STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – With mega malls on the decline, the city of Sterling Heights has been actively looking at plans to repurpose Lakeside Mall
The property is not in the dire straits that Eastland is, which is going up for auction, but it’s not exactly robust either.
ORIGINAL STORY: Sterling Heights officials traveling to Colorado to see ideas for redeveloping Lakeside Mall
The city has been working with the mall owner, architects as well as reaching out to potential developers.
Sterling Heights held an open house Thursday night for the public to come and see the ideas. There are differences in how to get there, but both plans imagine a walkable livable city center development.
"We have a plan A and a plan B, but they can kind of be merged," said Sterling Heighs Councilman Michael Radtke.
The reimagining of the mall would turn it into a city center with walkable residential, office and
retail spaces, as well as green spaces.
All of this is just in the discussion stage, Lakeside has tenants that would need to be handled and there is no developer or consortium of developers that has said it’s interested in doing this.
“We’re looking forward to something happening there,” Orba Underwood said.
Underwood has lived in Sterling Heights for more than 20 years and sees the decline in tenants.
“Something has got to give," Underwood said. "Something has got to happen. They can’t maintain that mall with the people they have there.”