# Northridge Mall

Milwaukee, WI · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-76b56535cf` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/wi/milwaukee-northridge-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-76b56535cf.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-76b56535cf.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-76b56535cf

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | demolished | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | housing | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | vacant land | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1973 | reported · Wikipedia |
| Closed | 2003 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Acres | 58.0 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Taubman Centers | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group | reported · web research agent |
| Public subsidy | grant | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Planning notes | Affordable housing was planned to be built on the site and was currently under development. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_closed**: “was shuttered in 2003” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)
- **acres**: “the 58 acres (23 ha) of land the mall occupied remained vacant” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)
- **original_developer**: “It was developed by Taubman Centers.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)
- **after_notes**: “As of 2026, the 58 acres (23 ha) of land the mall occupied remained vacant.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)
- **status**: “The mall's demolition was completed in September 2025.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)
- **strategy**: “Affordable housing was planned to be built on the site and was currently under development.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)
- **public_subsidy**: “On December 8, 2023, Governor Tony Evers granted the City of Milwaukee $15 million to demolish the mall.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)

## Anchors

JCPenney, Sears, Younkers, Gimbels, Boston Store

## Parties

- Taubman Centers — original_developer (1972–)
- Taubman Centers — owner (1972–2003)
- Taubman Centers — owner (from text) (1972–)
- Senator Herb Kohl — owner (1972–2003)
- Senator Herb Kohl — owner (from text) (1972–)
- U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group — developer (2014–)
- U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group — owner (2014–)
- U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group — owner (from text) (2014–)
- City of Milwaukee — owner (1972–2003)
- City of Milwaukee — owner (from text)

## Timeline

- 1972: Grand opening
- 1973: Opened (Wikidata)
- 2003: Mall shuttered
- 2009: Value City furniture store closed
- 2013: Penzey announced plans to purchase mall
- 2014: Black Spruce retained ownership halting foreclosure
- 2018: Mall rented to MIR Tactical for airsoft event
- 2019: City issued demolition order
- 2020: Demolition order approved by judge
- 2022: Four arson fires occurred around mall
- 2024: Demolition of Boston Store portion began

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

Northridge Mall was a shopping mall located in the northern part of Milwaukee, Wisconsin that first opened in August 1972. It was developed by Taubman Centers. The mall's original anchor stores were JCPenney, Sears, Boston Store, and Gimbels. Gimbels was sold to Marshall Field's, then H. C. Prange Co., and finally Younkers. The mall underwent a period of decline and was shuttered in 2003, and remained vacant until it was demolished in 2025.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_closed — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northridge_Mall_(Wisconsin)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Northridge Mall, Milwaukee, WI." Record m-76b56535cf, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/wi/milwaukee-northridge-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_milwaukeenorthridgemall,
  title = {Northridge Mall, Milwaukee, WI},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/wi/milwaukee-northridge-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-76b56535cf, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.