Malls · Michigan

Arborland Center

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedOperatingAnn Arbor, MI

Opened 1961. Redeveloped in 1998.

Status nowOperatingextracted, unreviewed

documented

Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond.

en.wikipedia.org

What it becameretailextracted, unreviewed reported

Retrofit year1998extracted, unreviewed reported

Walkability12.5 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap

Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD

Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.

Arborland Center. Photo: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile15 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors

Bed Bath & Beyond

This site: Bed Bath & Beyond wikipedia · all sites with this

Finance and pipeline

Website alive

This site: …https://properties.brixmor.com/p/retail-real-estate/Ann%20Arbor-MI-48104/arborla overture / http check · all sites with this

Place

15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)

This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this

30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road

This site: 80,376 on 94 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this

Bike network nearby

This site: 72 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this

Grocery within 800 m

This site: 9 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this

High tornado risk

This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with this

High-income tract ($100k+)

This site: $240,806 census-acs · all sites with this

Interstate or freeway within 600 m

This site: 94 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this

Low social vulnerability tract (SVI ≤ 0.25)

This site: 0.12 cdc-svi · all sites with this

Tract income up 60%+ since 2013

This site: +66% census-acs · all sites with this

Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)

This site: …index 12.5 epa-walkability · all sites with this

Strategy

Redeveloped

This site: Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond. extraction · all sites with this

New use

Grocery

This site: Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a extraction · all sites with this

Retail (continued)

This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

Status	Operatingextracted, unreviewed documented Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond. en.wikipedia.org
Strategy	Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documented Opened in 1961 as an unenclosed shopping mall, the center was redeveloped as a power center in 1998. en.wikipedia.org
New uses	retailextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there now	Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond.extracted, unreviewed documented Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond. en.wikipedia.org
Retrofit year	1998extracted, unreviewed reported
Redeveloper	Freed and Associatesextracted, unreviewed reported

Securitised debt and public filers

Filings (2001 to date) that name “Arborland Center” and “Ann Arbor” (71 hits, first 71 sampled, 3 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.

Kind	Filer	Filings	Dates	Forms
Public owner (strong)	Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX)	67	2017-05-01 to 2026-07-27	8-K 41, 10-K 18, 10-Q 8
Public owner (strong)	Brixmor Operating Partnership LP	67	2017-05-01 to 2026-07-27	8-K 41, 10-K 18, 10-Q 8

Site context

FEMA flood zone	X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m	14: AD WHITE INC; AMOCO OIL CO; ARBOR DODGE; ARBORLAND MALL; BED BATH AND BEYOND #0234EPA FRS
Census tract 26161405300	5,084 people, 1,810 per sq mi; median household income $240,806; median gross rent $1,592; 10% renters; 1.4% vacant units; 2.7% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)	index 12.5 of 20; 48 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 805 m; land-use mix 0.77; 88,746 jobs within 45 min by car, 55,988 by transit; 9% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)	5 of 6 daily needs: 9 grocers, 1 schools, 9 parks or playgrounds, 10 health, 0 civic, 29 food and drink; 72 cycleway segments, 184 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zone	noHUD
Housing permits, Washtenaw County (MI), 2024	560 units in 5+ unit buildings, 76 in 2–4, 557 single-family; 2023: 1,080 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)	overall percentile 0.12; socioeconomic 0.01; housing and transport 0.28; 6% below 150% of poverty; 4% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby	2 within 10 km, 3 within 25 km: Briarwood Mall (5.1 km); 350 S. Fifth Ave. (5.7 km)computed
Overture Maps	place Arborland Center (shopping_mall, confidence 0.99, from Microsoft, Overture, Overture-signals); building footprint 8,891 m², 7.0 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and social	properties.brixmor.com (alive); archived 2018–2019 (Wayback)Overture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views	30,088 since 2015; 1,987 in the last 12 months (+1% vs the prior 12); peak 2015-07 with 485Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023	population -1% (5,125 → 5,084); median income +66% ($145,250 → $240,806); renters 14% → 10%; median home value +67% ($495,400 → $826,200)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)	relatively moderate overall (score 57.7); expected annual loss $2.0M; high: tornado, strong wind; community resilience very highFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 km	noneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)	16,818 jobs in 984 establishments; average annual pay $41,981; employment location quotient 0.78; employment +11.9% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 2021	1,813 jobs; 762 in retail trade, 284 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 26161405300)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2021
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)	children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 42th income percentile as adults; 1.1% incarcerated at the 2010 count (43 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)	low-access at 1 mile, not low-income; 12% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 5.8%; median family income $202,604; 9 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
Schools	Ann Arbor Public Schools (PK-12); 4 public schools within 1 mile: Carpenter School; Pittsfield School; Correctional Services; Washtenaw County Youth Center Educational ProgramsNCES EDGE
Elevation	823 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025	134 county-logged events: 80 thunderstorm wind, 47 hail, 4 flash flood, 3 flood; $8,614,500 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 48104, 2026-09	median list price $550,000 (+0.5% on the year); 91 active listings; median 52 days on market; 19% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023	1,065 establishments (-3%); 16,666 jobs (+0%)Census CBP
Housing market in the county	typical home value $411,983 (+2% 1 yr, +19% 5 yr); typical rent $1,917/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025	711 (2000 = 100); -0.2% 1 yr, +42% 5 yr, +70% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)	80,376 vehicles a day on 94 (freeway or expressway, 4 lanes); 8,278 trucks; 37 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Arborland Center opened in 1961 as an unenclosed shopping mall in Ann Arbor. After competition from Briarwood Mall led to anchor losses, the site was enclosed in 1980 and later renovated; in 1998 Freed and Associates razed most of the structure and redeveloped it as a power center. It remains operating today with anchors such as Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner‑White Furniture and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Why. The record shows that competition from the 1973 opening of Briarwood Mall caused JCPenney to relocate and triggered anchor losses, prompting enclosure and later conversion to a power center to remain viable.

