Dead Malls Season 5 Episode 5 - Westland Center (MI)

About 23 miles outside downtown Detroit sits Westland Shopping Center. If you’re ever lucky enough to find yourself lost in its maze like 60s layout you might just be lucky enough to call this place home for shopping. Conceived by the Hudson’s corporation in the early 60s, this is one of once 4 omnidirectional malls in the city. Upon opening and through the golden years of retail it was a paradise to all. From gleaming rainbow lit fountains to garden atriums full of retail, plants, and aquariums. Over the years it was remodeled, expanded and turned into a “modern” shopping haven. But that wasn’t all. Through countless changes it battled for years with nearby malls and that new thing called online shopping. Then the retail apocalypse hit. With Macys, and Sears gone, dwindling numbers of inline stores and a city that hates it more and more each day. How much longer does the once paradise like Westland Center have? Well, join me today as we dive in, take a tour and tell the story of this jumbled beauty.

Music used

Penthouse View - Rymdklang Sound

In 1985 - M4 Vaporwave

Mall Muzak of 1959

Okinawa Sunset - Master Stryker

No Love in the House of Gold - void_19

Exit the Bear and the Bird - N 6 4

A World of Madness - Silent Hill 2 OST

Touch Your Feelings - M4 Vaporwave

Sunstorm - ELFL

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Links

#northcdogg22 #deadmall #deadmalls #northernfilms

[shawl]

Grew up here 60’s, 70’s, 80’s. I remember the fountain and astrology clock. Hudson’s was my favorite store. My 7th grade band played Christmas music by the goose in ‘76. Used to play on that goose when little, sliding thru the neck hole. Went downstairs to the “Concourse” for a haircut and perm at Hair Affair in ‘79. Also Hudson’s discount “Rainbow” shop was at that level. The pretzel place was Hot Sam’s pretzels in the late 70’s. Used to shop at the Rave store late 80’s. Sad to see how the mall has declined. BTW we Michiganders pronounce the “a” in Westland like “and”. Not “Westlund” lol. Nice vid!

[dancewithml]

The big doors in the basement with the letter D is actually a huge dance academy. Had you come later in the day, I'd have happily given you a tour. In the past it was a full facility gym with locker rooms and showers.

Also sears had an entire lower level and so did the east court. The east court had fountains and lockers in the lower level.

Since I've worked there for so long I've been able to see a lot of the closed off areas.
Great tour.

[lukefabricatore]

Just got randomly recommended this video and I'm so glad I did. Thank you for documenting this mall. As a metro Detroit kid in the early 2000s, I went here all the time back then and had a front row seat to its decline. I was too young to think anything of it, but it's insane to see how dead it is now. Lots of fond memories in the large atrium and play areas. This video definitely made me nostalgic haha

[ThinkBIGBodybuilding]

I grew up here. When I was a kid in the 80's, Westland was bumping. As a kid, I always enjoyed the fountains and sculptures. It's sad to see how the mall is doing today and how the city has changed. I suppose times change. The community in Westland has evolved a lot and how we consume has changed. Had you had the oppertunity to get into the Hudsons store, the upper floor still had decor from the 60's. It was like a time capsule up there. Thanks for not being too harsh on the old place. It was pretty awesome in it's time

[bobbirobison]

This mall was amazing in the late 90's early 2000's. A lot of my teenage years spent at this mall ❤

[marygilliland]

I live in Westland! I cant believe im seeing this! Lived here my whole life (31 now) and growing up this place was always a go to. Its so sad to see the downfall of in store shopping, but surprisingly more ppl still shop here than you'd expect!

[rogertaylorsmarakas]

I always love watching these even though I wasn’t born in this time era I still can believe I was and the way that these beautiful places are just being left is sad because they look like they would do so much better than the shopping centers today because they have so much life and memories

[LookMaaHands]

There used to be an arcade in the lower level that my grandpa used to take me when I was a kid. It was the best part of the mall as a kid back in the day

[sunsetrecords]

This has got to be my new favorite mall. If I had the money I would buy the place and turn it into a haven once again. Great video!

[dereks]

I don't live too far from here and I used to go to this mall quite a bit in the 90's to the late 2000's. I noticed it started to go downhill around 2010/2011. It's been a dead zone as you can see in this video. It's always like this. I remember going to KB Toys and FYE. The parking lot used to be really full and hard to find a parking spot. It's literally sad to see every time I pass by it and see it empty. Thank you for filming this.

[thomaswallace]

Couple of things here. 60s and 70s at its height were close by an up scale theatre Quo Vadis and next to that a drive in theatre. So the area was a big entertainment center in general. In the parking lot was a Sign of the Beef Carver, classic Roast Beef buffet. And one other note for 60s fans. The next closest mall of note at the time was Wonderland Mall in Livonia. Built originally as separate stores connected by walkways it was enclosed later to become the first enclosed mall in America. Demolished about 15 years ago.

[mlubiarz]

The city was originally called Nankin Township. They renamed the city Westland after the mall, not the other way around.

[SirWedgie]

Imagine being at a mall opening event in the 1960's? Always love the music and production quality of your videos! <3 Keep up the amazing work.

[grumpygirlyyy]

This use to be one of my favorite malls! I would hangout there as a teenager and take my kids there as a mom! So many memories here this breaks my heart to see it like this 🥺

[brooksiebabyy]

I remember eating at the terrace restaurant around 2007/2008. It was my first time at westland mall and I remember being so impressed with it. I went back with my husband a couple years ago and I was so saddened to see it reduced to basically nothing. Thank you for this video, it's so nice to see such appreciation for the forgotten.

[noahvoris]

LOVE this mall! It’s one of my favorites of metro Detroit. The last of the original “land” malls surrounding the city.

[gamingwizard]

I grew up going to Westland Mall. It is only 1/4 of its glory, sad to say. I expect it to close in the near future with only Kohls and maybe JC Penny's to stay open, access from the outside to their stores. Great video!

[radicalgamingnerd]

Thank you so much for visiting my city’s mall. It’s such a shame that it’s left to rot I remember the good days.

[Superskibidi]

I havent been to this mall since December 2012. I was 4 years old when i would play on the playscapes and see santa claus. I remember those days

[dougall]

Wow. Thanks for the tour. I moved to Detroit from the UK in 2004 and this place was my first mall experience. In fact I still have some hefty bed covers I bought there. Sad to see its slow decline.