So, it looks like the other half of the malls is now following suit. Famous Footwear took up a large space on the second floor, and was part of the “rejuvenation wave” that took place when the mall was supposed to be transformed by the addition of TJ Maxx and Linen’s-N-Things (now gone).

An article surfaced last month in the Milwaukee Biz Journal that featured an interview with the mall’s manager promising a return of the mall to its glory days, but Ashkenazy Acquisitions has done such a pathetic job with leasing this property it is hard to take them seriously. This NY-based firm talked about huge sweeping changes since they bought the mall a few years ago, and nothing has happened except for another mass exodus of tenants that were part of the “last ditch effort” renovation of the mall back in 2005.

Folks, I predict another Rolling Acres situation.

Adding to Cory’s answer below. The Plankinton Arcade was built in the twenties as a two story shopping arcade. It had skylights over the open two-story hallway. Offices were built above the building and eventually the building became an office retail condominium. By the time Rouse had decided they could connect the two department stores, this arcade was no longer drawing quality tenants.

The rehab of the Plankinton helped keep costs down for Rouse’s 1982 project. Because Boston Store and Gimbels mostly did their own rehab work, staying separate from the project but connecting to it, the biggest expenses were the skywalks and the new arcade between the Plankinton and Boston Store.

The western arcade of Grand Avenue echoed the design touches of the Plankinton, but was clearly more modern in design.

I heard about that bit of news, I plan to visit the place once I hear of an opening time. Just to walk that mall again will get the old memory jogged, and should they get that place 100% leased, would make it a unique destination for this state.

There are other Asian-themed malls in the U.S., but this will be the first here. Hopefully they pull it off. The mall needs some serious work I’m sure. The structure is still sound, but I’d imagine they’ll be doing needed renovations to get rid of junk (like mold) and just freshen up the place.

If Boston Store left, it would signal complete defeat of the center, although I agree with your position in theory.

Grand Avenue was once a barbell shaped mall. When they decided to truncate the flow of traffic by making the one end a Marriott Residence Inn and Borders Bookstore, in my opinion, did the mall a disservice. The TJ Maxx occupancy of the first floor looks aesthetically ridiculous, with the plexi glass “shield” around the perimeter of the upper floor, and the plexi wall sealing off the once regal Grand Staircase.

At this point there is no turning back, but there is the opportunity to revitalize the mall with a complete design makeover. I’ve posited these ideas before, but I’ll reiterate so that people don’t have to scroll to find them:

1. A police satellite substation in the basement.

2. Move the mall offices to the second level of the
Plankinton Arcade, occupying what are now vacant store fronts next to Chocolate Factory. This space is dead and forgotten

3. Tear down both current parking structures that reside behind the mall. Move parking to the mega block across the street. (South of the mall).

4. Update the Boston Store parking structure with a structural theme reminiscent of an era. The buildings in the area like the newly renovated bus/Amtrek terminal sport a post modern or art deco look. Tie everything together with the Grand Avenue for a more cohesive downtown. Signage and overall fit and finish could be key in a visual renaissance of the area.

5. Tie in a supermarket with the Boston Store parking ramp renovation. There is the rest of the block next to the ramp between 4th and 5th streets.

6. Make the above mentioned supermarket a multi-level structure with a theatre on top. Borrow the marquis and other period features from the defunct Grand Theatre across the street from the mall, and remove that old eyesore from existence. It looks very “Detroit Urban Decay” . This would provide the mall with a theatre which seems to serve other malls quite well (see Mayfair and Bayshore), but without being directly attached to the mall. This would serve to alleviate many of the problems associated with load teens in the center. Furthermore, with the building being located just east of the Hilton Hotel and across from the convention center, if orchestrated and marketed correctly, could convey an extension of sophistication that would carry over from those surrounding structures. Add vigilant security from the beginning! This means AT THE DOOR, VISUALLY PRESENT security.

7. Move TJ Maxx where the parking structure used to be in back of the New Arcade. Make it two levels with an escalator. Make it a primarily glass structure like Kaplan Univesity’s new home on the corner of Wisconsin and Second (very attractive and it faces outward rather than inward).

8. Fashion the TJ Maxx space to tie in with the look of Kaplan University and another space I’ll talk about below in 9. Accent the building with art deco/vintage uniform signage and decor. In a novel approach, make the retailer conform to the visual integrity and style of the structure, rather than the other way around. This cohesiveness could differentiate or fabulous downtown area. And if one retailer moves out and another takes it’s place, it won’t matter much to the integrity of the mall. Retailers become interchangeable, and an exiting retailer doesn’t strike the feeling of failure. The mall will look not like a hodge podge of crap vendors, but an upscale center regardless of how low brow the initial string of retailers may be.

9. Create a sister building to the one mentioned in 8. CEW correctly identified, in my opinion, the limitations of the Plankinton Arcade. Rather than stumble over the historic limitations of this building, leverage them as an asset. Occupy this second structure with a JC Penny ( a perfect fit for a mall that is not ready to go upscale, and may never arrive at that point). If one of these two retailers tanks (and nothing is out of the question these days), another retailer like Crate and Barrel could move right in with little effort.

