RiverTown Crossings facts for kids
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| Location | Grandville, Michigan, United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°52′46″N 85°45′22″W / 42.87945°N 85.75598°W |
| Address | 3700 RiverTown Parkway |
| Opening date | November 3, 1999 |
| Developer | General Growth Properties |
| Management | Brookfield Properties Retail Group |
| Owner | Brookfield Properties Retail Group |
| No. of stores and services | 130+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 6 (4 open, 2 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,267,272 sq ft (117,733.4 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (3rd floor staff mezzanine in Dick's Sporting Goods) |
| Parking | Surrounding sectional; Free 7033 spaces |
RiverTown Crossings is a big, two-story shopping mall located in Grandville, Michigan. It's a popular place for shopping and fun! This huge mall has many stores, including four main ones called "anchor stores." These are Macy's, Kohl's, JCPenney, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Two other large spots used to be home to Younkers and Sears.
Contents
Discovering RiverTown Crossings' Past
How the Mall Was Planned and Built
The idea for a shopping center in Grandville started way back in 1981. A company called General Growth Properties bought a large piece of land. Later, in 1990, another company, Homart Development Company, wanted to build a mall nearby. They asked the city for permission.
Homart wanted to build a huge mall with 120 stores. But the city of Grandville said no in 1991. They pointed out that General Growth already owned land that was perfect for a mall. Homart's plans were then put on hold. General Growth later bought Homart in 1995.
In 1994, General Growth tried again. They suggested a mall with 150 stores. But the mayor of Grandville, James Buck, said the city didn't need more stores. General Growth didn't give up! They bought even more land in 1996.
Finally, in October 1996, General Growth and the city made a deal. The mayor was excited, saying the mall would be "the finest shopping mall in Michigan." A new plan was approved in 1997, making the mall a bit smaller. Construction began on December 6, 1997. It cost about $160 million to build!
When the Mall First Opened Its Doors
RiverTown Crossings officially opened on November 3, 1999. This was just in time for the busy holiday shopping season! It started with five main anchor stores: Sears, Hudson's, Kohl's, Younkers, and JCPenney. A bookstore, Barnes & Noble, also opened.
A few months later, two more stores joined. Galyan's (which is now Dick's Sporting Goods) became the sixth anchor store. Old Navy also opened its doors. The mall even had a big Cinemark movie theater with 20 screens near its food court.
RiverTown Crossings was one of the first big buildings in the area. After it opened, many other shops and restaurants came to Grandville. Now, this area is a major shopping spot for people in West Michigan.
Recent Changes at the Mall
Over the years, some stores have changed. On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Younkers would close. The company that owned Younkers went out of business. The store closed its doors on August 29, 2018.
Then, on November 9, 2020, it was announced that Sears would also be closing. This was part of a plan to close several Sears stores across the country. The Sears store at RiverTown Crossings closed on January 24, 2021.
Exploring Stores and Fun Attractions
RiverTown Crossings has more than 130 stores! There's a lot of space for shopping, about 1.25 million square feet. Outside, there are over 6,000 parking spots for visitors.
You can find many places to eat and drink inside the mall. There's a special food court area. In the middle of the food court, there's a fun carousel! Eight quick-service restaurants surround the carousel.
Near the food court, you'll also find a huge 20-screen Celebration Cinema movie theater. This theater is one of the mall's main attractions. It's known as one of the most popular movie theaters in Michigan!
Images for kids
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Panoramic photo of the RiverTown Crossings Mall food court in 2012, with the carousel seen in the center.
