Older (including now-closed) JCPenney stores in Metro Detroit (Warren, Westland: crime, theater)

[monicapies]

Could someone here name me any JCPenney stores in Metro Detroit that opened between 1950 and 1980? I am intrigued by the historic architecture of this department store chain after reading about Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois near Chicago. If a mall in the Chicago area could have such a long history of crime and decay, I see no reason a mall in Detroit could not either.

[DTWflyer]

Most of the JC Penney stores that I know off, at least ones that are still open were built in the mid 70s - early 80s.
Much of the architecture between many of the malls was similar with Taubman when on the mall building-boom in the mid-70s.

Oakland Mall - I think the original JC Penney that opened in the mid-70s was in a section of the mall that was torn down and then expanded, with the current JCP being in the newest additional to the mall, opening in the early 80s.

Fairlane Mall - opened mid-70s

Lakeside Mall - opened mid-70s

Westland Center - opened mid-70s/early 80s

There was a JC Penneys in the now defunct Summit Place mall, although I think that was a newer store that had a relatively short life.

[313Weather]

Northland and Eastland may be candidates too.

The JC Penney's at Northland is still vacant (with the old JC Penney façade in place). The JC Penney's at Eastland is now a Sears.

[us66]

There were smaller stores, too. Here's a few I remember off the top of my head:

1. Monroe, in a shopping center on S. Monroe. Center also has a Kroger (ex-Food Town). Large part of the center burned around '88. Store closed around that same time when the Frenchtown Square (now Mall of Monroe) location opened.
2. Royal Oak, Northwood SC, 13 and Woodward. Had the "Penneys" logo from the 60s. Can't remember when it closed, early 90s maybe.
3. Warren, Tech Plaza, 12 and Van Dyke. Had the yellow "J. C. PENNEY" signage. closed early 90s, I think.
4. Lincoln Park, Fort Street at Park Place center. Closed not that long ago.
5. Lapeer had one downtown, too. Don't remember where.

Go to pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com, too, as well as https://www.facebook.com/groups/reme...etail/?fref=ts where people know a lot more about this than me.

[detwahDJ]

There was one at Mack and Moross, but I don't recall the architecture.

[us66]

Discuss Detroit: Old Photo III - Where Is This?

Pictures of that shopping center, 7 Mack Plaza. Don't see JCP but I do see a Lerner and a Kresge.

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by us66

Discuss Detroit: Old Photo III - Where Is This?

Pictures of that shopping center, 7 Mack Plaza. Don't see JCP but I do see a Lerner and a Kresge.

I think it was in the far building with the awnings. That bldg extended back behind the other stores.

[313 TUxedo]

Originally Posted by detwahDJ

There was one at Mack and Moross, but I don't recall the architecture.

Small for a JC Penney, 1950s build, front was picture windows up to about half, beige porcelain steel (I think) from there to the roof. Individual green letters with tube lighting inside.

This was at the north end of 7-Mack center (a geographically incorrect name), facing the other stores. Unlike the other stores in the center that were in Detroit, the Penney was in GP Farms.

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by 313 TUxedo

Small for a JC Penney, 1950s build, front was picture windows up to about half, beige porcelain steel (I think) from there to the roof. Individual green letters with tube lighting inside.

This was at the north end of 7-Mack center (a geographically incorrect name), facing the other stores. Unlike the other stores in the center that were in Detroit, the Penney was in GP Farms.

Think you're right, the Woods Theater was technically in GP. The Kinsel Drugs was a childhood hangout for me, with long marble soda fountain. Behind on Moross was a small card/gift shop. Then north was a Woolworth at the parking lot. I believe in order to to enter Penney's you had to walk around the corner at the far end of those shops. Across Mack was Sears and Kroger, but things kept changing. That's my recollection anyway.
Yeah, and we called it 7 Mile and Vernier - 8 Mile.

[zthatzmanz28]

Southland in Taylor. It was originally built as a Kroger Grocery Store when the mall opened in 1970. JCP moved in 4-5 years after when Krogers left.