RiverTown Crossings is a two-story enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Grandville, Michigan. It has six occupied anchors: Macy's, Kohl's, JCPenney, Dick's Sporting Goods, Celebration Cinema, and Soar N Bounce with one vacant anchor formerly occupied by Sears, and one half vacant anchor last occupied by Younkers.[1] The mall has a capacity for 128 retail stores and has 88% of its space occupied, higher than most average shopping malls.[2]
The area occupied by the mall was initially the site for Shoemaker Airfield, which was constructed in the 1960s.[3][4] Plans for a commercial development in Grandville began in 1981 when developer General Growth Properties purchased 99 acres of land on what is now Rivertown Parkway.[5] In 1990, Homart Development Company, a subsidiary of Sears, had begun eyeing a development of a new mall near the intersection of 44th Street and Ivanrest and met with the city for approval.[6] In November 1990, Homart Development Co. originally proposed a 1 million square foot, 120-store indoor mall on 94 acres of land near the intersection, seeking for the land to be rezoned from high-tech industrial to commercial.[7][8] However, the City of Grandville turned down the plans in January 1991, stating that a 99-acre lot on Rivertown Parkway, which was adjacent to the property sought by Homart, was already zoned for commercial usage and was owned by General Growth.[8][9] Homart's plan for a mall was then put on hold after its director, Roy Vice, left the company[8] and Homart Development Company was put up for sale in 1994, later being sold to General Growth in 1995.[10][11][12]
In October 1994 after waiting for the economy to strengthen, General Growth vice president John Bergstrom proposed a 150-store mall with 4 anchor stores, stating that the project could be completed by Spring 1997.[13] This plan was also declined on October 12, 1994, with Grandville Mayor James Buck stating that more commercial was not needed in the city.[14] General Growth then made a deal to acquire more land adjacent to the site in August 1996, with a new proposed mall site totaling 138 acres.[15]
General Growth and the City of Grandville then made a deal in October 1996 after General Growth promised in August that the mall would only remain in Grandville and not span into Wyoming, with Grandville Mayor James Buck stating, "The construction of this mall has been anticipated for years. ... Our goal will be to provide the finest shopping mall in Michigan".[16][17]
Construction
A revised plan for the mall was approved in May 1997 which reduced the size of the mall.[18] Construction for the mall broke ground on December 6, 1997[19] with about 344 workers being present on site daily.[20] For construction materials, about 400 loads from concrete transport truck s, 5,000 different cans of paint, 200,000 floor tiles and 7,600,000 pounds (3,400,000kg) of steel.[20] The construction of RiverTown Crossings occurred over a period of 498 days, a few weeks short of a whole two years.[20] The total construction cost for the mall amounted to about $160 million, the equivalent to $302,005,593in 2024.[21]
Overall, the mall, located on 116 acres of land, has the capacity for just over 130 stores and has about 1,249,697 square feet (116,100.7m2) of retail space available.[18][20] Outside, about 7,000 parking spaces were placed.[20]
RiverTown Crossings opened on November 3, 1999[1] just prior to the holiday season with five original anchors: Sears, Hudson's, Kohl's, Younkers and JCPenney with Barnes & Noble also featured as a junior anchor. A 40-rider carousel was a central feature located at the center of the second floor, costing $1 for a two-minute ride.[20] Surrounding the carousel was a food court with six restaurants operating during the opening and the seating capacity for 1,000 diners.[20] South of the food court was a Cinemark with 20 screens.[20]
In the morning, shoppers waited in lines up to about two hours prior to entering the mall, queuing outdoors in temperatures hovering near 35°F (2°C) and a wind chill between 15°F (−9°C) and 25°F (−4°C) accompanied by some snow flurries.[20] Local news station WZZM was present, interviewing visitors throughout the day.[20] Tens of thousands of shoppers visited during the grand opening of RiverTown Crossings and in the subsequent week, over 200,000 shoppers were projected to visit RiverTown.[20]
The mall was one of the first developments in the area and following its construction, many other restaurants and stores opened around it.[2] Now the area is well developed and a major shopping district for the West Side of Grand Rapids including the Holland Area.
