Can remember our dad taking my brothers and I to the Pontiac mall when it first opened. My dad bought many pairs of shoes for us kids in the Father and Sons shoe store in the mall. It is amazing malls around the country have given way to online shopping. How things have changed. I still live close to where the mall was located. Many acres are left baron after the dismantling of the mall. I am now 70, and when I hired into General Motors Truck and Bus plant at the age of 18, Pontiac was booming, and jobs were plentiful due to all the auto plants going full tilt. Just as the Pontiac Mall faded into oblivion, so did all the auto plants. Before I retired in 2002, I was on brake sitting outside of the old plant 2 building enjoying my coffee, my guess would be around the year 1995, and I was observing the many buildings that were part of the then Pontiac Truck plants. Out of the blue a voice within me spoke these words; in the not-too-distant future everything you see before you will be gone. At the time those words were spoken to me, I could not wrap my head around such a thought. Those words were indeed prophetic, and for whatever reason the Eternal wanted me to know the future of where I worked. Just as I was told, there is nothing left of the once mighty and bustling Bus and Truck facility. Amazing, for sure.
That is quite a memory. My great grandfather worked truck & bus. My uncle at Fischer body. The families all lived on the south east side. Sanford, raeburn, going areas. You worked through a lot of difficult times. I worked for Ford from 99 until 24. Mostly good times, only 1 scary layoff.
@@darylturcott The amazing thing about my 30 years working at the T&B plants, I never seen any long-term layoffs. When GM shifted to the RTS all stainless-steel bus in 76, in the first few years of production until parts and other problems were sorted out, we would be shutdowns for a few months at a time. I was young then and drawing unemployment when not working so it was like a vacation for me. In all my 30 years of service for GM, that was the only times I was not working. It is amazing how quickly 30 years passed. I live in Waterford now. Don't drive in the Pontiac area much anymore. Like most everyone else, I do much of my shopping online. Oh yes, another thing I forgot to mention concerning working at the T&B plants. My dad's dad, my grandfather, my dad, myself and my older brother all worked in the same department 3710, in which we all had the same foreman, Barny Christian. Three generations worked for the same foreman. Barney retired around the same time the shift from the city bus production ended and the RTS bus started in 76. He was good old guy to work for. Well, hope you and family have an enjoyable thanksgiving. And go Lions!
loved going to that mall when I was little. The fountain with the globe hanging over it. I couldn't wait to get pennies from my mom to throw in it. And it was really special around Christmas time all decorated up, and going to sit on Santa's lap at what looked like to me was a clam shell where he sat
Back in the 60s the mall had or let carnivals set up in the parking lot and around 66 ? a elephant died and they buried it on the east end of the property. It was always a treat to go to the Mall when we were kids..
I bought my wife's engagement from JC Penny there. Got a fantastic deal. Penny's was closing and nice lady pointed out the best ring for what I could afford. Got it even 30% for opening a JC Penny Credit Card. Closed it 3 months later after buying a couch on store closure. 10 year after purchase my wife asked me if I had the receipt still. I did. She was stunned how little I paid for it. The ring was unique because it was cross cut diamond. I guess it was rare. Considering I was your typical clueless 24 year old ring shopper it was a miracle. Curious we asked how much we could get at a jewelry shop and it was double what I paid for it. We are still married never sold or were really interested.
That Kmart building & the Glenwood shopping center that the original Kmart building is attached to has finally received approval to rehab that whole dump into a massive cannibus development. The current problem is now financing - (they lost their original money due to the length of time it took)
Great video. I spent many quarters in the old arcade called Aladdins Castle. This was in my mid/late teens in the 80's. I loved that Hard Drivin' simulator they had... Good times.
Thank you for making and uploading this abandoned mall video. That is a shame that this once great mall will be demolished eventually. I have been following this mall on the internet, even though I have never been to it. Great photos of the inside of the mall in the old days. Great stories about the old days at this place.
