Muskegon Mall construction began in 1974, and the mall opened for business on March 27, 1976. Created by enclosing three blocks of Western Avenue and building a department store at each end - Sears at one end, and Grand Rapids-based Steketee's at the other - the mall also resulted in the closure of parts of First, Second, and Jefferson streets. Incorporated as a third anchor, an existing store, Hardy's, had been in operation since 1881, and its store was partnered with Herpolsheimer's after being rebuilt in 1946.
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| Muskegon Mall Michigan |
The most popular shopping center in Muskegon County by 1989, the Hardy's-Herpolsheimer's store closed the same year. By 1992, its space had become Burlington Coat Factory, while the mall was sold to Harold Back and Richard Perlman. The mall continued to lose tenants throughout the 1990s, when retail stores were built along Sternberg Road at US Highway 31 southeast of town.