Where it stands. The center is currently operating and is controlled by the AmCap joint venture, which acquired it in 2005.

For a planner

Precedent of enclosure (1980) followed by power‑center conversion (1998).
Policy tools not specified in the record; any incentives used are unknown.
Open questions include long‑term viability of big‑box anchors and potential for mixed‑use or transit‑oriented redevelopment.
The site’s proximity to Briarwood Mall raises ongoing competition concerns.

For a developer

Site size is not provided in the record.
Control lies with the AmCap joint venture; ownership chain includes prior owners E.N. Maisel & Associates, Melvin Simon & Associates, and Freed and Associates.
Entitlements appear complete as the property is operating under a power‑center configuration.
Context‑layer constraints (flood, transit, environment) are not listed in the record.
Market signals indicate a median rent of $1,400 and an opportunity score of 0.0 due to the retrofit already being built.

What we do not know yet

Exact parcel size and building footprint are missing.
Current ownership percentages within the AmCap joint venture are unspecified.
Environmental, flood, and transit constraints from context layers are not detailed.
Future anchor lease expirations and tenant mix stability are unknown.
The opportunity score and opp_reasons are model‑extracted and flagged as unverified (verified: draft).

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

Livonia Mall, Livonia, MI · Malls · opened 1964; same strategy: redevelop; also in MI
Brighton Mall, Brighton, MI · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in MI; 33 km away
Tel-Twelve Mall, Southfield, MI · Malls · opened 1968; same strategy: redevelop; also in MI
Universal Mall, Warren, MI · Malls · opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop; also in MI

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Arborland Center - MIAnnArbor.com miannarbor.com
Arborland Center - Allen, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 (24432110 ... citysquares.com
Retail Space for Lease at Arborland Center | Brixmor brixmor.com
Arborland Center (28 stores) - shopping in Ann Arbor, Michi… mallscenters.com
Arborland Center - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

retrofit already built
median rent $1,400

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened	1961extracted, unreviewed
Anchors	Marshalls, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kroger, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture, Petco, Ulta
County	Washtenaw County
Census division	3 · East North Central
Notes	Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, original developer. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Arborland Center is a shopping center located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1961 as an unenclosed shopping mall, the center was redeveloped as a power center in 1998. Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture, and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

1961 Opened as unenclosed shopping mall
1973 Briarwood Mall opened; JCPenney moved to newer store
1980 E.N. Maisel & Associates purchased mall and enclosed concourses
1983 Melvin Simon & Associates began renovations to discount/outlet format
1998 Freed and Associates purchased and razed most of structure, transforming to big box cluster
1998 Redeveloped as a power center
2005 Sold to AmCap joint venture for $102 million
2011 Borders closed
2012 Space split between Five Below and Ulta
2013 Nordstrom Rack confirmed

Sources

Wikipedia: Arborland Center · supports: after notes, status, strategy, year opened
14 quoted sentences
Opened in 1961 as an unenclosed shopping mall, the center was redeveloped as a power center in 1998.
Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Current anchor stores include Marshalls, Petco, Kroger, Ulta, Old Navy, Gardner-White Furniture (that used to be a Toys "R" Us), and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Opened in 1961 as an unenclosed shopping mall, the center was redeveloped as a power center in 1998.

Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Arborland Center, Ann Arbor, MI." Record m-59bf529477, imported, unreviewed. Built on the public Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/mi/ann-arbor-arborland-center/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

BibTeX

@misc{retrofitatlas_annarborarborlandcenter,
  title = {Arborland Center, Ann Arbor, MI},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/mi/ann-arbor-arborland-center/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-59bf529477, release 2026.10.20, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-20}
}

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