10. WIth TJ Maxx reclocated, all stores spaces along the south side of the Plankinton building would be restructured to face outward. Give them a uniform facade with glass fonts and art deco adornments. The backs of the stores would open up into the Plankinton Arcade.

11. Create a “street” for pedestrians facing the new JC Penny, complete with lamp posts, etc. But do not make it look like a tired, old copy of the “fake villages” seen elsewhere like Bayshore. Be unique. Glass. Art deco marquis. Wild oversized torchiere lighting. Arced overhangs. Coordination graphics. Stained glass accent panels.

12. Duplicate the look on the New Arcade/TJ Maxx side .

13. Expand Walgreens. Sine it already faces outward toward WI Avenue and the buildings next to it would obstruct the possibility of facing the Footlocker Kids, US Cellular, Fanfare, Lids and Foot Action stores outward, have walgreens expand to fill the space that is visually obstructed from the street. It would still maintain its street entrance that has a visual impact. Move the affected stores to

14. In the Plankinton Arcade, take the storefront space facing Wisconsin Avenue and fill it 100% with restaurant venues that have entrances form the street, but that have glass backs and empty into the Plankinton Arcade.

15. In conjunction with 14, create a “garden” inside the Plankinton Arcade. Install several large, high-impact, visually appealing tiled planters along the center of the arcade on both sides of the Rotunda Staircase/Fountain. This would be a good spot for specialty food vendors, confectionaries, and fruit markets (like the Peddler Jim’s that exists in the Plankinton Arcade now) to occupy.

16. Then there is the issue of all the stores on the second level. Have them reconfigure their stores so that stock rooms were on the “side” of their stores, perhaps flanked by the “cash wrap stations” on the sales floor. This would allow for large windows to be installed in the back of each of these stores so that one could see through the stores and onto the newly created environment below, and the new anchor locations. The only exception to this plan would be those stores in the New Arcade second level above Walgreen’s, because they are obstructed by buildings on the outside. Great places for destinations like a salon or service business. This space has limited use.

17. Then there is that dead space that used to house the Bridge Restaurant connecting the Plankinton Arcade with Gimbels on the second level. It is now all boarded up, drywalled, and painted white. It looks like a psych ward. This should be reopened and converted to house a Post Office counter, since they will be closing the post office counter downtown. This would generate some foot traffic and create some activity. It could also be paired up to house a FedEx Office.

18. The mall also needs some noise now that they removed the fountain. I don’t care if they have to pipe in white noise. Anything is better than nothing. Start playing music in the mall again.

19. Last: CHANGE THE NAME. Do NOT rename it to contain the words GRAND or AVENUE or any form or combination of those words.

The idea of having a career camp day school in the Plankinton arcade is interesting and deserves a look. But it’s going to be hard to refit that space; the arcade is a historic place and that limits (greatly) the type of renovations that can be done. Even if it does happen, it’s three to five years away, minimum.

Shopping at Boston Store at the Grand Avenue tonight was something of a depressing experience. A lot of the higher-end menswear (e.g., Hilfiger) has been replaced with the cheaper house brand of clothes (RBM, or whatever Bon-Ton is calling it now). I do realize that Hilfiger signed an exclusive agreement with Macy’s, so this isn’t really Bon-Ton’s fault. But it does mean that the general level of merchandise continues to decline. And the store at the Grand no longer carries a great deal of basic things. For example, they carry no men’s umbrellas, and no overshoes, even in the winter. No pajamas. No robes. The clerk mentioned that for a short time around Christmas they will have pajamas and robes, but that customers constantly ask for them the rest of the year. Even though Bon-Ton is keeping jewelry departments at their other WI stores, characteristically, it’s being phased out permanently at the Grand.

Maybe it would even be a good thing if Bon-Ton did close the downtown location, if it would mean that a FULL-service store (e.g., JCPenney) could take its place. And it might force Ashkenazy to finally get serious about the mall. Judging by the state of the place, they’re certainly not very engaged right now.

I noticed that Panda Express re-opened it’s restaurant space in the food court on the third level.

Perhaps Ashkenazy could build some momentum by leasing the large Linen’s and Things and Old Navy spaces, and by signing even just a few novel, solid, national chains.

I’ve also noticed a trend: near the Grand Avenue in the third and fifth wards, stores are opening at street level, really proliferating those areas to support the condo dwellers. Most recently a Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel opened a beautiful store on Water Street, just south of Grand Avenue. (Hopefully, this doesn’t signal them pulling out of Grand Avenue.) Similarly, the Public Market has new tenants and a fresh new look inside. National chains like Anthropologie, Design Within Reach, and Urban Outfitters have opened new stores downtown. And the local retailers have stepped up their game, opening beautiful boutiques like Cranston, and some high-end designer clothing stores. If ever Grand Ave had a chance to do something, it is now.

Thanks for all of this awesome info. I was recently transferred to my company’s Grand Ave location and as a 29yr old whose mother would take me and my brother Christmas shopping (she’d buy what we picked out for our family members) once a year in the late 80s/ early 90s Ive been struggling with the sad state of the current version of this mall vs the one I fondly remember. I went their often as my uncle worked in the salon at Gimbel’s and than MF’s. I decided a few days ago to do some research about all the fuzzy spots (which their were plenty of) and stumbling across this thread has been more than I could ever hoped for.

Thanks for that!