Nancy Darling thank you for the kind comments. I will be sharing other michigan abandoned malls over the coming weeks. check put my channel for other similar videos
Seeing a video of an exploration of an abandoned mall in my home state of Michigan was so freaking cool! I don’t think I ever visited this mall, but I wish I had. This abandoned mall exploration was really cool. You have made my day dude! Well done and thank you for posting this!
@daryl turcott - As you entered the mall parking lot, What is/was the name of the coffee shop to your immediate left? is it still in business or was it going to be torn down as well. It was part of the mall property.
I don't remember the name, all of the buildings from sears to Hudson are now down. DTE has purchased the property to build a regional maintenance and service building.
Sir, your Video is great! I like hearing about the History and hearing your Memories. Keep up the good Work. Your li'l green Katydid on the Dashboard of your Ride is so cute!Thankyou so much for the Video! Blessed Be! 🌛🌝🌜
Beth Cialek thank you for the kind words. the grasshopper was given to me by one of my boys, probably 16 years ago or so. he is 22 now. I've put it in every car I've had since then. he used to call it the jumping cricket.
@@peterjszerszen WRONG, NAFTA, killed all those places, it also killed Flint and Saginaw, when all those GM plants closed so did everything around them you got it backwards, NAFTA killed Michigan
I spent so much time here through out my childhood! We loved this place! In the 80’s our fav store was The Elephant & canary (or something like that lol) I remember when the roof collapsed in the very early 90’s I think. I drove by in summer ‘19 I was so sad to see it had been torn down already!! 😢 Thanks for making this video!!
I live near Marshall Michigan. Just discovered your Vlog's. Love them. Living where you do you have a treasure trove of old places to Vlog about. Lot's oh history over by Detroit area. I subscribed
It closed in 2009. I think it actually closed on 9/11/09. I remember going to it just a few days after it closed. My nana wanted to go get something at the mall, but we saw some signs on the door, and she made me get out to read it, they'd said they'd closed the mall.
I was 7 when this mall closed but I remember going here every weekend with my mom. I remember there was a Sams Club and a target over by the car dealerships and a Best Buy over near the newer red lobster restaurant. I also believe there was a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant wear the coney is now.
Man, I haven't been in that place since probably the 70's. I don't remember much about it other than Ward's, Kresge's and Sears. My older brother worked at Sears.
We still have a couple malls in northwest indiana. Merrillville still has Southlake Mall Michigan City had 2 but one has closed and the other is an open air mall Lighthouse Mall or Lighthouse Place (fun fact about that mall it USED to have a railroad works building that was converted into shopping areas)
When our mall which is South Plains Mall which is same name when mall opened in the 70's was remodeled a few years ago they too got rid of the fountains as well especially the bigger fountain by one of the 2 Dillard's which people as I did threw pennies in for a wish, as the live plants & put in new tile floors throughout the mall added new fancier furniture as added charging ports by some of the furniture in corridors. Mall now looks more upscale & too fancy for me but our mall does look nice all in all.
A lot of my Saturdays were with my mom and brothers at Kresgies and Waites. Great memories. My dad owned Frank's Barber Shop in Keego. Went to Emmanuel Christian School on Golf Dr. Miss these days. Do you remember Little Ceasars Pizza in the Glenwood Plaza? Jerry Booth & Larry Sands opened it up.
Remember the Huron Theater? After it burnt down, I went inside coincidentally the night b4 it got bulldoozed. The burnt rafters we're on the seats and you could look up and see the stars. Remember the clock to the left of the screen, with the blue glow that said "Beatty Ford"? Not sayin' anything, just sayin'.
I live here. What killed/is killing these malls is public transportation. Malls became public daycare centers for gangs of teenagers and detroit-pontiac city folk with nothing productive to do but hang out. I was harassed. People who can't afford their own transportation aren't going to spend much money at the mall. I live near the thriving Somerset mall... totally the opposite situation.
David Hoover I live in Saginaw, our mall is slowly dying too. As is Bay Citya and Midland. My mom constantly tells me about how packed it used to be. It's sad because it's an important part of our cities.
