Rogers Plaza facts for kids
| Location | Wyoming, Michigan, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°54′44″N 85°41′26″W / 42.9123°N 85.6906°W |
| Address | 972 28th Street Southwest |
| Opening date | August 3, 1961 (opened 63 years ago) |
| Developer | Pioneer Shopping Centers, Inc. |
| Owner | Sun Valley Ltd. |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 |
| Total retail floor area | 365,572 square feet (34,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
Rogers Plaza is a shopping mall located in Wyoming, Michigan. This city is a suburb near Grand Rapids, Michigan. It first opened in 1961 and was the very first shopping mall in Western Michigan. Today, you can find popular stores like Planet Fitness, Citi Trends, and OfficeMax there.
Contents
A Look at Rogers Plaza's History
Rogers Plaza was built in 1960. When it first opened, it had many different stores. Some of these included S. S. Kresge and W. T. Grant. These were variety stores. There were also supermarkets like Kroger and A&P. A drug store called Cunningham Drug was there too. You could also shop at Montgomery Ward.
Right next door, another shopping area opened in 1961. It was called Southland Plaza. Today, we know it as Wyoming Village Mall. It had a department store called Wurzburg's.
Early Stores and New Additions
The people who built Rogers Plaza wanted a big department store. They hoped to have one at the east end of the mall. It took some time, but by 1971, a discount store called Turn Style opened there.
Later, in the 1980s, a music store called Stannard's Music was at the mall. This store was special because it helped introduce people to MIDI. MIDI is a way for electronic music instruments to talk to each other. The store even held classes to show how it worked.
Changes in the 1990s
By the 1990s, Rogers Plaza faced some challenges. It was harder to attract new businesses. In 1990, the big store on the east end became Best Products.
Around Halloween in 1990 and 1991, the mall hosted a "Haunted Hotel" event. This fun event was sponsored by Easter Seals. In 1991, there was a fire at the Best store. Three people had to go to the hospital because of smoke.
In 1994, OfficeMax opened in the mall. It took the place of a store called Bargain Books. The bookstore moved into a smaller space. Another store, Gantos, which sold clothes, closed down. By 1998, a United States Postal Service store opened in the middle of the mall.
In 1999, Rogers Plaza had 30 stores. The mall was "filling up fast." The space where Best used to be was filled. However, a new mall opened in Grandville. It was called RiverTown Crossings. Many shoppers started going there instead.
Rogers Plaza in the 2000s
In December 2000, Montgomery Ward closed its doors. About 140 people lost their jobs. In May 2000, the mall got a new owner.
From 2001 to 2002, Rogers Plaza had a big makeover. The renovation project lasted 14 months. As part of this update, the old Montgomery Ward building was taken down. In its place, a Family Fare supermarket opened. An AJ Wright discount store also opened. AJ Wright closed in February 2011. Later that year, in August, it became a store called CW Price.
In June 2012, a company called Sun Valley Ltd. bought the mall. At that time, some of the main stores included Big Lots, Harbor Freight Tools, Citi Trends, and OfficeMax.
In June 2019, the Family Fare supermarket closed. The space where it used to be is now planned to be sold.