2000s
In late 2000,[20]Galyan's and Old Navy opened, with Galyan's becoming the mall's sixth anchor tenant and Old Navy becoming another junior anchor. A NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway Racing Center and Kahunaville were present at the mall shortly after its opening.[22][23][24]
In 2001, Hudson's was renamed Marshall Field's. That year, NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway Racing Center was closed after Silicon Entertainment, Inc., its creator, ceased operations.[22]
On March 26, 2002, a Meijer store opened adjacent to the mall.[25] By 2004, Kahunaville closed and a replacement was being sought out.[23] Also, in 2004, Galyan's was renamed after being acquired by Dick's Sporting Goods.[26] Marshall Field's was renamed Macy's in 2006. The Cinemark theaters were acquired by local movie theater company Celebration Cinema in 2007.
Panoramic photo of the RiverTown Crossings Mall food court and carousel, showing the mall's original decor
In 2018, original developer General Growth Properties was acquired by the Brookfield Property Partners and ownership of RiverTown Crossings was transferred.[28] During Brookfield's ownership, the mall experienced a lack of investment, with maintenance and structural quality deteriorating, affecting the satisfaction of visitors with the space.[2] On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Younkers would be closing its doors due to its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, being unable to find a buyer forcing the chain to go out of business. The store closed on August 29, 2018.[29]
2020s
On November 9, 2020, it was announced that Sears would also be closing as part of a plan to close 7 stores nationwide. The store closed on January 24, 2021.[30]
In the fall of 2023 and 2024, Spirit Halloween operated a seasonal location in the northern part of the lower level in the former Sears space.
In 2024, multiple developments occurred with the mall. In early 2024, Soar N Bounce Trampoline and Adventure Park signed a 10 year lease for the upper floor of the vacant Younkers space which became the largest trampoline park in West Michigan upon its opening later that year. Local investors sought to purchase RiverTown Crossings, though they withdrew their offer of $80 million after Poag Development Group shared their interest in purchasing the mall.[2] On August 30, 2024, Poag Development Group bought Rivertown Crossings from Brookfield Properties for an undisclosed price and shared a plan to work with Jones Lang LaSalle to revitalize and to keep the mall up to date.[2][31] Poag shared visions of bringing a hotel, more adjacent retail space and even residential properties.[2]
On January 13, 2025, it was announced that the parking deck, which was closed off for some time, will be demolished.[32] Future plans are to replace it with surface parking and two new parcels for future tenants.
In late March 2025, Celebration Cinema announced that they would renovate their RiverTown location. It was the last remaining location in the Grand Rapids area to be renovated. Phase one of the renovation was completed in early July 2025, and phase two is to be completed around fall.
Current stores and attractions
Interior of RiverTown Crossings in 2018
The mall has a capacity for 130 retail stores.[18] Food and beverage merchants are located throughout the mall. On the second floor, a food court with a carousel in the center that is surrounded by 8 quick service restaurants. Near the food court, there is also a 20-screen Celebration Cinema movie theater that serves as one of the mall's anchor tenants and is one of the most popular cinemas in Michigan, consecutively performing as one of the top 3 theaters in the state.[1]
Across from Dick's Sporting Goods on the second floor, there is a Soar N Bounce Trampoline and Adventure Park, which is currently the largest trampoline park in West Michigan and was the first location of the franchise.
Murals painted by Chicago-based artist Thomas Melvin in 1999 were featured in the mall's interior space, when the mall first opened. As part of a renovation in 2017, the murals in center court were covered, leaving only those above the anchor stores remaining.
↑ Heibel, Lawrence R. (October 4, 1994). "Developer proposes shopping center for Grandville". The Grand Rapids Press.
↑ Heibel, Lawrence R. (October 12, 1994). "Power shopping center' proposal is spurned". The Grand Rapids Press.
↑ Heibel, Lawrence R. (October 17, 1996). "Residents extra land for mall The watchdog group fears the developer's purchase of 70 additional acres means the project is about to grow". The Grand Rapids Press.
↑ Radigan, Mary; Heibel, Lawrence R. (September 5, 1996). "3 anchor stores set for mall Sears, Dayton-Hudson and Younkers will join two others as major retailers at the new mall". The Grand Rapids Press.
↑ "General Growth starts work on Michigan regional mall". National Real Estate Investor. 38 (11): 8. October 1996.
1 2 3 Sher, Joanne M. (May 8, 1997). "Revised plan reduces mall's size A professional planner has been hired to help the city get ready for the project". The Grand Rapids Press.
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