Jessica Worthen It's a few things. Yes, Amazon has to do with it. Great Lakes Crossing officially killed Summit Place. Pontiac took the recession hard but I guess the mall was doomed before that. All I can say about blaming Blacks is that you can look at all the major declining cities in Michigan and you'll find them. My wife's grandma (German) said she lived in Detroit and saw the decline when they moved in.
David Hoover Your argument that public transportation kills malls doesn’t take into account the many, many enclosed malls which are still going strong today with strong access to public transport. We have no dead malls anywhere in the metropolitan area where I live in the Northeast, and all the malls have strong transit connections. In fact, transit is one of the only things that has saved some of these malls. Many of our malls have light rail, bus and train connections, and they have only helped the malls to attract shoppers. So your theory is not supported by the facts when looking at sales-per-square-foot.
There were so rumors of it being bought/ repurposed a year or 2 ago. I drive that mall once in a while. Big mall, kind of sad driving by there seeing the abandoned place.
The barber shop had the same guys cutting hair, Father and Son did not sell NIKE, Hughs & Hatchers mens suits often had these same dummies in the corner display window with the latest styles of suits; Teds restaurant was always packed with customers a mile long into the store,, and JL Hudsons had a crummy salad in their upstairs eatery,, get real; the $63 million dollar expansion of the property it now sits should outdo the Mega American Mall in Minneapolis, MN; prayers for "Brookie" our county executive with recent claim to pancreatic cancer. Its a fortune to live here,,,
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Can remember our dad taking my brothers and I to the Pontiac mall when it first opened. My dad bought many pairs of shoes for us kids in the Father and Sons shoe store in the mall. It is amazing malls around the country have given way to online shopping. How things have changed. I still live close to where the mall was located. Many acres are left baron after the dismantling of the mall. I am now 70, and when I hired into General Motors Truck and Bus plant at the age of 18, Pontiac was booming, and jobs were plentiful due to all the auto plants going full tilt. Just as the Pontiac Mall faded into oblivion, so did all the auto plants. Before I retired in 2002, I was on brake sitting outside of the old plant 2 building enjoying my coffee, my guess would be around the year 1995, and I was observing the many buildings that were part of the then Pontiac Truck plants. Out of the blue a voice within me spoke these words; in the not-too-distant future everything you see before you will be gone. At the time those words were spoken to me, I could not wrap my head around such a thought. Those words were indeed prophetic, and for whatever reason the Eternal wanted me to know the future of where I worked. Just as I was told, there is nothing left of the once mighty and bustling Bus and Truck facility. Amazing, for sure.
That is quite a memory. My great grandfather worked truck & bus. My uncle at Fischer body. The families all lived on the south east side. Sanford, raeburn, going areas.
You worked through a lot of difficult times.
I worked for Ford from 99 until 24. Mostly good times, only 1 scary layoff.
@@darylturcott The amazing thing about my 30 years working at the T&B plants, I never seen any long-term layoffs. When GM shifted to the RTS all stainless-steel bus in 76, in the first few years of production until parts and other problems were sorted out, we would be shutdowns for a few months at a time. I was young then and drawing unemployment when not working so it was like a vacation for me. In all my 30 years of service for GM, that was the only times I was not working. It is amazing how quickly 30 years passed. I live in Waterford now. Don't drive in the Pontiac area much anymore. Like most everyone else, I do much of my shopping online. Oh yes, another thing I forgot to mention concerning working at the T&B plants. My dad's dad, my grandfather, my dad, myself and my older brother all worked in the same department 3710, in which we all had the same foreman, Barny Christian. Three generations worked for the same foreman. Barney retired around the same time the shift from the city bus production ended and the RTS bus started in 76. He was good old guy to work for. Well, hope you and family have an enjoyable thanksgiving. And go Lions!
loved going to that mall when I was little. The fountain with the globe hanging over it. I couldn't wait to get pennies from my mom to throw in it. And it was really special around Christmas time all decorated up, and going to sit on Santa's lap at what looked like to me was a clam shell where he sat
Revhead 60 I like your mustang avatar. we have an 05, yellow.
