Southeast Michigan Retail: Motor City Retail History

This post will look at retail in Madison Heights, Oakland County, MI.   Micro Center #55 32800 Concord Drive, Madison Heights, MI Driving distance and time from downtown Detroit: 16.2 miles, approx. 20 minutes Tucked across from Oakland Mall adjacent to Interstate 75 is Michigan's only Micro Center computer store, but that isn't what this building started out as, as you'll find out next. AMC Abbey 8 Theatres following its May 2001 closure. (credit: Water Winter Wonderland )   The building originally opened on December 22, 1972 as the Abbey Theatres 1-2-3, owned at the time by Suburban Detroit Theatres. From 1979 to 2000, the Abbey competed with the nearby United Artists Movies at Oakland Mall theater within Oakland Mall itself. Suburban Detroit was eventually sold to AMC Theatres in 1986, and five additional screens were added to the complex, opening on December 15, 1989...the very same day a new Star (now AMC!) Theatre opened just one block away from the now-named AMC Abbe...

This post will look at retail in Madison Heights, Oakland County; Shelby Charter Township, Macomb County; and Taylor, Wayne County, MI. Another short blog post kicks off the month of November here at SMR with some great Southeast Michigan retail news - the entry of two chains into the Great Lakes State. Photo courtesy Crain's Detroit Business Hudson's Budget Store #???? / EJ Korvette #???? / (Super) Kmart #3575 / BJ's Wholesale Club #383 29101 John R. Road, Madison Heights, MI Driving distance and time from downtown Detroit: 14.5 miles, approx. 16 minutes One of these chains is BJ's Wholesale Club, which on November 2nd (yesterday as of the creation of this blog post) opened it's first Michigan foray at the site of former (Super) Kmart #3575 at John R. and 12 Mile Roads in Madison Heights. Through Google Maps photos , it seems that this location is already really popular! Sorry, this was the best I could do. BJ's Wholesale Club #384 ...