The Mall of Monroe
An enclosed shopping mall in Frenchtown Charter Township, north of Monroe, Michigan.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Mall of Monroe is an enclosed shopping mall in Frenchtown Charter Township, Monroe County, Michigan, immediately north of the city of Monroe along North Monroe Street, also designated M-125. The property opened in 1988 as Frenchtown Square Mall and was subsequently renamed The Mall of Monroe following a renovation and repositioning program announced by its management company, Cafaro Company of Youngstown, Ohio. The mall is a local and regional retail, entertainment, fitness, and community-use destination rather than a nationally dominant shopping center. At opening, the mall was anchored by JCPenney, Sears, Hills, Elder-Beerman, and Phar-Mor. Phar-Mor's location was notable as the first Phar-Mor discount pharmacy in Michigan. The tenant mix changed substantially over time as department stores and specialty retailers entered and exited the property. Hills closed in 1993 and its space was later occupied by Target. Phar-Mor closed in 1995; the resulting space was used by an Elder-Beerman home store, while OfficeMax operated in a separate space that did not open directly into the mall's interior. Old Navy was also added during the mall's earlier period. The center experienced further anchor turnover in the 2000s. OfficeMax closed in the early part of the decade, JCPenney left in 2004, and Steve & Barry's occupied the former JCPenney space beginning in 2006. Steve & Barry's and Old Navy both closed in late 2008. The mall's cinema operation also changed hands: Regal Cinemas closed its theater complex in August 2007, but Phoenix Theatres reopened it approximately three months later. Phoenix later expanded the cinema by four screens in 2016. In 2009, Cafaro announced a renovation program reported at approximately $2 million. The project included the replacement of the former Old Navy space with Wear District, the rebranding of both Elder-Beerman locations as Carson's, and the adoption of the Mall of Monroe name. An expo center opened in 2013 in the former JCPenney and Steve & Barry's space, but it closed the following year and was replaced by Pat Catan's, which relocated from another Monroe-area site. Planet Fitness took over the former OfficeMax space in 2014. The property continued to diversify beyond conventional retail. Family & Friends Funland opened in the former Old Navy location in 2015, while Monroe City Church began using the former Carson's Home Store in 2019. Phoenix Theatres remained a principal entertainment anchor. Other occupants and users have included fitness, outdoor, craft, church, marketing, and community-oriented businesses. Former anchor spaces have also remained vacant or undergone reuse attempts, reflecting the broader pressure on enclosed malls caused by department-store closures and changing retail habits. Target announced the closure of its mall store in late 2014, with the shutdown occurring in early 2015. The former Target building was sold in 2021 to Richmond Main LLC for use by an auto-parts business. Carson's closed both mall locations in 2018 during the chain's liquidation, and Pat Catan's closed in September 2019 without being replaced by a Michaels store. The mall has been managed by Cafaro Company and has been described as having more than thirty tenants, along with a church and major occupants including Planet Fitness, Phoenix Theatres, and Domka Outdoors. Its current significance is primarily local: it combines shopping, entertainment, fitness, worship, and flexible commercial uses in a single enclosed property serving Monroe County and surrounding communities.
History
The Mall of Monroe began operations in 1988 as Frenchtown Square Mall on North Monroe Street in Frenchtown Charter Township, just north of Monroe, Michigan. The enclosed center was developed to serve Monroe County and surrounding communities with a conventional department-store-led retail format. Its original anchors included JCPenney, Sears, Hills, Elder-Beerman, and Phar-Mor. The Phar-Mor store had particular local significance because it was identified as the first Phar-Mor discount pharmacy in Michigan. The mall's first major change came in 1993, when Hills closed. Target later took over the former Hills space, adding a large general-merchandise tenant to the center. Phar-Mor closed in 1995, and its former location was subsequently used by an Elder-Beerman home store. OfficeMax also operated at the property, although its unit did not open directly into the mall's interior. Old Navy was added during this period, broadening the center's apparel offering. During the early 2000s, the mall experienced additional turnover. OfficeMax closed, and JCPenney departed in 2004. The former JCPenney location was occupied by Steve & Barry's two years later. The mall's movie theater also underwent a transition. Regal Cinemas closed its theater complex in August 2007, but Phoenix Theatres reopened the facility roughly three months afterward, preserving cinema entertainment as an important part of the property. Steve & Barry's and Old Navy both closed in late 2008. In response to changing occupancy patterns, Cafaro Company announced a renovation program in 2009 that was reported at approximately $2 million. The property was renamed The Mall of Monroe. The former Old Navy area became home to Wear District, and the two Elder-Beerman operations were rebranded as Carson's. These changes represented an effort to refresh the mall's identity while adapting its tenant mix. A further reuse initiative opened in 2013, when an expo center occupied the former JCPenney and Steve & Barry's space. The expo center closed in 2014 and was replaced by Pat Catan's, a craft retailer that relocated from an existing Monroe-area store. Planet Fitness also arrived in 2014, taking over the former OfficeMax space. Later, Target announced the closure of its Mall of Monroe store in late 2014, and the store closed in early 2015. The property continued to seek entertainment and service-based uses. Family & Friends Funland opened in the former Old Navy location in late 2015. In 2016, Phoenix Theatres added four screens, although the expansion eliminated the food court. Both Carson's locations closed in 2018 during the retailer's chainwide liquidation. In 2019, Monroe City Church opened in the former Carson's Home Store. Pat Catan's closed in September of the same year, and the space was not reopened as a Michaels store. River Raisin CrossFit opened near the former Target location in 2019 in an area previously associated with Dunham's Sports and rue21. Leviathan, described as a local marketing company, was expected to occupy space between the former Target and Pat Catan's locations in 2020. In 2021, the former Target building was sold to Richmond Main LLC for use by an auto-parts business. This transaction illustrated the continuing conversion of former big-box retail space to alternative commercial purposes. Throughout these changes, Cafaro Company remained identified as the mall's manager. The property has been described as containing more than thirty tenants, a church, and major occupants such as Planet Fitness, Phoenix Theatres, and Domka Outdoors. Its evolution reflects the transition of many enclosed malls from department-store-centered retail complexes toward mixed-use local destinations combining shopping, entertainment, fitness, worship, recreation, and flexible commercial occupancy.