Thank you I have a 66 coupe that will be Tahoe turquoise
Back in the 60s the mall had or let carnivals set up in the parking lot and around 66 ? a elephant died and they buried it on the east end of the property. It was always a treat to go to the Mall when we were kids..
I did a separate video about the death of little Jenny the elephant.
I especially loved Pontiac Mall at Christmas time.
I bought my wife's engagement from JC Penny there. Got a fantastic deal. Penny's was closing and nice lady pointed out the best ring for what I could afford. Got it even 30% for opening a JC Penny Credit Card. Closed it 3 months later after buying a couch on store closure. 10 year after purchase my wife asked me if I had the receipt still. I did. She was stunned how little I paid for it. The ring was unique because it was cross cut diamond. I guess it was rare. Considering I was your typical clueless 24 year old ring shopper it was a miracle. Curious we asked how much we could get at a jewelry shop and it was double what I paid for it. We are still married never sold or were really interested.
Great video! I love your photos and discussion of the history!
I remember when it opened in 1962. It was the place to go. Kmart opened on Glenwood Blvd. that same year. Good memories.
Mike Holman I did a vid about my Glenwood kmart memories too. Those were my favorite places growing up, along with kressge in downtown pontiac
That Kmart building & the Glenwood shopping center that the original Kmart building is attached to
has finally received approval to rehab that whole dump into a massive cannibus development.
The current problem is now financing - (they lost their original money due to the length of time it took)
Great video. I spent many quarters in the old arcade called Aladdins Castle. This was in my mid/late teens in the 80's. I loved that Hard Drivin' simulator they had... Good times.
Thank you for making and uploading this abandoned mall video. That is a shame that this once great mall will be demolished eventually. I have been following this mall on the internet, even though I have never been to it. Great photos of the inside of the mall in the old days. Great stories about the old days at this place.
Nancy Darling thank you for the kind comments. I will be sharing other michigan abandoned malls over the coming weeks. check put my channel for other similar videos
Seeing a video of an exploration of an abandoned mall in my home state of Michigan was so freaking cool! I don’t think I ever visited this mall, but I wish I had. This abandoned mall exploration was really cool. You have made my day dude! Well done and thank you for posting this!
Oh my gosh. I did Donuts in this parking lot about a month before this video was uploaded. You can still see my tracks 😂😂😂
Hunter Gill that is a great place to practice
I remember going to the JC Penny with my mom as a kid
@daryl turcott - As you entered the mall parking lot, What is/was the name of the coffee shop to your immediate left? is it still in business or was it going to be torn down as well. It was part of the mall property.
I don't remember the name, all of the buildings from sears to Hudson are now down. DTE has purchased the property to build a regional maintenance and service building.
It used to be a Dunkin Donuts.
@@danlc95 Thank you for your reply, God Bless :)
@@billmonson9986 - My pleasure. Thank you for sharing this video.
Interesting and informative Daryl thanks for the upload
Sir, your Video is great! I like hearing about the History and hearing your Memories. Keep up the good Work. Your li'l green Katydid on the Dashboard of your Ride is so cute!Thankyou so much for the Video! Blessed Be! 🌛🌝🌜
Beth Cialek thank you for the kind words. the grasshopper was given to me by one of my boys, probably 16 years ago or so. he is 22 now. I've put it in every car I've had since then. he used to call it the jumping cricket.
Anybody remember the playscape? It was awesome and huge
Great Lakes Crossing killed this mall. It used to be THE place to shop until then.
Kenshin Himura I'm looking for ideas for more vocal history videos feel free to drop them in the comments if you got anything
NO, NAFTA, KILLED IT, and PONTIAC
@@peterjszerszen WRONG, NAFTA, killed all those places, it also killed Flint and Saginaw, when all those GM plants closed so did everything around them you got it backwards, NAFTA killed Michigan
Excellent video sir
I spent so much time here through out my childhood! We loved this place! In the 80’s our fav store was The Elephant & canary (or something like that lol) I remember when the roof collapsed in the very early 90’s I think. I drove by in summer ‘19 I was so sad to see it had been torn down already!! 😢 Thanks for making this video!!
