Checking on the dead mall
I live right next to a big mall that closed a couple years ago: Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights, Michigan. They have flashy plans to demolish it and erect a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-used utopia off one of the busiest highways in suburban Detroit. It could be a cool thing, or it could be another embarrassing attempt to inject “Main Street” into the car-centric sprawl. It’s hard to tell. After two years of hearing about it, nothing seems to be happening. I went over on my lunch break to monitor the situation.
When I got there, a few Public Works trucks were parked outside, and guys in work gear were going into the mall. I asked what they were working on, and they said, “Water main.” Apparently the pipes froze; this was the end of the subzero stretch that was apparently named “Winter Storm Fern.” I asked if any of them knew when the mall would be demolished. “Your guess is as good as mine,” one said. “Probably by 2030.”
The mall formally closed in July 2024. Today, it’s entirely dark and locked down except for one store: JCPenney. I was a bit surprised to see another customer getting there at the same time I was. What are we both doing here? My surprise mounted as I wandered the store and spotted upwards of 10 more people spending their Monday noon hour thumbing through the racks. There were even more employees, and they all looked busy with something. Somebody was mopping the floor, somebody was processing returns, ladies behind the jewelry counters were asking if I needed anything, and people were out on the floor tidying well-stocked shelves. An entire “JCPenney Salon” appeared to be fully operational, with a receptionist scrolling on her phone. Least expected of all: “Now Hiring” signs.
Nonetheless, the distinctly doomed vibe of a dead mall hung over everything. I have to imagine that a two-story department store in the throes of death probably looks pretty similar to one that’s “surprisingly busy, with upwards of 10 customers.” And can post-holiday price slashing really be the excuse for omnipresent clearance signs making it feel like half the store is 80% off?
I asked one of the workers if she knew how much longer this store was going to be open. She replied confidently, “We’re stayin’.” I wasn’t sure if you could demolish an entire mall except for specific stores, but she seemed pretty sure JCPenney would somehow be spared the wrecking ball, along with what she referred to as “Sears.”
Lakeside Mall indeed had a Sears, but it closed in 2018. I drove around the whole mall and couldn’t find anything that said “Sears” on it. I assumed she was referring to Sears Appliance Repair, which Google Maps shows to be an active business somewhere inside the mall. It has a phone number with a local area code, so I called it hoping to learn more about the business, but it only led to the following exchange with their “AI repair agent,” Samantha:
Samantha: Hi, I am Samantha, an AI virtual voice agent for Sears Home Services. How can I assist you today?
Me: I would like to speak with an employee.
Samantha, slightly peevish tone: Could you share a bit about why you would like to speak with an employee? I have access to the same information as any representative and can help resolve your issue quickly. What can I help you with today?
Me: I want to know more about the future of the physical location.
Samantha: I am here to help with scheduling appliance repairs and related services for Sears Home Services. For information about the future of physical store locations or corporate updates, please visit www.searshomeservices.com. Is there anything else I can assist you with regarding appliance repair or service appointments?
Me: Yes, I need to speak with an employee at the store. [pause] Hello? [pause] Hello? I need to speak with an employee.
Samantha, “this is my final answer” tone: Live agents are not available. Your two options are to use our self-service website or continue with me here. Let me know how you would like to proceed.
I hung up. So I haven’t figured out exactly what’s going on there. But there are Reddit threads about other dead malls with ghostly Sears operations allegedly taking place behind a thick veil of automated messages and AI. I called back a few hours later, and it was a whole different automated message system. No trace of Samantha, but still nothing helpful.
There might be news about Lakeside City Center buried in the city council minutes, but the most recent publicly reported information I can find about this project is that it was expected to break ground in late 2025. I haven’t seen any indication that it has. There was briefly a legal kerfuffle with the holding company that bought the empty Sears – TL;DR: they said they weren’t consulted enough – but that got worked out in March. The judge told all parties to work together in good faith to get the project done. The news is sparse.
As it stands, JCPenney seems to be holding down the fort pretty well, and Lakeside Mall remains a reliable source for big, empty parking lots, friendly to flocks of Canadian geese in the summer and, in the winter, people doing donuts through the unplowed snow.