition that includes specialty retail, entertainment, and regional operators. The Lakes Mall remains an important retail destination for the Muskegon area. Its current anchor lineup is reported as Dick's Sporting Goods, Family Farm & Home, JCPenney, Lange's Comics, and Soar N Bounce, with one vacant anchor location formerly occupied by Sears. The center's identity is therefore tied less to a single retailer than to its role as a regional shopping, dining, and entertainment venue.
History
The Lakes Mall was developed by CBL & Associates Properties on the southeastern corner of Sternberg Road and Harvey Street in Fruitport Township, near the intersection of Interstate 96 and U.S. Highway 31. The site was south of Muskegon and was selected for its highway access and position within an emerging retail corridor. Construction began in late 1999. The center opened in August 2001. Sears began trading from the property in March of that year, before the mall's formal public opening. The initial anchor lineup consisted of Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenney, Sears, and Younkers. JCPenney relocated from a freestanding store, and Sears moved from the former Muskegon Mall in downtown Muskegon. The opening gave the Muskegon area a larger concentration of nationally recognized department and specialty retailers than had been available at the older downtown mall. The property comprises approximately 645,677 square feet of gross leasable area and has accommodated more than 60 retailers, in addition to a food court and other common mall services. Dick's Sporting Goods joined the tenant lineup in late 2004. The mall also benefited from surrounding commercial growth. The nearby Lakeshore Marketplace, formerly an outlet center, was redeveloped into big-box retail space, including stores such as Toys "R" Us, later replaced by Sierra, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, and Target. Restaurants also developed around the mall. Together, these properties formed a broader retail destination that increased the area's shopping draw. The mall's later history reflects the structural pressures affecting department stores and conventional enclosed malls. Younkers closed in August 2018 after The Bon-Ton, its parent company, went out of business. Sears announced a nationwide store-closing program in December 2018, and its Lakes Mall store closed on March 14, 2019. Bed Bath & Beyond remained part of the mall's historical anchor mix until closing in 2023. Vacant anchor areas were subsequently reconfigured for different types of tenants. Family Farm & Home opened in March 2024 in roughly one-third of the former Younkers space. Lange's Comics opened on March 1, 2025, in the former Bed Bath & Beyond space and became an official anchor. Soar N Bounce was reported to open on December 6, 2025, in the remaining two-thirds of the former Younkers space. These changes diversified the property beyond its original department-store format by introducing farm and home retail, comics, and family-oriented entertainment. Since its opening, The Lakes Mall has been described as the most popular retail destination in the Muskegon area. Its importance is partly geographic, deriving from highway access and the surrounding retail cluster, and partly functional, as it combines shopping, food, and entertainment in one regional venue. Its current tenant structure includes Dick's Sporting Goods, Family Farm & Home, JCPenney, Lange's Comics, and Soar N Bounce, while one anchor space formerly occupied by Sears remains vacant according to the cited reference.
- 2025
Lange's Comics becomes an anchor
[1]Lange's Comics opens in the former Bed Bath & Beyond space on March 1 and is recognized as an anchor tenant.
- 2025
Soar N Bounce announced for anchor space
[1]Soar N Bounce is reported to open in the remaining portion of the former Younkers space on December 6.
- 2024
Family Farm & Home opens
[1]Family Farm & Home occupies approximately one-third of the former Younkers space.
- 2023
Bed Bath & Beyond closes
[1]Bed Bath & Beyond closes its mall location, creating another major vacant retail space.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The Sears location closes on March 14 as part of the chain's nationwide store-reduction program.
- 2018
Younkers closes
[1]Younkers closes in August after The Bon-Ton enters a going-out-of-business process.
- 2004
Dick's Sporting Goods added
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods joins the mall's anchor and major-retailer lineup in late 2004.
- 2001
Mall opens
[1]The Lakes Mall opens to the public on August 15, following the earlier March opening of its Sears store.
- 1999
Construction begins
[1]Construction of the mall begins on the former development site near Sternberg Road, Harvey Street, Interstate 96, and U.S. Highway 31.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping, dining, and entertainment destination for Muskegon and surrounding communities, combining national chains with local and specialty tenants.
Retail property · 2001
Regional enclosed shopping mall
The core offering is a regional enclosed shopping environment of approximately 645,677 square feet of gross leasable area. It combines department stores, specialty retailers, food-court facilities, and entertainment-oriented uses for shoppers from Muskegon and nearby communities.
Retail · 2001
Anchor and major retail tenants
The mall's current and recently reported anchor mix includes Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Family Farm & Home, Lange's Comics, and Soar N Bounce. Historically, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, and Younkers were also major anchors. The mix spans apparel, sporting goods, home and farm merchandise, comics, and family entertainment.
Food service · 2001
Food court and dining
A food court forms part of the mall's visitor offering, supplemented by restaurants located around the broader retail corridor. Specific current food-court tenants are not identified in the cited material.
Brand decisions
2025
Convert former anchor spaces to specialty and entertainment usesStrategyBackground
The mall had lost Bed Bath & Beyond and its former department-store anchors, creating an opportunity to reposition large spaces for different retail and experiential uses.
Action taken
Lange's Comics opened in the former Bed Bath & Beyond space, while Soar N Bounce was reported for the remaining portion of the former Younkers space.
Aftermath
The reported changes expanded the mall's anchor concept beyond conventional department stores to include specialty retail and family entertainment.
2024
Reuse part of the former Younkers spaceStrategyBackground
The closure of Younkers in 2018 left a large anchor space available after the collapse of The Bon-Ton.
Action taken
Family Farm & Home opened in approximately one-third of the former Younkers location.
Aftermath
The move brought a farm and home retailer into a former department-store anchor and formed part of the mall's tenant diversification.
2001
Develop a regional mall south of MuskegonStrategyBackground
The development placed a large enclosed shopping center near major highways and an emerging retail cluster, addressing the area's limited access to major chain retailers.
Action taken
CBL & Associates Properties developed the mall with multiple department-store anchors and a broad specialty-retail and food-court offering.
Aftermath
The property became a major retail destination for the Muskegon area and contributed to the growth of surrounding commercial development.
Sources2 sources
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