My memories go back to 65 or so. Really liked the place.
daryl turcott I was born in 78 but spent so much time there. Just wish they could’ve done something with the building other than destroy it.
I live near Marshall Michigan. Just discovered your Vlog's. Love them. Living where you do you have a treasure trove of old places to Vlog about. Lot's oh history over by Detroit area. I subscribed
mark sears thank you. Your name sounds familiar, are you in any abandoned or photography groups on facebook?
It closed in 2009. I think it actually closed on 9/11/09. I remember going to it just a few days after it closed. My nana wanted to go get something at the mall, but we saw some signs on the door, and she made me get out to read it, they'd said they'd closed the mall.
Ariel L such a nice place in the 60s & 70s
I was 7 when this mall closed but I remember going here every weekend with my mom. I remember there was a Sams Club and a target over by the car dealerships and a Best Buy over near the newer red lobster restaurant. I also believe there was a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant wear the coney is now.
I have heard that they started demolition this week.
Man, I haven't been in that place since probably the 70's. I don't remember much about it other than Ward's, Kresge's and Sears. My older brother worked at Sears.
went here as a kid back in the 60s sure like it we lived in commerce mi then also rem m/mile shopping center
Miracle mile had some cool stores, remember "pants galore"?
I used to shop there all the time rest in peace we summit place mall
Craig. John Mawer lots of malls dying now, but few as cool as this one.
I've been there 4 times I don't live in Waterford or Pontiac I up around Grand Blanc but I like older malls it said it was gone
Genesee valley in flint has the old mall feel to it.
I live in grand blanc
Summit Place Mall Demolition Video Courtesy of Metro Drone: ruclips.net/video/2SOQUKQbVDo/видео.html
We still have a couple malls in northwest indiana. Merrillville still has Southlake Mall Michigan City had 2 but one has closed and the other is an open air mall Lighthouse Mall or Lighthouse Place (fun fact about that mall it USED to have a railroad works building that was converted into shopping areas)
General Lee Studios Official that sounds very interesting. History that a lot of people don't know or remember.
When our mall which is South Plains Mall which is same name when mall opened in the 70's was remodeled a few years ago they too got rid of the fountains as well especially the bigger fountain by one of the 2 Dillard's which people as I did threw pennies in for a wish, as the live plants & put in new tile floors throughout the mall added new fancier furniture as added charging ports by some of the furniture in corridors. Mall now looks more upscale & too fancy for me but our mall does look nice all in all.
I love the sealing design of the Hudson’s store /Macy’s store.
It'd of been nice if you'd introduced your little grasshopper buddy that was taking the tour with ya .
Lol
A lot of my Saturdays were with my mom and brothers at Kresgies and Waites. Great memories. My dad owned Frank's Barber Shop in Keego. Went to Emmanuel Christian School on Golf Dr. Miss these days. Do you remember Little Ceasars Pizza in the Glenwood Plaza? Jerry Booth & Larry Sands opened it up.
Mike Holman I do! I did a video about Glenwood but I had forgotten little cesar!
Thank you for this video- it’s very well done
Cassius Productions would have been better if I could have gotten in. Lol.
Remember the Huron Theater? After it burnt down, I went inside coincidentally the night b4 it got bulldoozed. The burnt rafters we're on the seats and you could look up and see the stars.
Remember the clock to the left of the screen, with the blue glow that said "Beatty Ford"? Not sayin' anything, just sayin'.
Only went there once or twice. Saw jungle book there 1967ish
I worked in Ted's while a senior in high school, Pontiac central, a VERY fun job
I live here. What killed/is killing these malls is public transportation. Malls became public daycare centers for gangs of teenagers and detroit-pontiac city folk with nothing productive to do but hang out. I was harassed. People who can't afford their own transportation aren't going to spend much money at the mall. I live near the thriving Somerset mall... totally the opposite situation.