- 2021
Former Target building is sold
[1]Richmond Main LLC acquires the former Target building for an auto-parts business.
- 2019
Church and fitness uses expand
[1]Monroe City Church opens in the former Carson's Home Store, while River Raisin CrossFit occupies space near the former Target area.
- 2018
Carson's locations close
[1]Both Carson's stores close during the chainwide liquidation.
- 2016
Phoenix Theatres adds four screens
[1]The cinema expands by four screens, with the former food-court area removed to accommodate the change.
- 2015
Target closes and Family & Friends Funland opens
[1]Target closes its mall store, while Family & Friends Funland opens in the former Old Navy space later in the year.
- 2014
Planet Fitness opens
[1]Planet Fitness replaces the former OfficeMax operation. The expo center also closes and Pat Catan's moves into the former anchor space.
- 2013
Expo center opens
[1]An expo center opens in the former JCPenney and Steve & Barry's space.
- 2009
Renovation and name change
[1]Cafaro announces a renovation program and the property adopts The Mall of Monroe name.
- 2007
Phoenix Theatres reopens the cinema
[1]After Regal Cinemas closes the theater complex in August, Phoenix Theatres reopens it approximately three months later.
- 2004
JCPenney departs
[1]JCPenney closes its mall location, creating a major vacant anchor space later occupied by Steve & Barry's and then an expo center.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving Monroe County and nearby southeastern Michigan communities, with a tenant base spanning retail, cinema, fitness, outdoor goods, recreation, worship, and other local services.
Cinema and entertainment · 2007
Phoenix Theatres
Phoenix Theatres is one of the mall's principal entertainment anchors. It assumed operation of the cinema complex after Regal Cinemas closed in 2007 and later expanded the facility by four screens in 2016. The theater helps position the property as more than a conventional retail center and provides a destination use that can generate visits outside standard shopping hours.
Fitness services · 2014
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness occupies space formerly used by OfficeMax and serves as a fitness-oriented anchor. Its presence broadens the mall's customer base beyond shoppers by offering recurring membership-based visits and an everyday service use within the enclosed center.
Outdoor retail
Domka Outdoors
Domka Outdoors is identified as one of the mall's anchor occupants. It represents the property's outdoor-goods and specialty-retail component, complementing its entertainment, fitness, and community uses.
Family entertainment · 2015
Family & Friends Funland
Family & Friends Funland opened in the former Old Navy space in late 2015. The family-entertainment use formed part of the mall's shift toward experiential and recreation-oriented occupancy after the departure of traditional apparel retailers.
Controversies
2003
Frenchtown Square Partnership v. Lemstone, Inc.
The mall partnership brought a lawsuit against Lemstone, a Christian bookstore chain, after the retailer closed its store six months before the lease ended and allegedly failed to pay rent during that period. Lemstone argued that declining sales were connected in part to competition from another gift store at the mall.
Brand decisions
2021
Sale of former Target buildingM&ABackground
Target's former big-box location had been vacant since the store closed in early 2015.
Action taken
The building was sold to Richmond Main LLC for use as an auto-parts business.
Aftermath
The transaction converted a former department-store site to an alternative commercial use.
2016
Phoenix Theatres expands the cinemaGeneration changeBackground
Cinema operations had returned under Phoenix Theatres after Regal Cinemas exited in 2007.
Action taken
Phoenix Theatres added four screens and removed the food-court area to accommodate the expansion.
Aftermath
The cinema became an even more substantial entertainment anchor within the mall.
2013
Conversion of a former department-store space into an expo centerStrategyBackground
The former JCPenney and Steve & Barry's space required a new use after the departure of those retailers.
Action taken
An expo center opened in the former anchor space.
Aftermath
The expo center closed in 2014 and the space was subsequently used by Pat Catan's.
2009
Renovation, rebranding, and tenant repositioningStrategyBackground
The mall faced anchor and specialty-store turnover after the departures of OfficeMax, JCPenney, Steve & Barry's, Old Navy, and other former tenants.
Action taken
Cafaro announced a renovation program reported at approximately $2 million, changed the property name from Frenchtown Square Mall to The Mall of Monroe, replaced the former Old Navy use with Wear District, and rebranded Elder-Beerman stores as Carson's.
Aftermath
The property continued to diversify its occupancy through an expo center, craft retail, fitness, entertainment, church, and other service-oriented uses.
Sources2 sources
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