A Look Inside the Eerily Empty Courtland Center Mall

Once the cornerstone of American shopping culture, malls across Michigan and the country face a steep decline. What were once thriving retail centers, hot spots for social gatherings, and entertainment have largely become ghostly echoes of their former glory.

As online shopping continues to soar and consumer habits shift towards convenience and experience-driven retail, traditional malls struggle to keep up, including those in Genesee County.

When Courtland Center opened in October 1968 it was called Eastland Mall. Back then the mall was anchored by stores such as Woolco, The Fair, and Federal's. The mall was renamed Courtland Center in the summer of 1986 and welcomed big stores like Mervyn's, which to the spot of The Fair, and Crowley's to the mix as well as adding a theater expansion which would ultimately close in 2021.

Over the years stores have come and gone with several taking over outlying locations next to the main mall. Over the past few years, more stores have gone, without new ones coming in, and sadly the mall has suffered.

Recently a video started circulating on social media showing a 'ghost town' remnant of Courtland Center Mall in Burton. Having been someone who grew up going to the mall off Center Road, I was, well shocked. So I decided to go and take a look for myself.

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I stopped by to walk around during the lunch hour on a Wednesday and what I saw was tough. I had the mall basically to myself except for two 'mall walkers'. The silence was overwhelming, and the vacancies were everywhere. Just inside the front door was the restaurant El Cozumel, showing strong life and carrying the weight of being the only food option still in the mall....no more food court area.

The fountains were still running, although the once beautiful tropical plants were looking a bit weary and were surrounded by artificial poinsettias, which I assume are from last Christmas season. The kid's rides and bubble gum machines were still working and filled as if hoping someone would stop by soon.

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Aside from Bath & Body Works, a nail salon, and Goodwill, there was not another store with mall access open. Two stores had the gates closed, but a sign was posted to "call for assistance". I say mall access since you cannot enter the mall from the J.C. Penny anchor store. Planet Fitness and Magoos Pet Outlet have outside entrances only, as does Dunham's Sports.

I won't lie, standing in front of the vacant theater and remembering taking my son there when he was little was tough. It's always sad to see memories of hanging out at the mall with friends as a teenager, and the crowded mall vibe a the holidays, look completely deserted.

As the future of malls hangs in the balance, it's clear that the traditional shopping experience is undergoing a major transformation. While some malls may find new life through redevelopment or by embracing mixed-use concepts, many will likely remain symbols of a bygone era.

Take a look inside Courtland Center below.