David Hoover somerset is a great mall
David Hoover I live in Saginaw, our mall is slowly dying too. As is Bay Citya and Midland. My mom constantly tells me about how packed it used to be. It's sad because it's an important part of our cities.
Jessica Worthen
It's a few things. Yes, Amazon has to do with it. Great Lakes Crossing officially killed Summit Place. Pontiac took the recession hard but I guess the mall was doomed before that.
All I can say about blaming Blacks is that you can look at all the major declining cities in Michigan and you'll find them. My wife's grandma (German) said she lived in Detroit and saw the decline when they moved in.
David Hoover Your argument that public transportation kills malls doesn’t take into account the many, many enclosed malls which are still going strong today with strong access to public transport. We have no dead malls anywhere in the metropolitan area where I live in the Northeast, and all the malls have strong transit connections. In fact, transit is one of the only things that has saved some of these malls. Many of our malls have light rail, bus and train connections, and they have only helped the malls to attract shoppers. So your theory is not supported by the facts when looking at sales-per-square-foot.
I spent a lot of time in that mall when I should have been in school, lol.
I think most of us did back then. 😁
Didn’t the Great Lakes crossing outlet drive them out of business
Probably, it had to be a big factor.
My first jobs were here
Which store?
this mall was so dangerous, ive witnessed actual knife fights here omg
pob back in 60s and 70s it was great, but things changed
The Picnic gang was tough.
aguyandhiscomputer I remember the turf war of 94 when the Picnics and the Lane Bryants were beefin’
I just remembered, just inside the main entrance in the early 60's a photograph that my gramma took of my sister and I doing the twist to Chubby.
3:56 Thumbs Up if you had your teeth drilled by Dr Kimmans on the second story of 255.
Ion Hunter lol no.
I would like to see that vid on Glenwood. Grew up on that Street.
Mike Holman ruclips.net/video/CITDHkJLsSI/видео.html
I believe it was a Farmer Jack next to the sears.
Based on some research I did the owners are to cheap to pay to have it torn down
H.H. foxaddict common problem with most abandoned buildings. that and emotional attachment, mostly to schools and tourist attractions.
I remember this mall. I thought it had been bought?
Sharon mckay I don't see much local news from pontiac so I am not sure.
There were so rumors of it being bought/ repurposed a year or 2 ago. I drive that mall once in a while. Big mall, kind of sad driving by there seeing the abandoned place.
HoW sad😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
The barber shop had the same guys cutting hair, Father and Son did not sell NIKE, Hughs & Hatchers mens suits often had these same dummies in the corner display window with the latest styles of suits; Teds restaurant was always packed with customers a mile long into the store,, and JL Hudsons had a crummy salad in their upstairs eatery,, get real; the $63 million dollar expansion of the property it now sits should outdo the Mega American Mall in Minneapolis, MN; prayers for "Brookie" our county executive with recent claim to pancreatic cancer. Its a fortune to live here,,,
I don't remember teds, but my dad said he hung out at teds trailer on telegraph? Or woodward? Can't remember.
There taking down a part of Sears at Macomb mall in Michigan.
George farnsworth never went there, I think I drove by it one time.
The SS Kresge Co became K Mart in the 70s - 17.
Harry Tran yes it did. members of the kressge family lived just a few miles from here , in Lake Angelus
Harry Tran there was a huge kressge store in downtown pontiac I loved going to.
Also the land of the down under K Mart stories in the malls is still alive in Australia
Any clue who owns this now or what they plan to do with this?
I have heard roof is falling in and may be demolished soon. Going back with drone to have a look.
STUFF AMERICA DOES NOT NEED ANY MORE. THANKS FOR VIDEO.(Wonder what George Carlin would think?)
validate your parking sir?
Santa is scared of Pontiac; he rather live in the North Pole,,.
Nah, he rather live in Auburn hills.
you shouldve went in ☺
Roccontrolz22 I wish I was that bold. I'm not Urbex, just a storyteller