Old Navy joins historic makeover in Michigan
Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy delivered a stump speech there not long after it opened in 1960. Legions of thriving General Motors employees kept it thriving for decades. But Tech Plaza in Warren, Michigan, suffered a crushing blow when Walmart left in 2008, and the center was nearly vacant when Detroit-based Petzold Enterprises acquired it in 2014.
Tom Petzold’s lured back Walmart that same year, and his company has since rebuilt Tech Plaza into a going concern, adding Marshals, DWS, Carters/OshKosh, Five Below, and Ulta in ensuing years. This week, Old Navy signed multi-year lease at the center.
“We sought to make the center as upscale and modern as possible,” said Petzold, the company’s president. “Old Navy is the ideal complement to our other marquee stores that will truly help reestablish the Tech Plaza as a viable shopping destination.”
To assist in the makeover, Petzold assembled a project team made up f local companies: Tiseo Architects from Livonia, design firm R. Berlin and Associates from Northville, and NCS Construction Services of Bloomfield Hills. The team delivered 118,000 sq. ft. of retail space to the market over the past 12 months, and has leased 73,600 sq. ft. to 11 stores, many unique to the city of Warren.
Connect with me on LinkedIn | Follow me on Twitter