TWELVE OAKS MALL

'Twelve Oaks Mall' is a shopping mall located in Novi, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The mall is located on the Northeast corner of I-96 and Novi Road. Taubman Centers is the owner and manager of the mall, and it is anchored by Macy's, Lord & Taylor, JCPenney, Sears, and coming in September 2007, Nordstrom.

Contents

History

Renovations

Anchors

See also

External links

History

Twelve Oaks Mall was developed by A. Alfred Taubman and was completed and opened on August 3, 1977, anchored by Hudson's, JCPenney and Sears; the mall was designed by Victor Gruen and Richard Prince. Lord & Taylor was added as a fourth anchor a year after the mall opened.
The mall was constructed on the site of a former gravel pit. Prior to its development as the Mall, the site was proposed to be used as a landfill. Opposition by residents and the then Village of Novi prevented the establishment of the landfill. A regional mall was originally proposed to be built in Farmington Township (now Farmington Hills) at Thirteen Mile and Haggerty Roads. Opposition to the proposal in Farmington Township and West Bloomfield Township pushed the developers west to the location in Novi.
Originally, the interior decor largely comprised wood accents. Each court (e.g. Sears Court, Hudson's Court) also contained a large modern art sculpture, and the original three anchors each had four trees.

Renovations

Between 1996 and 1998, the mall underwent a multi-million dollar renovation which included new entrances, new flooring, an additional elevator in center court, as well as new signage, fixtures, and furnishings. At the same time, the sculptures and some of the trees were removed. Interior ashtrays were also removed, as Twelve Oaks became a smoke-free mall near the end of the renovation.
Additionally, the seating areas in the JCPenney Court and Hudson's Court were simplified to create more open space and make navigation easier. A play area for children was also built in the Lord and Taylor Court, and valet parking became a permanent offering instead of a seasonal service.
In 2002, The Taubman Corporation demolished the defunct United Artists Theatres and made way for a new "Lifestyle Cafe" food court, and allowed kiosks in the mall for the first time. This marked a change in Taubman policy, as it was originally believed that a food court would invite teenage loitering, and that kiosks diminished the upscale atmosphere of the mall.
In 2005, The Taubman Corporation announced a multi-million dollar expansion project which will include a 60,000 sq. ft. expansion to Marshall Field's (which was re-branded as Macy's in 2006), a new 165,000 sq. ft. Nordstrom store, as well as 75,000 sq. ft. of new mall retail space to create 25 new stores. Construction has begun as of February 2006, with Clark Construction Company taking on the project. The new anchor store will be built on the southeast side of the mall, adjacent to the existing Lord & Taylor store. During construction, valet parking will not be available as the former valet entrance must be demolished. This expansion is scheduled to open in September 2007. After renovations take place Twelve oaks mall will become the largest mall in Michigan.

Anchors

★ JCPenney

★ Lord & Taylor

★ Macy's (originally Hudson's, later Marshall Field's)

★ Nordstrom (opening 2007)

★ Sears

See also

★ Architecture of metropolitan Detroit

★ Metro Detroit

★ Tourism in metropolitan Detroit

External links

★ Official Twelve Oaks Site

★ Oakland Press article about the newest expansion

★ Demographic information for advertising inside the mall