Tel-Twelve Mall

Tel-Twelve Mall

Location	Southfield, Michigan, United States
Coordinates	42°29′56″N 83°16′59″W / 42.499°N 83.283°W / 42.499; -83.283
Address	Telegraph Road
Opening date	1968
Developer	Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust
Management	Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust
Owner	Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust
Architect	Charles N. Agree
No. of stores and services	20
No. of anchor tenants	7
Total retail floor area	523,411 square feet (48,626.5 m2) (GLA)
No. of floors	1
Public transit access	SMART 275, 375, 405, 740, 760

Tel-Twelve Mall is a shopping mall located in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Developed as an enclosed mall in 1968, it was demolished and rebuilt in 2001 as a power center composed of big box tenants. Its anchor stores include Best Buy, DSW, Lowe's, Meijer, Michaels, Office Depot and PetSmart. The complex is owned and managed by Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, the same company that developed it.

History[edit]

Tel-Twelve Mall opened in 1968 along Telegraph Road just north of Interstate 696 in Southfield, Michigan. The mall initially comprised two anchor stores: Kmart at the northern end and Montgomery Ward at the southern end, with a Chatham supermarket as a junior anchor in between.^[1] It was designed by A&W Properties (now Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust), with Charles N. Agree as architect. It originally featured a fountain and Astroturf floors.^[2]

At the time of its opening, Tel-Twelve Mall's viability was questioned by retailers, as Southfield already had a larger shopping mall, Northland Center.^[1] Tel-Twelve was expanded four times in its history, eventually gaining a Crowley's department store as a third anchor in 1985,^[3] as well as a food court. By 1990, the mall had gained a Kids "R" Us, and Silver's Office Supplies had replaced the Chatham.^[4]

In 1994, a renovation of the mall added many stores, including Ruby Tuesday, Old Country Buffet, DSW Shoe Warehouse, and Media Play.^[5] The Montgomery Ward store was downsized to make room for MC Sports and Office Depot, the former of which became Circuit City by 1996. Due to space limitations, a portion of the store had to be located across the mall hallway from the rest of the store.^[6] It was also the first Circuit City store to be located inside an enclosed shopping mall.^[7]

Crowley's closed in 2000, followed by Montgomery Ward a year later. Although the mall was still 85% occupied at the time, its tenant roster was largely composed of local stores.^[1] Ramco-Gershenson had made a decision to demolish everything except for Kmart, Montgomery Ward, Office Depot, and Circuit City, and replace the rest of the complex with a strip mall. Kmart closed soon afterward, and its former location at the mall was demolished for a Meijer. The former Montgomery Ward was replaced with Michaels and Pier One, while other big box stores such as Lowe's supplanted the rest of the former enclosed mall space.^[1] DSW also relocated to a new store on the site of the mall. Media Play became Best Buy, while the former Circuit City slot eventually became a PetSmart. The Office Depot closed in 2019, and an Ulta Beauty store opened in its place by 2020.

References[edit]